Tin Lid Botanist

Join our latest community participation art project. Paint a ‘flora portal’ for a new sculpture commission for the Understory Garden Gallery.

Ever wanted to be a botanist; painting designs of local native flora that record and celebrate WA’s unique beauties? You can help draw attention to the colours, shapes, patterns and textures of WA’s Southern Forests & Valleys plant species.

We’re looking for people of all ages and abilities to decorate two sides of a paint tin lid (that we supply) with images of native plant species endemic to the Southern Forests & Valleys region. The painting doesn’t need to be accurate or super life like – it can be bold, stylised, abstract or a detailed snapshots. We’ll supply a paint tin lid and can provide access to paint and creative support if you need it through community workshops in different towns.

We can post the lid to you, or try to find a way to get it to you, as long as you can find a way to get it back to us.

Once all 60 lids are completed we’ll add it to a sculpture, formerly called ‘Spot the Sculpture’ which is being donated to us by WA artist Tony Pankiw. You can find out more about Tony’s work here:

https://www.instagram.com/tony.pankiw/?hl=en

We plan to install the sculpture in the Understory Garden Gallery in May.

Please contact us ASAP if you are interested on 0418754704 or fiona@southernforestarts.com.au.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED:

• Register with Southern Forest Arts.
• Collect your pre-primed tin lid (see collection & drop off points below)
• Decide on TWO native plant species. They MUST be endemic to WA’s Southern Forests & Valleys region.
• Develop your TWO designs (see instructions below).
• Paint your design with good quality paint – it must be EXTERIOR suitable (you can use professional artists paint or house paint).
• Return your lid to SFA before the end of March.
• Tell us the TWO plant species you’ve depicted.
• Come to our sculpture launch & celebrate.

REGISTRATION LINK

https://forms.gle/Jpc6RgT8At8Romo1A

DESIGN INSTRUCTIONS

• Develop TWO designs. One for each side of the tin lid.
• Choose a different native plant species for each side.
• Remember: each plant must be endemic to WA’s
• This project celebrates diversity. Get curious about lesser known species.
• Imagine you are looking through a special magnifying glass that allows you to focus on just one part of a plant. We don’t need to see the whole plant, or lots of flowers, or the bush around it.
• The design must go up to the edge of the tin lid, as if the plant continues beyond the borders of the lid (see above samples). Try to give it a sense of being ‘cropped’, as if you’ve taken a photo close up.
• Aim to position your design slightly off centre.
• DON’T paint the whole of the lid. Keep between 30-60% of the original flat background colour (see above samples).
• Your design doesn’t have to be super lifelike, or very detailed. It can be abstracted and/or stylised.
• You don’t have to be an ‘artist’ to participate. Everyone is creative.

COLLECTION AND DROP OFF POINTS

• Southern Forests Community Landcare Office (Manjimup Heritage Park)
• Painted Tree Gallery (Northcliffe Information & Visitor Centre).

FREE COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

• 1-3pm Wednesday March 11, 18, 25 (Northcliffe Meeting Space)
• 10am-12pm, Tuesday 14 April (Pemberton Art Hub)
• 10am-12pm, Tuesday 28 March (Southern Forests Community Landcare Office)