Banksias, Gum Nuts and Tea

This painting celebrates the rich diversity of Australian banksias and gum nuts. Three different species of banksias appear in the composition — each painted with playful colour and intricate detail. Their sculptural forms create a lively conversation of shapes and textures that feel both botanical and fantastical.

A decorative teacup, suggesting a moment at the table — a quiet ritual and everyday comfort. The cup echoes the patterns of the vase, tying the composition together and grounding the wild energy of the flowers in a familiar domestic scene.

The work is inspired by the natural world around me in the Blue Mountains, where native flora constantly offers extraordinary shapes, colours and textures. I combine these influences with folk-inspired patterns and bold colour to transform a simple still life into something celebratory and expressive.

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Genevieve Clay-Smith is a filmmaker and visual artist based in the Blue Mountains. By day she works as a film director and screenwriter; by night she paints vivid, spontaneous abstracts and expressionistic still lifes inspired by the colours, textures and quiet beauty of her mountain home. Her joyful works transform everyday scenes—tea cups, vases of flowers, familiar corners—into playful explorations of pattern and colour. Drawing from fauvism and folk art, Genevieve’s paintings move beyond realism to celebrate life’s simple pleasures. Her original artworks are available locally at the Good Earth Bookshop Wentworth Falls and online at Bluethumb.