Karen Pirie 'Nesting Bird' - Linocut print on Fabriano paper
Karen Pirie is an artist living in Mansfield. The artworks she creates are not only inspired by her surroundings in where she lives in North East Victoria, but often reference her birth county New Zealand.
Working in ceramic, printmaking, weaving and repurposing materials she likes to tell a story and bring a 'smile to the mind'. The ‘artist pulled’ Limited Edition Prints are derived from images carved from lino-cut blocks and have been printed on high quality Fabriano rag paper imported from Italy. Each print in the limited edition is numbered and personally signed by the artist. Rock Nests are created from spent Queen Palm inflorescence fibre, local rock and wire. The design develops as each nest is woven into form. Jewels in the way of found bottle tops (usually Tui beer tops from New Zealand because they show the beautiful Tui bird, on them), are incorporated into the work. Repurposing to Make Art: The Lake Eyre series is an example of repurposing and was inspired by the return of the bountiful floodplains, alive with life at all levels and the greening of the red centre. With Repurposing, no object is overlooked to 'tell a story'. Discarded cork backed placemats are a favourite material along with old dunny doors. 'Since living so far from the sea, the op shop and the recycling centre is where I continue my obsession with 'beachcombing'. |
