Through the power of just saying ‘yes,’ a series of invitations would follow from Darwin’s creative circles where I ended up having my first solo exhibition in Darwin city as apart of the Fringe Festival. I’d never attended an exhibition let alone participated in one, so I was nervous to say the least. Unexpectedly, the exhibition sold out and a door to a new life opened up for me.
I kept painting while working full time, but my job didn’t allow me enough time to do what I truly loved in painting. Unsatisfied at work, and another day of tears in the toilet led me to a meeting with my boss to communicate my feelings. Our discussion inspired her to give me a book to read, called ‘Meant for More,’ by Mia Hewett. While I don’t think it was the mission, I had a lightbulb moment - I am investment manager, investing my time in other peoples assets and future. Let’s flip this script - I need to invest in myself, and my future. I quit my job and I was going to get out there and chase that dream.
The rhythms of running a creative business took flight. I was producing as much work as I could, and I will always will be incredibly grateful to say everything was just sold out! I started to see the world differently, like an artist. I had harnessed the power of curiosity and behind every little thing was a source of wonder and inspiration. My new world was surpassing my expectations. I was a working full time artist making a healthy income from my work and living the life! I was doing it… all of it….
Wearing a lot of hats caused a personal and creative burnout. Because life is busy, this was the year we got married and had fallen pregnant with our first baby. I had Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) throughout my entire pregnancy and I was completely disabled. When it rains, it pours - am I right!? This was a crisis I wasn’t prepared for, which presented me with two solutions. 1. Ask for and accept help or 2. struggle through alone and probably fail.
Accepting help, the pursuit of the creative dream continues… My ever supporting husband and family have always encouraged me in my creative career, and they showed up for me once again. So what does that look like now?
My husband Reeves built me a studio space from recycled materials and has now taken a role as a director in Steph Brooke Studio. He is the brain surgeon behind our operations and logistics, makes sure everything gets done, and looks after me in-between. My mum is on the advisory board, providing the ‘you can do it,’ spirit in my ear - a lifelong journey for her as my mum. Our fabulous team Southern Buoy in Mornington, VIC manage all of our printing and framing at a world class standard with FSC certified materials to support our vision in sustainable practices. My sister/BFF Eve has taken on a role in supporting me to bring joy and happiness to all of our beautiful collectors (there may or may not be wine involved on the days she is here).
We support charity events and fundraisers with my work through our vision to make a positive impact in our community. We are branching out into creating an Australian Artist Collective to connect and inspire through the textiles space. We also have an International Travel Art Masterclass on the horizon too… watch this space!
We do this all together as a family, connected and with a shared vision. We encourage rest and a balanced life with quality family time. We prioritise what feels good for our collectors, our community and planet. This feels like a milestone moment for me as I turn 30 years old, and I wanted it to be documented to share. I want to be the person to tell you that if you have a dream; You are meant for more & you actually can just go out there and get it.
With Love,
Steph
Words by Steph Brooke, Photography by Joshua Pucci
The beauty of having our artworks handmade to perfection in Australia by a family run business (Southern Buoy, if you haven't heard) is that we can customise your artwork to fit you perfectly. We proudly share our suppliers because they are AH-MAZING and deserve all the credit for their hard work. We're also super keen to be transparent about our chain of custody and artwork creations so that you know where your artwork is coming from and who made it. You know the small businesses who you are supporting by shopping with our studio - and I think that is important!
Did you know Steph Brooke Studio is getting FSC Certification soon!? We're excited!! Using timber from well-managed forests and ensuring it has been sustainably sourced are key steps in mitigating the environmental impact. Issues like deforestation, habitat destruction, soil erosion and water cycle disruption can be considered and mitigated by using responsibly sourced materials in the products we produce. We've done our part to provide you with access and consumer choice to bring these materials into your home - all thats left for you to do is pick your colour/flavour!
Artwork is stretched & framed in Natural Flooded Gum as a standard because its my favourite and if I had to pick, then this would be my choice. It is the closest in colour to Tasmanian oak. Its also FSC Certified and made from a species of sustainable Eucalyptus Grandis species called flooded gum - which I really love for my native garden artworks.
Is all the timber sustainable? Yeah!
The bit that the canvas wraps around at the back which is hidden is called the stretcher bars. They are sustainably sourced from Hoop Pine, (Araucaria Cunninghamii) and they are plantation grown and kiln dried.
The stretcher bars are finger jointed, underpinned and braced for extreme strength and warp-free longevity all while doing our bit for planet earth. BOOM!
Specs - All frames are 55mm deep and have a 10mm front face.
Let's look at some timbers!
