In the studio || Myee Harlow
Myee Harlow is a Byron based painter and dear friend of ours. Both earthy and ethereal, her abstract works currently adorn many of the walls here at our showroom. We're thrilled to finally introduce you to Myee who shares in this interview a bit about her process and how she came full circle from running her homewares business Hendrix and Harlow, to choosing to pursue her art full time.
Thanks for chatting with us Myee. Could you tell us a little bit about the journey that led you to where you are now?
Oh wow that is a big question!
I have always been a creator at heart, making things with my hands since I was a young girl, painting, drawing and crafting.
After leaving high school I completed a diploma in fine arts at TAFE. From there I went off on a travelling adventure around the world for some years in search of new experiences, places and people. I created a solo exhibition while I was living in London and a few commission artworks to fund my travels elsewhere. I’m always up for adventure….
On arriving back to Australia I started selling jewellery at the markets that I had collected and made, from there I started my own fashion label that lasted over a decade.
With saying goodbye to fashion for a while I started a furniture and homewares label with my children’s father called Hendrix & Harlow. Once that got rolling and I didn’t have to be so hands on with the day to day running’s and with the kids at school I was able to return to my original passion of being a painter.
After leaving my partner and the business, I dove deep into my creative process as a painter and here I am today. Waking up each morning doing what I love!
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My inspiration is my connection to nature, the Great Mother, the sacred feminine and the ever flowing beauty of sensuality. My muse is my heart and the people in my life that touch that deeply, especially my lover, either present or in the dream space.
You mention your work is an intuitive process, could you share a little bit about this and your creative process in general?
My paintings start with a feeling, I am guided to the colours and from there I start to paint. Layers upon layers are built with strokes that flow freely with the movement of the music I choose to paint to. Paint is sprayed so it can drip and run with it’s own river of expression. Translucent glazes build to reveal life unfolding and the dot and dash work is the way I tell my story, it brings the artwork into harmony.
A lot of your work features the female form and feminine symbology — could you share a bit about the inspiration behind these works?
The female form represents the sacred feminine in all her beauty, some times she is soft and gentle, arms open with the warm embrace of the mother. Other times she is in her full sensual desire, creating from her moist nectar of life. And then she is also the storm, that creates destruction and chaos for the new day to dawn and all life to be born.
In being a woman deeply connected to life and expression I’m always drawn to this symbology, it’s an extension of myself.
When do you find you feel the most creative?
When I take the time to honour myself and go deeply into my own essence, taking moments in stillness to listen to my inner intuition. This can be any time of the day and also depends on the seasons. It’s an ever changing process.
You have a background in interior styling and homewares. Does this come into play and influence your works at all?
Yes it does in some ways, especially when I do commission work, not only can I tap into the client I can also visualise easily the space that the work is to hang. For me a room or someone’s home tells a story about them or the place and artwork is an extension of this. I also create works that I know will bring emotion and storytelling into homes and public spaces.
You’re self described as an “artist and storyteller.” What do you feel is your most important story or message you have to share at the moment?
The healing of the feminine nature on the planet, honouring the way of the heart. Allowing us all to connect back into the Great Mother to start taking care of her and each other.
What are you working on at the moment in the studio?
My next exhibition, based on the erotic and sensual nature of woman and how this is her life force energy. The place she births and creates from, some would call it the dark feminine….
