Australian artist Carmel Slater launches new fine art range “When I pick up my brush, time stands still.” - Carmel Slater Painted by hand in a small rural village tucked away in the quiet countryside of the Southern Highlands, New South Wales, the eponymous ‘Carmel Slater Art’ is an exciting new creative venture helmed by professional artist, Carmel Slater. The artisanal small business offers a range of fine art prints and greeting cards and was brought to market in 2020 following Slater’s successful two-decade career as a creative director, publishing and marketing manager and five busy years of raising a family with her husband. “It wasn’t until I started my family that I started painting,” Carmel told AGHA. “My first exhibition ‘Woodlands’, where I exhibited with my two sisters, was a sellout. This spurred me on to create more work inspired by the beautiful world around us,” she explained. According to Carmel, it is her home amongst the gumtrees as well as native Australian blooms, birds and bees that provide endless artistic inspiration. “My husband and I moved here over five years ago to start a family and the lifestyle reminds me of my upbringing,” Carmel said.
“Growing up in the country in a large family, I have memories of being swooped by magpies, making mud pies, running barefoot through paddocks and riding bikes before being home for dinner. It was this beginning that developed my love for nature.” Carmel’s artwork uses the vibrancy of watercolour and detailed brushstrokes to invite viewers to stop and admire enchanting habitats. It also aims to raise awareness for threatened species such as koalas and glossy black cockatoos to ensure they do not become a lost treasure. “I want my art to remind us of how beautiful life is and my art always starts with nature. I do lots of bushwalking and one day realised that although we think we are out to look and observe nature, we are also very much being observed ourselves - we all play a part in nature,” she said.
