An absolute pleasure to be decorating the walls of one of my favourite eateries in Adelaide at Topiary Dining. The restaurant was recently featured in the latest issue of Qantas magazine, November 2022, to talk about their unique approach on sustainability and zero waste. Feature two of my artworks produced for SALA - Finding Joy collection, 'Pink Rain' and 'Find a Path'.
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The Australian-based expressionism abstract artist remembers the exact moment that sparked her passion for making: being introduced to the world of knitting at age 10 by her neighbour at the time, Nancy.
“I spent the following school holiday knitting a tiny stuffed blue bear for my brother as a birthday present,” says Lena. “Throughout my childhood, I was always knitting, sewing, hand-stitching or making something.”
It wasn’t until high school, though, that she was introduced to painting – a class she enjoyed for its laid-back approach, something she now recognises as “mindfulness”.
“In my senior years of high school, I sadly didn’t pursue art because I thought I had to choose subjects that would get me the best score to get me into the fields that I thought would make me happy.”
A change in career path
Ultimately, Lena went on to study a degree in civil aviation: “For a long time, my identity was held in the space of aviation amongst men. I worked closely within the operations teams and coordinated pilot training for a company that held the contract for Border Force surveillance of Australia.”
Lena was great at her job and it was something she enjoyed, but felt it was “constantly all take and no give”. It was when she then went on maternity leave that she describes being gifted the time to think about what else she wanted to do with her life – what it was that she would love to be doing.
“It was never an easy choice to resign from a job and take on the role as a full-time mum. Although I was enjoying my time with my kids and creating on the side, I was ashamed. I never said out loud that I was an artist or a creative. I felt like people from my past life would look down or judge my new journey,” shares Lena.
“I felt like they would think I’m just a dreamer. It has taken me almost two years to say out loud that I am an artist and even sign my name on my work. Feeling vulnerable through this journey has been my biggest strength and weakness.”
Stepping away from her former career also allowed Lena to pursue another passion: teaching yoga.
“Yoga is something that has been a part of my life for so long. I found yoga actually the same week I got my first full-time job in aviation and thank goodness for that because it has kept me connected to myself.”
Lena finds that her creativity comes more naturally after she has had a yoga class: “I think this is because the majority of life’s noise has been turned down a little and there is breathing room in my head to get bored and get creative. I feel like movement and creativity almost go hand in hand – you are usually present during these moments.”
Juggling motherhood and creative endeavours
When it comes to her many roles – including mother and artist – Lena says determination has been key, and her advice to others embarking on a similar journey is to just keep going.
“It’s scary and crazy, but you can do it. It’s all mindset and the rest just follows.
“Motherhood is a beautiful journey, but also such a truth bomb and bitter pill. You are faced with so many sides of yourself and the mum guilt is real and crazy. You always feel like you should be doing activities with your kids and being selfless, but it’s okay to create.
“Your kids will thrive seeing you do something you love. They will learn that this is also a choice for them and that they can be anything they want just from watching you do it – at least, this is what I have to tell myself every day.”
This perseverance has certainly led Lena to finding what she loves to do, and has enabled her to enter the Australian art scene with success.
“This year the highlight has been completing a commission piece for a local distillery here in South Australia and having my artwork featured on the gin bottle. The best part of the experience was actually going up to Renmark, Riverland, over a long weekend with the kids to go camping and we took them to the distillery. I loved seeing them in awe when they realised that it was my artwork on the wall and bottles.”
But there’s one key moment that has been Lena’s favourite so far this year: “My son corrected me chatting to another parent and said, ‘No, my mum is an artist.’ I think that really cemented this career for me and made my heart dance.”
“I love seeing both my kids' faces light up when I tell them a painting is finished. Let me tell you, they really get into it and are my biggest critics, but they are also my biggest fans. Kids will always tell you the truth,” laughs Lena.
At end of July last year, hubby and I went on a date night to see Van Gogh Alive. We drop the kids off at my parents house and left super early (as you do when you have babysitters ahah) and we went to the pub to have a drink beforehand. It might have even been ‘The Archer?’ Anyways…as we stand there to order our drinks, hubby said to me, “oh have you seen these gin bottles before?” (23rd st bottles) and my response was “ohh YES!!! I love the bottles, I follow all the artists. I love them all”…And then me being me followed up with this statement “I don’t know how yet or when but my art will be on one of those bottles”. Hubby obviously laughed at me because I say things like this all the time…In my defensive I’m a super hard worker and I don’t often take no for an answer, people who have worked with me in aviation will know this well ahah.
Needless to say, I screamed with joy and am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to make one of my art dreams come true…. Forever a dreamer girl, making dreams come true! xx Lena.
Art Edit Magazine, Issue 30, 2021.
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With a jump of joy, a full heart and tears in my eyes, I am so happy and GRATEFUL to announce to you my COMMUNITY that I have won the @yogat_au packaging competition. I honestly couldn’t have done this without the help of my YOU - MY TRIBE. Thank you so much for the kinds words, the constant encouragement and of course for voting for my work the last two weeks. I am truely humbled and can not wait to see my artwork ‘Find the Flow’ on the packaging of yoga mats and towels. Some of you already know that besides art, I also love yoga. It’s been a long love affair for over 10 years so I can’t even express how this has aligned with my goals and dreams on this creative journey enough ♥️♥️.
If you have a chance, please find the original post and support the other 4 artist that were also shortlisted with me. Their artwork is also just beautiful beyond words.
Thank you to Cas for giving small artists like myself this opportunity to shine, how wonderful is it to lift someone else up. Great things to come 🧡🧡🧡🧡💕.
Tonight I close a small chapter that has been part of my journey the last few years and take a leap of faith further into this artist journey. I have been pondering the decision to change my ‘business name’ or branding away from Sew the Seed for a short while now and with a few new opportunities on the way now is the time.
I started Sew the Seed back in 2017-early 2018. At the time I was a very crazy plant lady. Plant obsessed… I decided to paint on fabric which I then turned into fabric plant covers. This little side hustle was my other baby and I just enjoyed it so much….insert an actual real second baby and honestly I couldn’t really find the time to sew. I also realised that along the way I really enjoyed painting and sewing I dreaded. Painting was what I wanted to do!! I love just losing myself to different colours. Colours seem to have a way of displaying my emotions at the time and still do. Never have I thought my little side hustle would slowly develop into an artist journey. For this reason I am grateful for my children and husband for gifting me ‘time’ to explore this journey. Thank you for following and supporting my journey so far. I really can’t wait to see what the next 12 months will be like.
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After a few months of sewing and selling my plant covers, I was getting bored or just didn't seem to find the right fabric to make my plant covers pop with joy. I had the idea to start painting on fabric (not a new concept, but it was new to me).
In 2019, I had my second son. With two kids, a husband and teaching yoga, opportunities for practicing yoga seem to get less and less. Instead I would find myself painting away my thoughts on fabrics. Somedays the colours and shapes don't match up just like the millions of thoughts running inside my mind and other days it works out perfectly. For moments in my life when I can't get to a yoga class painting has become my new 'moment to moment'. It is truely the time that I zone out of my thoughts and live in the moment and enjoy the present. I enjoy turning my art into plant covers and I also enjoy sharing my art and love of colour on canvas. I truely hope that each piece of art (plant cover or artwork) brings as much joy to you as it did to me while creating it. I can't wait to see photos of my art in your amazing space.This changed my business and in someways painting changed me.
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