Exploring ‘I Am of You’ at my next exhibition

New exhibition ‘I am of You’ challenges viewers to see and appreciate nature in a different light.

‘I am of You’ offers glimpses of shapeshifting natural forms, from unnoticed branches, leaves and seedpods into shapes that move you; that celebrate the abundance of nature and our place in this universe.

We are all interconnected – plants, air, people and animals. From the earth beneath our feet, through to the air above us and everything in between. This body of work explores that connection to all living things and the fluidity of energy between everything. It transforms the inherent beauty of nature into moments that encourage reflection and connection.

This body of work asks you to lift your gaze and see the earth. To recognise that we are not that much different, you and I. Our ancestry is so closely connected to the earth and the vines, leaves and plants that grow from it.

‘I am of You’ is a call for us to fall in love again with the natural world around us and see that we are bound by nature to claim its place in our heart.

For more information go to my art website: TheArtOfWeaving.com.au

Exhibition details:

When: 15 April – 3 June 2018
Where: Sturt Gallery, Cnr Range Road and Waverly Parade, Mittagong NSW 2575
Opening: 15 April, 11am
Gallery hours: Open 7 days, 10am – 5pm

Creative

Get bored over the holidays

I was interviewed by AAP this week asking if we can survive without technology. I said no. I want the traffic lights to work on my way home, and computer to work so I can write.

But having said that, I do think this time of year it’s worth having a check in about how we are feeling about digital overload. (And overload in general.)

I feel like I’ve had two years in one. Now I’m at the end of the year, I’ve notice that I’m posting less and less, having fewer online chats, and not going on a few apps I was on all the time. I’m also not doing big Christmas events, just catching up with people individually.

I’m craving low key, which is lucky as I’m about to spend a few weeks at one of the quietest places in Australia (my parent’s place up the coast), and I’m starting to think about how I can recalibrate the best.

Digital chill pill

At the moment I check my email first thing and last thing in the day – as I do the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram twirl. Like most professionals, I spend up to 10 hours a day online.

I really think it’s worth asking the question…would I find it difficult to not take my phone with me down to the beach, to grab a coffee, to go for a walk, to go to bed?

Over the holidays, it might be good to challenge ourselves to a digital detox. See what life is like off the grid.

Do nothing. Be bored.

Can you remember the last time you were bored? An amazing thing happens when you are not constantly stimulated. Your mind quietens down.

I don’t do bored very well, but when I am, I come up with the best ideas and new concepts. (I was told by one of my staff not to come back from holidays with the idea to write a new book or launch another business…which happens each time I have a low-key holiday. I couldn’t promise it!)

Chillax

I’ve found this awesome app called Insight Timer. There are thousands of free meditations and my favourite is Yoga Nidra which is a progressive muscle relaxation. It’s so relaxing.

What I’m most excited about over the holidays is to sit under my tree at the very end of the beach and just gaze at the water and listen to the waves. The jury is out if I can resist taking my phone with me!

I hope you have a wonderful time over holidays – with or without digital. See you in the New Year.

Tweetable: Get bored over the holidays @CatrionaPollard http://bit.ly/2oZnMlA

By Catriona Pollard, Creative, Thought Leadership

Transform your business through creativity

I’ve always been somewhat creative. Naturally, as an entrepreneur, I have a talent for out of the box thinking, and at different times in my life, I’ve dabbled in different creative pursuits, like photography, art, and design.

But if someone told me 15 years ago when I started my business the thing that would make the difference between failure and be building a sustainable, successful business was an art form that saw me playing with sticks and twigs and hosting a second solo exhibition this week; I seriously would have laughed. But that’s exactly what happened.

It was about six years ago where I was working flat out building my business. Like most entrepreneurs, running my business consumed me. I never really switched off, and I was starting to burn out from the intense pressure.

What’s more, my industry of public relations was (and still is) going through significant change. Dealing with the changing media landscape was like operating in quicksand, where I could be pulled under if I didn’t keep innovating.

Something had to change

I went through a process of reflection on what I wanted out of my business and my life, as the two were inextricably linked. I realised my ability to cope with change was being impaired; my creativity was being sapped. I needed to figure out a way to slow down and allow myself the space to problem solve and be innovative in responding to challenges.

I needed to find an outlet for my creativity that was tactile and not about perfection but more about exploration and play. I wanted to think in new ways and use creativity to gain new insights and perspectives.

