Visual Artist Hannah Nowlan’s connection to the natural world is intrinsic to the creation of her art works as well as her personal state of well being.

Living in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Black Rock, Hannah draws inspiration from the local natural surrounds. Her daily walks to the beaches around Half Moon Bay with her constant companion Jasper, helps her to feel grounded, calm and awakens her senses and mind.

The rich earthy ochres of the Red Bluff cliffs and the ever changing greens and blues of the water are colours that feature throughout her work.

However, it is what lies beyond the natural world that Hannah chooses to also explore through her art. Her fascination of mythology and spirituality were the basis for a recent exhibition she titled after a mythical creature, Chimera.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Hannah and discovering more about her art, her time in isolation, her love of the beach and what she has planned for her future works.

Your studio is situated in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Black Rock, can you tell me the significance of the beach and the ocean in your life and artworks?

The coastal landscape of Black Rock and my connection to the water is integral to who I am. Having grown up by the sea my entire life, I now can’t imagine a day without it. I find the ocean incredibly grounding, calming and awakening for the senses and mind. The beach is part of my everyday and queues my feelings of ‘coming home’. More than anything, it has become a way of life.

You have described some of your recent works as an exploration of death, duality, mythology and spirituality. Can you explain what you mean by this?

From a young age I’ve been interested in experiences that could be felt but not seen. Initially sparked by my own journey with chronessic pain. I then focused on transparency and ghosts. It then filtered through wider interests. Themes of mythology were first sparked during my Artist Residency in Portugal, where myth and legend were integral to the history and narrative of the towns and locals. When I returned home I found myself exploring memories, family stories and the local histories of my surrounding landscape. After losing my eldest brother in 2018, my fascination for these long-held interests of spirit and legend have taken on new significance. My work now delves deeply into notions of the afterlife, as well as a myriad of symbols and motifs connecting back to my brother and his spirit.

You speak of your art as therapy. In what way does your art practice help you?

I find painting incredibly therapeutic. I also find the digging and searching from within incredible cathartic. Processing emotions and the granular states of life through my work feels almost ‘indulgent’. I feel very humbled that I can take personal experiences and essentially paint my way through them. Once a painting, filled with so much of me and my projections is finished, I’m able to ‘let it go’, often too letting go of the feelings it conjured or held.

How have the recent events and the need to self-isolate affected you, your work and your daily life?

Admittedly, my daily life and work routine were relatively unscathed by the recent events. Most of my work is done solo in my studio or alongside my father who I already live with. Whilst this all remained the same, I did have quite a few projects paused and many looming works left somewhat up-in-the-air. It has always given light to how great our in-house processes are, when all we need to rely on is ourselves. I’ve definitely found inspiration during this time of deep reflection. I found a shell on the beach while I was walking with my dog Jasper. It alone has been one of my greatest sources of influence for my next body of work. That and all the symbolism of what a shell holds. So too has the essence of slowing down and the art of slow living. Values that I have personally held for a long time but it definitely resonates even more so now.

Can you tell us what you are working on at the present moment?

I’m currently working on my next solo exhibition. Inspired by the state of the Australian landscape. In the aftermath of the Australian bushfires and now the current health crisis. I’ve found there’s undoubtedly a state of renewal taking place. I’ve been looking at shells as symbols for hibernation, withdrawing within and internal listening. Whilst the notion of shedding one's skin, like that of a lizard or snake has also coined my interest. So too, ashes and a sense of rebirth, an afterlife for the landscape. This then extends to another concept I’ve been researching like that of underground burrows where animals fled-to during the fires.

Do you have some ‘must have’ self-care rituals in your daily life?

Must have self-care rituals within my routine would have to be refreshing face moisturiser in the morning and a calming night oil before bed. A homemade cup of coffee is always apart of my morning, so too a walk outside with Jasper. The time of which often changes everyday depending on how I feel. I also surprisingly find quite a lot of self-care in the comfortably and functionality of the clothes I wear everyday.

Visit Hannah’s website at hannahnowlan.com.au and insta @hannahnowlan

THE BEACH, SPIRITUALITY, MYTHICAL CREATURES & GHOSTS