I’m Carolyn Collins, an Australian mixed media artist, inspired by those special places in the natural world where the ‘breath slows and the world softens’…
My work brings together collage, pastel and pencil to create reflective pieces that feel calm, thoughtful and yet have an underlying energy, like nature itself.
Artist Statement
My art practice is an exploration of my connection to the natural world through places that hold deep personal resonance. Hidden gardens, mangroves and coastal bushland are places where I feel grounded, calm and re-energized. Places where the ‘breath slows and the world softens’!
Working on paper, I build layers of drawing, collage and colour to create works that unfold slowly, inviting quiet attention. The works include a range of handmade monoprint collage papers, book pages and handwritten letters, pencil and pastel. The use of transparent materials creates a sense of depth, revealing the text and drawing beneath, like memories surfacing through time.
A deepening engagement with both material and theme, influenced by a transformative paper making experience in Japan, has seen paper become more than just a surface to work on but also an active storytelling element in my art.
I want viewers to feel a connection that resonates personally, giving them a sense of hope and quiet energy. In essence, an invitation to find or create their own place of calm and refuge.