Looking back now, I found an outlet that was opposite to my world as a business owner. I discovered the art of sculptural basketry – an art form that goes back to our primal roots and hasn’t changed for thousands of years. It was feminine, introverted, meditative and nature-based; compared to my entrepreneur life which was masculine, extroverted, technological and fast-paced.

A light was switched on

I began responding to change in new and unexpected ways. I wrote a book; I launched an online, productised side to my business. I started to work with my team in different ways so the business could leverage the collective strength of our ideas. The business became more stable, but more importantly, I felt more in control of where I wanted to take the business and what its purpose in my life was.

Through art, I was able to change how I saw things. It helped me to overcome business challenges and appreciate risk and potential in different ways.

Today my art is very much part of my identity

I conduct weaving workshops with my team, my office is overflowing with my sculptures, and I hold my own exhibitions – my latest ’11:11’ starts tomorrow.

And my business is better for it. There are still challenges, things don’t always go to plan, but how I respond to these situations is heightened with creativity and innovation. Rather than feel inundated and paralysed, I see the opportunities that are only limited by my imagination and creativity.

So is there anything in your business and life that would benefit from a creative approach?

Tweetable: Creativity can transform your life and business @CatrionaPollard bit.ly/2y1upHZ

By Catriona Pollard, Creative

You are invited to my next solo exhibition – 11:11

The synchronicity of now – new sculptural exhibition transforms common plant material into contemporary and inspired ‘moments’

Acclaimed Sydney fibre artist Catriona Pollard unveils her latest body of work in a solo exhibition titled 11:11 which showcases unique nature based sculptures exploring the synchronicity of now.

Running from 26 October to 12 November 2017 at Sydney Road Gallery, the beautifully constructed and stunning pieces made from foraged plant material represent the magic of simple moments that can be easily missed in our hectic lives.

Commenting on the exhibition, Catriona Pollard explains “As a master number, 11 symbolises the link between human and spirit; darkness and light; scarcity and abundance.”

“Have you ever looked at the clock and noticed the time to be exactly 11:11? For many people it represents a single moment in time that encourages us to pause and reflect even just for a moment, and to focus our attention on our desires rather than our fears.”

Ms Pollard’s work highlights the link between raw foraged organic materials, like vines and grasses, with earthy materials like base metals including copper, and natural elements like charcoal, clay and ash.

The exhibition features intricately woven pieces that transform the inherent beauty of nature into moments that encourage personal reflection and emotional connection.

In 11:11 Ms Pollard explores new techniques not seen before in sculptural weaving to create a collection that is visually interesting and sparks the imagination. For instance, Ms Pollard incorporated the technique of random weave with xanthorrhoea resin to weave a 2 metre high ‘cloak’ which represents the warmth of gratitude.

“All of the vine sculptures in the exhibition were the result of a chance meeting which lead to the opportunity to spend two days in a rainforest ‘dancing’ with vines. It’s moments in time that make up our lives, but more importantly, it’s being open to them.”

“Noticing 11:11 might be the only time that day that we stop and are present and understanding that we are part of something bigger. This body of work is a sculptural representation of noticing the extraordinary in every day moments.”

Ms Pollard’s work explores a deep connection with nature, highlighting the contrast with society’s current disconnection with it. “We are so digitally connected and high-speed now, often we miss the simplicity of moments in time that nature gifts us; noticing the wind, the bird flying by and the shadow of a leaf dancing in the breeze.”

Catriona Pollard has exhibited extensively in selected and group exhibitions and this her second solo. She has been shortlisted as Emerging Artist of the Year Craft NSW (2014, 2015), finalist Ravenswood Women’s Art Prize (2017), Northern Beaches Art Prize (2017), North Sydney Art Prize (2013-2015), Warringah Art Prize (2016), and Mosman Art Gallery 2088 (2011-2017).

For more information on Catriona Pollard work visit www.theartofweaving.com.au

Exhibition details:
When: Thursday to Sunday, 26 October – 12 November 2017
Where: Sydney Road Gallery, 563 Sydney Road Seaforth NSW 2092
Cost: Free
Opening night: 26 October from 6.00pm
Times: Thursday – Saturday 10:00am – 4:00pm and Sunday 9:00am – 12:00pm

Weaving demonstration: Sunday 29 October at 11:00am
Cost: Free

Sydney Road gallery is a commercial art gallery that represents a group of artists and encourages and enjoys collaborating with creatives from many disciplines. Every person you speak to or meet at Sydney Road Gallery is an artist. https://sydneyroadgallery.com/

Creative