Tendrils

This artwork began with patches of dark green ink and gouache. I added contrasting colours and organic shapes and lines. It began to suggest exotic plants such as the bird of paradise flower, or perhaps strange creatures, seaweed and/or insects.

The dimensions of the artwork listed above refer to the picture itself. The total size including the border is 23cm by 31 cm. I used artist quality lightfast materials and Saunders Waterford 300gsm paper.

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I am a mixed media artist based in Wollongong, a place that sits between the mountains and the sea. After many years in academia, I now devote more time to what I've always loved — making art.

Working primarily on paper, I use pencil, ink, watercolour, gouache and crayon to create small to medium-scale works. My imagery often begins with observations of nature - the landscape, trees, plants, rocky seashores - but can also emerge intuitively through spontaneous lines, shapes and colour.

My practice has developed through an ongoing sketchbook process, shared on Instagram at @garretykarin. Viewers have described the work as “mysterious”, “musical” and “organic poetry”. I’m interested in creating images that hold narrative, ambiguity and quiet tension, inviting sustained attention. More recently, I’ve been exploring the interplay between bold forms and space — allowing intensity and stillness to coexist within the same composition.