Natural Flooded Gum, Grown with FSC certification
- Flooded Gum (Eucalyptus Grandis)
- Grown sustainably with FSC certification and kiln dried
- Under and cross pinned for extreme strength and rigidity
American Ash Grown with FSC certification
- Natural American Ash (Fraxinus Americana)
- Sustainably grown with FSC certification and kiln dried
- Under and cross pinned for extreme strength and rigidity
Beech Grown with FSC certification
- Beech
- Grown sustainably with FSC certification and kiln dried
- Under and cross pinned for extreme strength and rigidity
Premium Frames - Additional fees of 20% Apply to these beauties
Tasmanian Blackwood
- Tasmanian Blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon)
- Sustainably sourced, plantation grown and kiln dried
- Under and cross pinned for extreme strength and rigidity
Black American Ash (grain visible), FSC Grown and Hand Stained
Whitewash American Ash (grain visible)
- American Ash (Fraxinus Americana) stained with whitewash to a limed finish
- Sustainably sourced, plantation grown and kiln dried
- Under and cross pinned for extreme strength and rigidity
We hope this helps you choose something you love for your artwork and your home. General advice is, just pick your favourite. Should you need help, please reach out - we're always happy to help.
With Love,
Steph
Use the code PerfectPair10 for 10% off your purchase when purchasing two or more prints!
As these artworks are under a limited edition print we need to monitor quantities, please add the items separately to your cart to make sure your desired size is available to bundle artworks together. If you need any assitance, please email steph@stephbrookestudio.com - we're happy to help!
Artworks Olive Garden & Wattlebird Burrow
Artworks Wildflowers of the Valley & Eclipse
Artworks Olive Garden & Saudade
Artworks Mallee & Northern Salmon Gum
Artworks June in Bloom & Rosa
]]>Update: Commissions opportunities are currently closed. Below is some handy info for when we reopen.
I absolutely adore creating special artworks that are unique to you and your story. My favourite part is the initial FaceTime/zoom conversations where everyone is excited to share their ideas and talk about the things they love. The spark! I also love when my clients receive their colour charts and get to pick what suits... and of course the feeling I get when I'm spot on. The last but not least favourite part is when the client receives the completed artwork made especially for them - super spesh.
I only work on one commission at a time, as I like to spend my full energy focussed on that artwork without alternative influences. That means there's limited spots available per year. If you'd like to have a chat about my availability, feel free to reach out at steph@stephbrookestudio.com. In the meantime, here's some info about my commissioning process.
A commission is a newly created artwork by the artist, that is based on the clients vision - its a collaboration if you like, that brings to life new art that is unique to you. Sometimes a client might like a painting in a collection release but it's the wrong size, has too much of a particular colour in it, or perhaps it's the wrong species of plant. If you've ever looked at an artwork and really loved it but had suggestions to make changes, then a commission may be for you.
My commissioning prices are similar to the original artwork prices listed on my website, which is all based on size. Our initial consultation is free because that's where we get to discuss your vision, and if I think I can make it come to life. If we decide to proceed there is an additional commissioning fee which covers all of our consultations throughout the commission process and that's just about it. As the artwork is made over a longer period of time, we can tailor a payment arrangement in the contract over the specified time period if that is helpful to you.
Timelines will vary depending on the size of the artwork and whether we are creating something based of what has already been created or if we are venturing off into the land of brand spanking new. If I had to put a standard timeframe on it, i'd say usually about 6-8 weeks from concept to completion. If you have chosen framing, we will advise the turn around time with the supplier and add this to the timeframe.
We have teamed up with a superstar supplier who does all of our stretching, framing and shipping. I will send my commissions through the suppliers shipping because they have awesome deals with several couriers across Australia, that are all flat rate shipping.
If you are international please kindly send me an email so that I can obtain a quote for you which will include the international taxes.
Here's a few questions you may like to consider before a consultation:
- Who is this artwork for? What would you like the subject matter to be? Where is this artwork going to hang? What size would I like it to be? What is my budget?
- What artworks have I seen that I like? What would I change about them? What are my favourite colours? What's my favourite season?
- What artworks didn't resonate with me? What was it about them? What colours do I dislike?
- Is there any special meaning behind why this work is being created? How involved would you like to be throughout the process? How would you like to be contacted or kept up to date?
If you're someone who would prefer to talk things through, please send an email at steph@stephbrookestudio.com and we can set up an appointment to have a chat via phone.
With love,
Steph
]]>I was 21 years old when we first moved out to the block in rural Darwin/Garramilla. It was dense virgin bushland and we cleared a small area in the middle where our little recycled house would sit. I have always loved gardening so the landscaping was at the forefront of my mind.
