LIPSTICK AND BLUSH

WENDY VARIDEL

​My earliest and most favourite memories are walking hand in hand with my beautiful Grandmother around her garden smelling, touching and chatting about her pretty flowers. The soft delicate petals, the heady heavenly scent of the rose, something about the colours just blew my little mind. Here I am 50 years on still in awe of the beauty that comes from the earth.

​In my paintings I try to capture the spirit of those early experiences and translate them into expressions of light, movement, and emotion. Each piece is a study of the petal, the complexity of a fold, the dance of shadows within a bloom, and the way the light glows through each layer. I am endlessly fascinated by the shapes, depth, and colour found in nature's most delicate form.

​Colour is central to my work - bold, beautiful layers that reflect the scent and feeling of being in a pretty garden. Through the use of acrylics, I am able to build texture and dimension that mirror the richness of living blooms.

​I have always been tinkering with art in some shape or form. From knitting little dolls in my younger years to having a photography business and now painting from those photos, I feel I have finally found my 'thing'. My nursing career took a back seat when my three girls arrived leaving me free to try some new things in between swimming lessons and piano recitals. I had a market business selling handmade dolls (sewn not knitted this time), I worked in my friend's cafe, another friend's movie cinema and then tried my hand at selling high end jewellery. I think I spent more time trying the beautiful jewels on, admiring their colour and sparkle, than anything else. Now I am the Administrator for the local cricket club where my gals have played, and I juggle cricket balls and paintbrushes.

​My paintings are more than just flowers on a canvas - they are personal stories, tributes, and celebrations. Each one holds a memory, a moment of gratitude, and a love that continues to grow through every brushstroke.