TWIG

Heidi is a stick insect, tall and long like the twig of a tree. It's her first day at a busy bug school, where she hopes to learn and make new friends. But finding friends isn't easy when no-one can find you!

New York Times Book Review

STUDIO BONNIE

Aura and her sister-in-law Marena collaborate at Studio Bonnie making screen printed art and textiles. Motivated by the need for creative expression and the desire to make meaningful and beautiful things, their styles and skills complement each other, and what could be more perfect than an interior designer teamed up with an illustrator. It has proved to be a recipe for success and has led to the creation of delightful handcrafted designs. The collaboration grown into a successful small business and the label, Studio Bonnie, has blossomed. Available online at The Store by Fairfax and Hard to find.

The range of hand-printed artworks and coordinating textiles are printed in their studio in Sydney. Each print is hand made and full of intricate detail and pattern work - delivered on gorgeous linen and cottons in a fresh colour palette. Keep a look out for exciting new colours and fabrics in the future.

CONTEMPORARY TEXTILES EXHIBITION

The Incinerator Art Space - December 2015

CHILDREN'S ILLUSTRATION

Aura is passionate about quality children's literature and the art of telling stories through pictures. Her use of colour, sense of fun and energy of line are a perfect match for a young audience. Aura illustrates her picture books in watercolour, pen, gouache and coloured pencil with digital enhancements.

AUTUMN LEAVES

900 x 600, printed linen/cotton fabric

Aura has always been interested in the way children understand and misunderstand the world. The way they can accidentally take things 'literally' when things have a double meaning, or draw an unintended conclusion by playing with language. Aura says, "I can remember being a very young child in a place where the grown ups had all the control. I desperately wanted to grow up and be big." In this work, Aura experiments with the size and scale of objects creating unexpected scenes and exploring the world from a child's perspective.

The Blue Willow

900 x 300, triptych, printed on silk or giclee print

Made from pencil/pen drawings with digital collage of silk, ink wash, wax crayon, and crackle paint, printed on watercolour paper, silk or canvas.

"I spent my childhood eating off Blue Willow plates - the mix of patterns has always fascinated me as it was slowly revealed every night as my dinner disappeared".

The pattern is based on a Chinese myth and tells a tragic story of forbidden love reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. Aura extends the narrative element of her images so the more you observe, the more you unravel the story.

These designs are part of a series of bright contemporary prints, exhibited in 2011.