We are delighted to feature multi-talented creative mother Rachel Moodie, artist, designer, writer, maker and founder of the Darling Mills Studio.
Rachel has also designed, curated and compiled ‘The Artful Mum’, a book about creativity and parenthood. It shares the indelible wisdom of six Australian artists who also happen to be mums and delves into how they juggle motherhood with their varying creative vocations.
How can a creative mother exist and fully live within the tension of motherhood and creativity? This is the big question, and one of the main reasons why we started Mama Creatives. To create a community of other creative mothers to connect and inspire, who may also share the same struggles, but also find ways to integrate, re-prioritise, let go of old expectations and find new ways of living between the two. At times it can be challenging as both need to be nurtured to grow, and we need both to retain our identity. How we navigate this takes courage, and the wisdom and support of others who have walked, or are walking, this path.
Rachel says about why she created this book:
“I wondered how on earth they managed a creative practice as well as motherhood. I wanted to answer the questions I repeatedly heard myself asking in order to maintain an art practice during this stage in my life. The desire to create a tangible item as a reminder to myself and to other mothers grappling with the same questions evolved into this book”.
This fabulous book is presented as Q&A style creative memoir with 54 pages of inspirational words and images, featuring the work of Fiona Barrett-Clark, Ellie Beck, Emily Besser, Kirsten Duncombe, Bianca Harrington and Emma Simmons.
Below are some examples of the beautiful pages and content.
Sydney Book Launch – Saturday 5 May at 4pm
The book launch will coincide with a group exhibition of the featured artists to be held at Penny Farthing Design House on Saturday 5 May from 4pm.
The exhibition will remain until 19 May.
The Artful Mum exhibition and book launch will be opened by esteemed artist, author of ‘There is a Paintbrush in my Coffee’, and previous Mama Creatives presenter, Jasmine Mansbridge.
In her own practice, Rachel has created some of the most beautifully haunting and original digital collages. The Reverie features some of her current work; a collection of limited edition digital photographic collages using photos and postcards from the 1930s as well as scans from 1970s gardening books.
Rachel has also designed cushions, and a beautiful range of original tiles.