Having lived in Victoria for five years I imagined a Victorian style formal cottage garden, with lavender fields that would have trimmed box hedges and neatly cut green lawns. I liked the idea of having little spaces where we could and enjoy a cup of tea, or more likely a glass of wine. I dreamt of a chefs vegetable garden where I could walk out and pick dinner and cook for the family. While it was all good and well to be a dreamer, we didn’t actually have any water. We had to cart water three thousand litres at a time for a 20km round trip. It would take about 4-5 hours to fill the tank and it was a really crappy job.
I tried anyway. Despite the termites, lack of water, the tropical heat, humidity, sandy soil and the wildlife eating my plants I was still extremely optimistic. I would grab a bucket and use the grey water from the washing machine and sprint in and out of the house watering all my plants. They all died. The garden at this point was four metres of turf at the front step to stop mud coming in the house.
Frustrated and still carting water, I turned my focus to learning about landscaping and educating myself around the appropriate plants of the region. I would watch Gardening Australia religiously, and as Costa would give us the jobs list at the end of the episode my darling partner would commentate “and on the block, nothing… because we don’t have any water.” I read a lot about NT native plants and started to build a better knowledge base around what we could grow. The more I learned, the more observant I was around the plants, wildlife and changing landscape across the seasons. You may know Darwin as having two seasons, the wet and the dry. But we have learned from our traditional Larrakia owners there are 6 seasons in Darwin/Garramilla on the Gulumoerrgin (Larrakia) calendar. With the change of each season I started becoming a better listener to the bush. At all times of the year I love watching the light filter through the trees. It has become a ritual of mine to take a morning bush walk after the first seasonal rains. The air smells earthy and I observe new plants popping up of what the birds were eating over the dry and I like to spot the new growth on the deciduous trees.
By the time we got a bore it had been about 4 years of studying the landscape and we finally had the water to have a garden. Ironically the garden that I chose didn’t need any water at all. My mindset had shifted from trying to create something that didn’t belong, to appreciating the space I am in. I now have a beautiful native garden that compliments the surrounding bushland and adds to the biodiversity of the landscape. There is no irrigation and everything is thriving.
In reflection, I had matured as a person over the years and learned an important lesson. This garden isn’t for me, I am the caretaker. This garden has its own ‘microbiome’ and it’s apart of a bigger picture. It should be built to last long after I’m gone. The landscaping should reflect a healthy microbiome, where everything has its place. So if we want to get down to the nuts and bolts of it, this collection is a coming-of-age story. It’s an appreciation of self growth. It’s a celebration of the Australian native landscape. It's years of observing the light, the rain and the plants. It’s a story about me falling in love with the place I am in, learning to be curious, and being present. The ideas that I had when I first came to the block not only didn’t suit me, but they weren’t holistic. It was almost like I was kidding myself into wanting something that wasn’t for me, because I wasn’t quite sure who ‘me’ was yet. I can’t imagine being out in the garden every week trimming a box hedge, to be honest i can’t even be bothered putting the washing away. It’s kind of like saying I’m gonna go to the pub for one beer… it’s just never happened.
So there’s the story. I’m always up for a chat about my artwork and love to hear how people connect to the pieces. Don’t worry if you don’t know the proper art words – I don’t either so we can just talk about it like normal people.
I hope you saw something that made you smile today and had the capacity to pass it on.
With love,
Steph
Hi, I’m Steph and I’m the creator behind Steph Brooke Studio.
My earliest memories of being interested in art are from when I was a small child and my mum invented a ‘busy bag’ for me, that I could take everywhere I went. The sketchbooks were bent and the zipper wouldn’t shut with all the papers, pencils, crayons and textas - lids off, dried out of course! If I wasn’t drawing we were gardening or on the boat fishing, and to this day not much has changed at all. New additions to the busy bag would include red wine and the blues of Aretha Franklin and jazz sounds of pretty much anything on the internet. Brownie points for a little saxophone.
I’ve tried lots of careers in my short life; I’ve studied Nursing and worked in aged care, graphic design and my late corporate career was in investment management. I feel very grateful now to have found my groove as a self taught painter, because I was becoming very tired of looking for my ‘thing.’
Initially I started painting to put colour on the walls of our home, and to be honest it has become quite out of control from there. With the love and support of my beautiful partner, family, friends and community I have been able to pursue my dreams in being an artist.
Now I spend my days painting and gardening at my home studio on our rural block in Darwin. I love and exploring the Top End for inspiration, which is pretty lucky because since COVID it hasn’t been too easy to leave.
I feel very grateful to have the opportunity to share my artistic journey with you, and appreciate the time you took to read a little about me. I'm a 'thousand miles an hour' type of gal, so i'm excited to see how this creative rollercoaster evolves.
I hope you saw something that made you smile today and had the capacity to pass it on.
With love,
Steph
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