PHOTO BY JAN SARGEANT
About Viola
I just love water colours- creating something that hasn’t been before.
Seeing the colours merge together; using different techniques, which are often quite uncontrollable and often giving a most surprising effect.
In my travels to Japan, the ink and water colours- often including parts of bamboo- spoke deeply to my heart. I kept wondering how a similar effect would work with eucalyptus trees.
The work of Elisa Wright appealed to this aspect and some water colour lessons with her sent me towards my own creations.
Dragons seem to coax me to paint them, jumping out of my pictures.
I had the privilege to help with illustrating of Jirrbal language, including for the books ‘Mangarra went to the beach each year’ and ‘the Jarragan Story’.
Many of my paintings have been done in or of Takayna – the Tarkine. My heart is very drawn and entangled with this most wonderful ancient, mystical place. If a painting of mine would help to open the heart of people towards these amazing places, I would be the happiest person.
Lately I am playing a lot with painting on tea bags. These canvases are very unique with their stains and texture.
