Nature's Native Palette

It took a year living in Gippsland and working for an outdoor education centre for Claire Mosley to truly feel connected to the natural world. Having studied art and education at university, she took the opportunity to begin painting and drawing the flora and fauna there.

"When I returned to Melbourne, this curiosity stayed alive," Claire says, having now built an art practice around watercolour and natural dying.

"Every time I step outside, I am excited by what I will notice. For me, Melbourne's beauty is especially in its many pockets of wild nature, like along the waterways of the Merri Creek, as well as in the bounty of parks and nature reserves. Being in these places helps me slow down and notice the magic that nature constantly has to offer, like the tall eucalyptus trees with twisted branches, nesting tawny frogmouths or the shy rakali. It is how these places change and connect that keeps me interested."

COLOURS ON COUNTRY

Apart from painting outdoors, where the flash of blue from a kingfisher or the shimmer from a beetle’s carapace can influence her work, Claire works with eucalyptus leaves, steaming them for hours on wool to create natural dyes. The tannins from the leaves make autumnal dyes.

“The colours created, largely with the species of eucalyptus, keep me constantly curious,” she says. “The leaves from the Merri Creek on Wurundjeri Country in Melbourne’s north often make all sorts of browns, whereas leaves from Dja Dja Wurrung Country in central regional Victoria provide deep reds and oranges in the dye. It is fascinating how these colours can change so much.”

AUTUMN’S EMBRACE

For an artist, the transformational quality of the season offers endless inspiration, from the rich colours of changing leaves to the insects at ground level breaking down fallen foliage.

“Autumn is a fascinating balance of decay and renewal, where things break down and prepare for what’s to come,” says Claire. “It’s a season of transformation – a moment where nature begins its quiet descent into the stillness of winter. In the early mornings and late afternoons, the air carries a subtle scent of leaves, and the golden light draws out the season’s richest hues.

ART IN PRACTICE

As well as creating vivid watercolours, Claire uses her art on a series of products, including tea towels, notebooks, cards and eco-dyed clothing. These she sells from her website, as well as at makers’ markets around Melbourne. 

"For many years, I have been involved with CERES in Brunswick, first as an educator, and then by hosting my art stalls at their Saturday market," Claire says. "Located on Merri Creek, it is a wonderful leader in sustainability, urban farming and other ecological practices."

“Through partnering and commission work, my art is in many other places too, like on tea towels for the delicious Mount Zero Olives, and in the Royal Botanic Gardens, in the form of Seek and Find cards, where I also work as an educator. I love finding new opportunities with organisations and businesses that want to highlight their local connections to place through the natural joy of watercolour painting.”

clairemosley.com