Introducing Juliet from Juliet Foster Art. Where every item is handmade!! From her home in the Sapphire Coast, NSW, Juliet hand makes all of her amazing creations.
Find out why Juliet started creating and why she is so passionate about the value of handmade.
Tell us about your creations and your handmade process.
In beautiful bush surroundings I hand make earrings and brooches from natural materials. I don't use moulds or cutters, instead shaping each unique pendant by hand, using miniature wood tools. I paint an original miniature painting onto each piece using high quality lightfast paint.
From carving to finishing, each piece takes around one week to complete. It's slow art and very relaxing. I also design and make my own gift boxes which are complimentary with each purchase. I love that the works of art I make for you are limited editions and will only be owned by a small number of people.
Tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a handmade artist.
I used to be a behavioural scientist, but the after effects of a traumatic event caused me to spend several years recovering.
Art has provided me a means of expression, and incredible solace and joy, during these challenging years.
It has allowed me to connect with people when other ways of connecting were not possible. I hope that someone reading this will discover a similar place of solace for their own healing through creativity.
What is your inspiration or where do you find inspiration?
I love to paint the natural world, particularly flowers, animals and birds, but my strongest inspiration is the inner creativity that I believe we all have. Once you start to regularly tap into it, most people find they have a brain full of ideas. It's exciting to see an idea realised. And there's nothing more inspiring than seeing other people enjoying your work.
Where did you learn your craft?
In my spare time I have always enjoyed the arts and often made drawings and wrote short stories, poetry and songs. In recent years I have been more greatly interested in drawing and painting. I started out sketching with markers and art pens but now use mostly watercolour paint, pastels and occasionally acrylic paint.
One day I wondered if I could hand make a small "canvass" to paint miniature pictures on. I researched different techniques online. After months of experimenting I learned to use high quality watercolour paper, water, non-toxic glue and pressure to make a thick, strong substrate that I could carve and sand into unique shapes with wood tools.
Why is handmade artistry so important to you?
Living off-grid out in the bush, it's important to me that everything I make is created from the most natural materials possible, using minimal resources and with methods that won't damage the environment around me.
I literally have wild animals feeding all day around my work space reminding me that waste water, dust or emissions would go straight into their habitat. When I hand craft jewellery I imagine the joy it will bring as you unwrap your chosen art piece.
I hope it inspires some interesting conversation with others as you go about your day. I also secretly wish my handmade piece will inspire you to think "what could I create today?". Who knows, one day I might even see your art on madeit.com.au
Juliet is a much loved member of the Madeit Collective, posting regularly in our Facebook Group ~ The Handmade Marketplace of Australia ~ and sharing her new creations as they are released. If you haven't connected with Juliet Foster Art already, make sure you join our FB Group and say hi!
