hello and thank you.

“If my art grew one smile, on one person's face each day; that is why I create. To give someone an experience or evoke a deep feeling of connection to a past memory, is the ultimate gift!"   - skye prudence

                

LEFT: Featuring - "Everlasting Nautilus" and "Salt and Pepper Moon"       RIGHT: Studio space

I am a beachcomber and bowerbird. I have a long black as soon as I wake EVERY morning. I live for small moments and I live for big moments. I find peace when I am surrounded nature. I’m not scared to stand on my own or be different. I am a perfectionist, a tweaker of everything, a lover not a hater and one of the most sensitive and empathic people you will meet. I was born a country girl, my dad in charge of the local Police Station, my mum a nurse (angel), I have an older sister who I continue to look up too and a younger brother who has Down Syndrome and is my inspiration for life.

 

LEFT: Taking as many photos as possible of course 2017 - Simpson Desert trip, Central Australia

For as long as I can remember, I have collected precious gifts from nature, studying them intensely and keeping them safe. I would be that little girl you would see picking up seashells, protecting ants and looking under mushrooms, to see if their were any fairies living there. I grew up researching projects from the encyclopaedia, playing outside, building cubby houses in the back paddocks and spending summers at our caravan on the lake waterskiing.  

I have a lot of memories with my late grandpa, travelling into the bush and him teaching me everything he knew about conservation. He taught me to find night crawlers, track young buck (deer) and light a fire after the rain. We would eat a packed lunch, a vanilla slice we bought from the bakery, swim in the river and talk about the wildflowers. These memories bring a huge smile to my face when I think of them. He has given me so much and I loved him dearly.

Life has taken me on epic journeys. For the short time I have been here, I have had a big life. Creating has always been apart of me. Stemming from a child, crafting with my mum, right through to my early 20's as a freelance photographer. After studying Design and Visual Merchandising/Styling, I worked in the industry for nearly 11 years. Through that time I also invested my creativity in making beautiful cakes for weddings and special occasions.

I started painting during a very hard time in my life, after my dad won a book for me on Australian Impressionism. I was very young during this time, finding my way through many experiences. The day I picked up a brush, it was coded into my blood. It is the one thing I have always come back to though my life. Even though I was self taught, I made a small amount of money through commissions and selling my artworks at markets through my 20's.

     

LEFT: At the market selling my artworks and doing hair wraps 2013 - Denham, WA       RIGHT: The Scooby van, days before we left for our trip through Australia 2012

After feeling under pressure in my 9 - 5 (plus the relentless overtime) job as a merchandiser, I had completely lost my passion to create. I made a reactive decision to travel Australia solo and I never looked back. I wanted to know what it meant to be Australian, why I was here and I wanted to learn about the land. So my dad and I built my little house on wheels together, I gave her the most beautiful artwork all over. She had eye lashes, a sun roof and a name, “The Scooby Van”. Thanks to my little brother, naming her after the Scooby Doo van. Off I went.

I travelled for three months before I landed in Shark Bay, WA. I drove into the town of Denham and knew I would never leave. And I didn’t. I landed a local outback 4WD tour guiding job, educating people about the land, flora and fauna and the beautiful Indian ocean. I also worked as a Marine Life tour guide/spotter and a decky on a sailing cat. I volunteered a lot of my spare time to local programs, helping to rehabilitate endangered wildlife and recording research. This changed my life. I had experiences people would only dream off.

     

LEFT: Talking about Thorny Devils on a tour 2013             RIGHT: Exploring Cape Peron on a day off from tour guiding 2013 - Francois National Park, Shark Bay, WA 

On one of my tours we had a very close encounter with a humpback whale. She came right up to the front of the boat, I looked straight into her eye. I could see every wrinkle, every scar, every story. She rode at the bow of the boat, her fluke right under my feet. We eventually had to leave her, as she would not leave us. I will never forget the way she looked at me. I feel very blessed.

      

LEFT: Getting read for a tour 2013                               RIGHT: The beautiful Humpback swimming toward us 2013- Monkey Mia, WA

For the next 8 months I lived in bare feet, showered in the ocean and worked with the land and animals. What a life it was! This is when my art was reborn! I painted all the time. I will never forget the day an art collector bought not one, but two of my original pieces. It was incredible.

Sadly through this time, my dad fell extremely unwell with terminal cancer. After clearance from his specialists, he flew to Kalgoorlie and I picked him up on my way through. We travelled home together, across the Nullarbor in the van we built together. We have many magical memories of whales and sleeping under the stars. Of course there are some hard memories too.

      

LEFT to RIGHT: Dad and I coming home on the Nullarbor together 2013

He would see me meet my life partner and later walk me down the isle to him. He would be here for the birth of my beautiful niece and nephew and be there to hold my dear little girl the day she was born, the last time I would ever see him. Four weeks later he would pass.

      

LEFT: Dad and I on my wedding day 2016                   RIGHT: My family - River, Brad and Me

Why am I telling you this?

Dad was the first person to see the first ever painting I did. He was blown away and told me I could sell my work. After his death and becoming a mother for the first time, I didn't paint for a very long time. About a year later, I decided that I needed to pursue my dream and find a piece of my soul again. I spent the next few months drawing and painting like I never had before. I connected on a whole new level and the next year I made a promise to myself and to my dad, that I would send my art out into the world and share my heart, experiences and knowledge with everyone!

So here I am, after 15 years of wondering if I should take the plunge or not and be completely vulnerable. So thank you! Thank you for being here and sharing this with me!

Please contact me at anytime if you have any questions about my art, maybe there is something special you want me to create just for you, collaborate with you or maybe you just want to have chat! Whatever it is, I am here!

You can find my details through the contact link on my home page, connect with me on Instagram or Facebook or send me email at:

skye.prudence.fineart@gmail.com

Love and Magic always.

Skye xx