Jill Garsden
My artwork arises purely and simply from my love of nature,
of the landscapes, flora and fauna which so enrich my life.
My work is, for me, a meditation on my subjects,
a way of exploring their qualities,
and of expressing my deep appreciation of and gratitude for them.
Jill's website may be accessed at
'A Matter of Pride'
acrylic on canvas
- the Serpentine Community Gallery Art Prize exhibition -
November 2014
'Having a Ball'
colour pencil on suede paper
'No Trees, No Me'
acrylic on board
from the exhibition Reigning Cats and Dogs - April/May 2014
'Time and Tide'
'I, Currawong'
'Unhomed'
acrylic on board works
from Scarlet - July 2013
'Our Mob's Message'
pastel on colourfix paper
Artist's Statement: 87% of voters in the plebiscite conducted in conjunction with the Lismore local government election
in September 2012 did not support CSG exploration and mining in our region. Community anti-CSG activity,
including marches, surveys, fund-raising concerts, protests, lobbying of politicians, letters to the press and
communication via social media, reinforces the very clear message from our mob that we are locking the gate
to coal and gas companies and their destructive impacts.
As an artist primarily concerned with portraying the natural environment and its fauna – which are of course
highly susceptible to damage from CSG mining – it came naturally to me to symbolize our mob’s message in this painting.
The attitude of the kangaroos is wary, watchful, and ready for action against threats, as ours is in relation to CSG mining.
Although the protective cellophane cover does little to enhance the painting, I have chosen to present this work unframed
in order to minimize its cost to any potential purchaser, who can then frame it according to their own preference.
After deducting costs associated with materials and presentation, all money derived from the sale of this painting
will be donated to support further research into the effects of CSG.
from CSG - the exploration: An Artist's Dialogue
April 2013
'Here's lookin' at you!'
pencil on paper
'Silent Witness'
pastel on paper
'To The Victor The Spoils'
acrylic on board
from Animalistic
February/March 2013
'Mobbed'
acrylic on board
'Fisher Kings'
'Morningflight'
'Illuminated'
Acrylic on canvas
Artist Statement: In many cultures worldwide, owls symbolize illuminated knowledge or enlightenment.
The reason for this is obvious: their extraordinary night vision enables them to perceive in darkness
what others often cannot. This painting depicts Australia's Barking Owl (Ninox connivens),
also sometimes known as the 'Screaming Bird Woman' because of an alternative,
more eerie call it emits, apparently only at the beginning of the breeding season.
Perhaps this call alerts us to the need for enlightenment specifically with regard to sexual behaviour!
from the Artfelt Art Prize Salon de Refuse
held on behalf of Heartfelt House in September 2012
"My aim was to
raise public awareness
of how alien species impact
on native fauna and hopefully
motivate better monitoring and
control of these introduced species.
Unless we address the problems now, we will have a feral future and
no native wildlife left.
Australian wildlife is unique
and I want to keep it,"
said local artist and
nature-lover Jill.
WHILE wading birds are flying away from waterways invested with toxic weeds, cane toads are laying up to 35,000 eggs in one clutch and spreading fast across the country. With so many introduced species taking over the Australian landscape, one local artist has turned an art project into an educational resource (book) that explores the impact of weeds and pests on our native species and biodiversity.
Goonellabah's Jill Garsden knew a little about the alien species of plants and animals that were found in our local region, but it wasn't until she tried to delve deeper into the problems caused by them that she discovered just how complex the issues were.
"For some of our rare Australian native animals such as the spotted tailed quoll, the cane toad could spell disaster for their survival," Jill said.
...The book covers alien species such as privet, bitou bush, lantana, the common myna, the cane toad, aquatic weeds and vine weeds.
To read the complete article follow the link above.
Please email Jill at quillian6@gmail.com, if you would like a copy of her resource book, 'A study of the impact of some opportunistic alien species on
native fauna and ecological communities within the Mt Warning caldera'.
These birds are pests for many reasons:
the damage they cause to fruit and grain crops,
their ability to spread mites, the noise and smell associated with large numbers of them.
