Embracing the wonder of sea, sky, and land, our latest collaboration dives into the inspired world and works of artist Ileigh Hellier. For Ileigh, painting and life are deeply intertwined, offering comfort through abstraction, symbolism, and poetry. Read on as Ileigh shares the inspiration behind the Lagoon artwork featured in our collaboration, along with her reflections on nature and themes of home.

I was always a creative kid and was very lucky to have supportive parents who trusted me to do what I wanted to do. I attended a performing arts high school with lots of other strange, creative people. It was a very nourishing environment. I went on to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts and chose painting on a whim when I learnt that I had to major in something.

I am very influenced by abstraction and often begin my compositions in a completely abstract way and wait and see what emerges from this. If something looks like a cloud, or a landform, I will follow that cue and this process informs the painting. Working in this way feels very intuitive and fulfilling. I’ve learnt along the way that there are many ways to make a painting and none of them are right or wrong.

These days painting does occupy most of my time, but I like to explore other mediums like sculpture and mixed media. Experimenting and playing helps to keep my perspective fresh. I think life is like that too. I like to find parallels between painting and life. They are very much interwoven for me.

The Lagoon became a motif in my work after I began painting it obsessively. It is inspired by Glenrock Lagoon which is a lovely spot near my old house. I’d go for a walk to the lagoon and take a piece of fruit or swimmers or a book or nothing. Each time I’d see something new depending on the weather, the time of day, the
season.

When I first began painting the lagoon I was representing it albeit in an abstract way. I love the symbolism of the lagoon too and now when I paint the lagoon I am most likely painting it as symbol. To me it symbolises depth, mystery, reflection, introspection, the subconscious, and dreams. These themes influence my work too.

I enjoy personifying nature, I am a bit of an animist. I often greet and talk to the trees or the sun or the moon in a playful way. I don’t think I am trying hard to evoke specific things but rather a general feeling. I know that is vague but its difficult to articulate.

I often struggle with putting words to painting, it seems to me to be a contradiction. I suppose that’s why I feel more comfortable in the realms of abstraction, symbolism, painting and poetry. I like the vagueness. I like not being able to use sentences and paragraphs to explain it.

I think my work has changed since moving. Definitely themes of ‘home’ have been emerging and I am enjoying exploring that. It’s important for me to paint what I want when I want even if it doesn’t turn out to be ‘the thing’. I often paint over paintings leaving some of the old painting poking through. It’s all a part of the process. I still paint a lagoon from time to time, its like my comfort motif.

I recently read Black Duck by Bruce Pascoe and I loved it. My boyfriend leant me his copy of Devotions by Mary Oliver which I have kept on my bedside table. I like the idea of feeding my subconscious some poetry before bed. Another book that I recently read is The Other Side by Jennifer Higgie which I’d highly recommend to anyone who is interested in art and spiritualism. I am listening to a lot of Beyoncé. I am drawn to simple pleasures.