My name is Rochelle Summerfield and I am a passionate visual artist. I moved to the Clarence Valley 9 years ago for the love of a bloke called Richard, we currently live at Seelands SW of Grafton. What I love the most about our home, is its proximity to the Clarence River. I am mesmerized by its gentle rhythms and glistening silver light, as well as by the power of tumultuous waters in the height of flood. My artwork is deeply influenced by my connection to the natural environment I live in.
My happy place is kayaking on the river, taking my time to paddle upstream. The steep trek down from my home to its bank and the crossing of the soft, cracked mud before I greet the water adds to my adventure. I drop into a state of relaxation, attuning to the river’s gentle flow. As I drink in the environment, my inspiration comes in many forms like the Azure Kingfisher, the Blue Sprite Damselfly or the powerful Sea Eagle, gifting me with their presence.
I work with paper, pencil, watercolour, collage, digital media and yes…I even soak that expensive, 300gsm Arches watercolour paper into the river to retain the mud, flood stains and memories of its waters!
Last year @artsnr Arts Northern Rivers launched the “2021 Quick Response Micro Grants” to support the artistic scene during the pandemic within the community. I did a happy dance when I was one of the ten artists in the whole region who got the grant! I was thrilled to use the funds as an opportunity to create an online course sharing my two passions: making art and being in nature. It was a special experience pivoting online after 25 years of teaching art in person. I enjoyed the opportunity to reach people in their home, walking with them at their pace. This is how “Drawing inspiration from nature” was born.
This course is about slowing down, embracing your environment and experimenting with your pencil without any worry about the end result (It’s quite difficult to beat nature anyway!).
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to drawing…This course is for you! Pick up your pencil and start to draw your way, find the joy of a child and allow creativity to arise from the marks and shapes on the paper!
Drawing Inspiration from Nature is a course composed of 6 short videos demonstrating 6 foundational processes that I love to play with. They are highly experiential and will give you a starting point to be curious about the natural world and about yourself. This course will help you feel your way through and gain an understanding of the subject as well as your relationship with it.
Give it a go, would love to hear from you!
Website: https://rochellesummerfield.com
Cost: $35 AUD
https://rochelle-summerfield-studio.teachable.com/p/online-tutorials-by-rochelle-summerfield
