Dance of the Wildflowers with Jasmine Veronique
Kabi Kabi Country is home to some of the most vibrant wildflowers in Australia. Jodie Cameron discovers a local artist who is bringing them to life in a solo exhibition…
Meandering through the lush windy roads at the foothills of Mount Ninderry, autumn is in the air and the song of cicadas reverberates! The temperature turns crisp as I arrive at the earthy abode of blossoming fine artist, Jasmine Veronique. With its medieval archways looking deep into the forest – I have instant house envy! This is my kind of rustic retreat, an artist’ dream to be precise, and Jasmine, husband Sam and their children Harriet and Charles are living a quiet, contented life as Jasmine prepares to open her first solo exhibition – Dance of the Wildflowers at the Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre.
Jasmine and Harriet greet me with a big smile and the artist’s warm and gentle energy is as serene as the blooms she so effortlessly depicts. As they give me the grand tour of their home amongst the trees, their appreciation for the world around them is evident in the way their eyes sparkle as we take in the abundance of wildlife, wildflowers, whacky chickens and wild forest. Jasmine explains that her fascination with wildflowers is what led her to embark on her first solo exhibition.
“We are very blessed to live here, it’s so peaceful and I never have to look far because I am surrounded by a constant source of inspiration,” Jasmine smiles. “There’s this dance between flowers, and their beauty, colour and vibrancy that I wanted to celebrate because once flowers bloom, they enter a life cycle but there is so much more beauty in their presence beyond that.”
Dance of the Wildflowers is a captivating exploration of the untamed beauty and grace of local Noosa and Sunshine Coast wildflowers, and through a series of oil paintings, charcoal works and accompanying floral installations, celebrates the distinctive forms, textures, and fleeting beauty of wildflowers found in the Wallum ecosystem.
“Each piece captures the untamed spirit of our local wildflowers, and the delicate balance they bring to the natural world,” Jasmine explains. “All wildflowers come from wild environments, and a place of imperfection and rawness – there is beauty in perfection and imperfection, you cannot appreciate one without the other,” Jasmine said.
Jasmine’s work invites you on a journey to reconnect and experience the region’s unique flora, while capturing the essence of wildness – embodying freedom, unpredictability, raw energy, and highlighting the importance of native florals in our natural environment.
“As the floral installations dry naturally over time, the exhibition becomes a living narrative of impermanence and resilience, offering a deeper connection to the wild beauty of our local landscape,” Jasmine says.
Keen to expand her knowledge of our local wildflowers, Jasmine applied to participate in the Wildflowering by Design Lab, a week-long intensive workshop hosted at the University of the Sunshine Coast’s Creative Industries Maker’s Space. Jasmine and 12 other participants were selected including Lisa Chandler, whose work is inspired by the Wallum heathlands, as well as Chloe Watego, Fiona Harding, Libby Derham, Zartisha Davis and other local artists. The workshop was spearheaded by Susan Davis, founder of Wild/flower Women, whose vision, knowledge and leadership brought the project to life.
“My first exposure to wildflowers was during a walk with Susan to Emu Mountain at Mount Peregian, it inspired me to understand and learn more about what grows in our region,” Jasmine said. “I would love to get out and do more wildlfower walks, once your eyes adjust to noticing all the varying types of blooms at every turn, it really is a spectacular sight.”
During the course, Lyndon Davis – a local indigenous artist and educator took the group on wildflower walks to local national parks; and Marni Stuart – an Australian surface pattern designer, researcher and lecturer, creating pattern designs for fashion and decor, inspired by Australian native botanicals – helped translate their discoveries into digital pattern-making art.
“I was really inspired by the unique hand-crafted style of Marni’s fabric designs, and I loved learning how to create a digital repeat pattern that could be used on any printable textile, such as towels, bed linen, tea towels, ceramics and wallpaper,” Jasmine explains.
The purpose of the floral intensive is to tie in with the Wildflowering by Design exhibition being held at the Caloundra Regional Gallery in October. The exhibition is a celebration of native wildflowers and women’s connection to place, and will feature core artists’ work, but also a local artist component from those who participated in the workshop.
So what’s next for Jasmine? Keen to continue building a world around her storytelling – based on the themes of wildness, and sharing this with audiences everywhere, Jasmine also enjoys pushing her technical ability and is always refining her craft.
“I am excited to announce I am renting a small studio space at Kim Wallace Ceramics in Noosaville, which will serve as a creation space and is a wonderful opportunity to network in such an inspiring space,” Jasmine shares. “I also joined the teaching team at Art School Co, so will continue helping other budding artists embrace their creativity.”
Be a part of this captivating celebration of the Kabi Kabi Country wildflowers – where art and nature intertwine to celebrate the wildness, and beauty we are so fortunate to live amongst.
Dance of the Wildflowers runs from 15 May to 15 June at the Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre, with opening night on Saturday 17 May.
Discover more of Jasmine’s work at www.jasmineveronique.art
Exhibitions
Check out Jasmine’s beautiful blooms in real life!
Dance of the Wildflowers
15 May to 15 June
Cooroy Butter Factory Arts Centre
Wildflowering by Design
17 October to 30 November
Caloundra Regional Gallery
Brisbane Affordable Art Fair
8 to 11 May
RNA Showgrounds
Stevens Street Gallery
2 Stevens Street, Yandina
