bettyBetty

My real name is Leearna Saunders, Betty is my alter-ego, I am an Indigenous artist from the Gungarri people of Mitchelle, South Western Queensland , Australia.
I completed my Visual Arts and Communication Degree, including Honours, at the Koorie Institute of Education, (Deakin University) Waurn Ponds, Victoria.

My artwork and photography mainly consists of the female nude, i love to reinvent my original images, reworking them onto different surfaces including fabrics creating wearable works of art that enhance the female form.

I love my camera, an old Pentax SLR, that I found at the local Pawn Shop (nice work), it was trial and error at first, diligently studying books on SLR Cameras ( so technical…. i still dont know what they were talking about). Finally I decided to work with my intuition, nice challenge that one. I prefer candid shots( cause I lack discipline) following the model from room to room with my camera (and tripod), chatting away till she is so comfortable within her home space that both the camera, and her nakedness disappears.
My other challenge apart from relying on my intuition and lack of discipline, is my short sightedness. I dont always get a sharp image in my shots…but it works for me….it works for my style of using existing light…and it works for the naturalness of the women, depicting their sensuality and of their being ‘happy in their own skin’.

Another of my passions is textiles and clothing, especially the eras from the 20’s _70’s.
My clothing range, BLOSSOM BETTY , can be found in the Pavillion Markets across the road from Eumundi Markets on the Sunshine Coast.

Fabrics of choice are recycled, reclaimed and
vintage/retro textiles, creating unique pieces with hand finished details, lots of whimsy and feminist humour.
Clothing to me is more than a functional piece of fabric that covers the body and renders it into a socially acceptable form.

Blossom Betty is about self expression in the guise of eccentric femme attire.

My photography is about the nature of woman happy in her skin, happy in her environment.
just started a new blog
http://blossombetty-creatingfromchaos.blogspot....
have a look..make a comment..