JACQUELINE GRACE
I am process-oriented artist and qualified creative arts therapist (MATh) with over fifteen years experience in group facilitation and education. I founded Beautiful Wasteland in 2012 and also an educator at The MIECAT Institute, teaching post-graduate courses in art therapy.
My practice focuses on attending to what emerges in the collaborative space between artist, materials and environment and how these relationships may reflect one’s broader lived experience and processes in the world at large.
I see this practice of direct engagement with process as an opportunity to examine our habitual ways of being- personally and culturally, and explore alternatives for the flourishing of the self and the ecosystems we participate in.
Beautiful Wasteland began when I was seeking an arts practice that aligned with my values around sustainability. I was half way through a post-graduate course in Therapeutic Arts Practice, which opened my eyes to the values of process rather than outcome, encouraging me to stay with what emerges as I make art, as a rich source of information for inquiry.
I continue to see eco-printing as a celebration of the perfectly flawed, of flux and the ephemeral, and of unexpected beauty. It is from this world that Beautiful Wasteland was born, that I wish to invite you to explore too.
KATE BORRADAILE
My love of photography, nature, colour and holistic living drew me into the world of eco-printing like a moth to a flame. It didn’t take long to be completely cocooned in the beautiful depths of this process.
I feel in love with the Beautiful Wasteland way.. a curious sense of ‘not knowing’ and a release from the pressure of defined outcomes. The entire process offers a creative space to both play and find sacred space within.
Eco-printing together with photography - the colours, light, time in nature and endless inspiration offers meaning beyond words and continues to teach me ways to relate to the natural world ~ by paying attention to the here and now, the ever-changing seasons, reflections within and without.
By immersing myself in this work I am reminded constantly that we are living in a world that is impermanent and full of contrast- beauty alongside pain, heart warming kindness and suffering, and that all of this is happening within me too.
For me this evolving work helps me to make sense of the world, and I hope you can find some meaning here too.
All photos, unless otherwise credited are taken by Kate Borradaile and are subject to copyright. Please contact us via email if you wish to gain permission to use.
What's in a name..
Let’s start in reverse: Wasteland? In the making of our art, we use all manner of things most people would throw away, rusted and old metals that create surprising patterns, colours, shapes and hues. We gather onion skins once considered obsolete to impart golden shades. Grape must left over from winemaking is kept by local winemakers to create magenta and burgundy. We grow or gather our plant materials sustainably from our local habitat or organic grocers, and compost all leftover leaf materials.
Beautiful? We think so. This is living science where alchemy is born from our curiosity and play. We find endless delight in gathering plant and vegetable matter, bundling them with raw textiles, and simmering these in water. Then we wait for the magic to be revealed.
Take a look at our shop and gallery see how they speak to you.