However, their impact on native fauna is arguably
the most serious: they compete aggressively
with native species for nesting hollows, already in short supply in many areas because of land clearing. Attacking with claws and beaks,
they will not only evict hollow-nesting birds
but also kill the chicks of such birds,
or build their own nests on top and smother them. They have been seen to block the entries to hollows, causing the inhabitants to
die of starvation, after which they then lay
their eggs in the hollow.
The Mynas’ aggressive tactics are not limited, however, to birds of a similar or smaller size:
they will also attack and evict large birds
such as Kookaburras,
and small mammals such as
Gliders and Possums.
In each case, the ability of the native species
to breed and perpetuate itself is inhibited.
- An extract from Jill Garsden's resource book
'Mobbed'
In this painting, a family of Squirrel Gliders (Petaurus norfolcensis) are seen fleeing their nesting hollow
while an Eastern Rosella (Platycercus eximius), a hollow-nesting bird, takes off in fright as Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis) mob them.
Originating in India/tropical southern Asia, Common Mynas,
also known as Indian Mynas, were brought to Melbourne and north Queensland in the 1860s, when it was thought they would
control insect pests.
'Embrace This Place'
Pastel
Artist Statement
The roots of a strangler fig embrace a boulder, preventing it from rolling down the slope, drawing nourishment from it and stabilizing the tree as it grows.
Both rock and tree have come to depend on one another for their continued existence in this place in the rainforest.
Their embrace mirrors the interdependence that we have with one another and with the natural kingdom, despite our personal differences and agendas.
Our place in the world does not have to exclude that which is foreign to our own heritage, nature or purpose.
'Wind and Waves Will Carry Me Home'
Pastel
Artist Statement
The Black-winged Stilt is a wading bird found at coastal and freshwater shores, mudflats, swamps and lakes across the Australian mainland, as well as throughout SE Asia and the Pacific, parts of the Americas, Africa and Eurasia. Some populations are migratory or vagrant, others remain resident in particular areas, depending on conditions. Their nest is on bare ground close to water, and they feed on aquatic insects and small molluscs and crustaceans.
To me, these birds reflect the need for us to find our place in the world in a flexible and adaptive way, without the constraints of excessive material possessions and materialistic values.
from Place
February 2012
In mid-2011,
Jill Garsden was offered a
Caldera Art Fellowship,
sponsored by the Northern Rivers
Catchment Management Authority:
one of four such Fellowships
which were awarded in 2010-2011.
Each Fellowship recipient was asked to
produce a series of works on a specific theme,
for exhibit at The Centre in Beaudesert
in October-November 2011.
"In my case, the theme is
'A study of the impact of
some opportunistic alien species
on native fauna and ecological communities
within the Mt Warning caldera'
......which is a long-winded way of saying
that it explores the impact of
introduced weeds and pests
on native wildlife," Jill explained.
The seven paintings will be accompanied by well-researched documentation on the topic
for those who are interested.
'To the Victor the Spoils'
- highlighting the dilemma caused
by the introduction of the cane toad -
is one of the artworks from
Jill Garsden's study.
'Where Bitterns Boom' - 2011
Acrylic
'Emu 2'
Pencil
'Sunset on Clarrie Hall Dam'
Pastel
- Winner of Caldera Art 2010 -
Following a career as an educator and a counsellor,
Jill Garsden came to artwork late in life.
In early 2010, having only had time to dabble in the arts previously, Jill found the time and energy to invest in art, briefly joining a landscape painting class where
she began to work in pastels, and entering a few of her
pastel paintings in local art shows.
One of these was Caldera Art 2010,
an exhibition which immediately won her heart
because of its mission of focusing on, and preserving the biodiversity of, the Mt Warning caldera, a region which embraces seven local government areas in north-eastern NSW and south-eastern Queensland, including Lismore.
"To my great surprise, I took out first prize in this show
with a pastel painting called
'Sunset on Clarrie Hall Dam'.
I have since become more involved in Caldera Art,
and encourage all who have an interest in art
related to biodiversity and nature conservation
to visit its website (www.calderaart.org.au)
and its gallery, which is located at the
World Heritage Rainforest Centre
(the Visitor Information Centre)
at Murwillumbah," said Jill.
SERPENTINE COMMUNITY GALLERY
17 Bridge St, North Lismore, NSW, 2480.
Contact (02) 6621 6845 or serpentineartsgallery@gmail.com