Since 2001, Fiona Lowry’s practice has explored the complexity of the human condition. Through the use of airbrushed pastels and monochromatic colour palettes, Lowry’s images maintain an overarching softness and ambiguity.
How will you spend Mother’s Day?
Mothers day usually starts with my son coming in to give me a huge hug and a handmade card. He always manages to write something that fills me with joy and makes me laugh. The rest of Mother’s Day is usually spent with extended family.
What does motherhood mean to you?
It's definitely the most beautiful part of my life and I love being a mother. Being able to have the experience of watching my son grow and see his achievements is inspiring to watch. But more and more I am impressed by what my son has taught me.
Do you have any family traditions you hope to pass along to your children?
I always remember my mum pointing out the night sky and tall gum trees, admiring the beauty of nature. That focus has informed what I do today in my work, and I try to remind my son to look up and notice the beauty around him also.
What is one of your favourite activities to do as a family?
We love to swim together. We spend most holidays either on the beach down the South Coast or in the Northern rivers swimming and running with our dog Maggie on the beach.
What is one tip for balancing work and family life?
One thing that’s taken me a long time to work out is not saying yes to everything. For a long time I was spreading myself too thin. Now, I do things that are really important to me, which gives me the time I need to be with my son.
Did having children impact your outlook on work/life balance?
Absolutely! It’s been a juggle for sure. Before I would wander into the studio and work late into the night, but now I have very set and more focussed times in the studio. It works.
Where do you find ideas and inspiration? (Could be a physical place where you go to think or something more general which inspires you)
I get inspiration from everything around me. I remember the writer Joan Didion remarking that an overheard conversation can spark a whole novel. I really relate to this idea, that a line of poetry or a song can lead to a whole show. Painting the landscape is an anchor point for me and has become an external setting for an internal landscape, for an emotional life, and for all the kind of things that one wrestles with psychologically and politically.
What qualities do you admire in other people?
Honesty, thoughtfulness, kindness and creativity.
Are there any designers or persons of significance who you admire or inspire you personally?
So many at the moment, though I really love reading Nick Cave’s ‘The Red Right Hand Files’. I’m also obsessed with the book Iconic ‘Modern Australian Houses 1950-2000’ by Karen McCartney. Some of the houses by Stuchbury, Boyd and Richard Leplastrier are exquisite.
Fiona's Favourites from Living Edge
