Page 65 - The Digital Cloth issue 2

The Paper Mache

Mermaid

Deb Laan

I love to be thought of as a maker of interesting,
thought provoking and beautiful things rather than an
artist. I have always been torn between drawing and
painting fine intricate and highly detailed illustrations,
and bold, bright three-dimensional forms made out
of clay and or papier Mache. More often than not my
subject matter is heavily influenced by the ocean and
the critters that live beside or underneath the sea.

I am at my calmest when I’m immersed in a project
and for the last couple of years my illustrations have
been structured within a circle taking the form of a
mandala. I usually draw the mandala with a theme in
mind and then I paint using watercolour, acrylic inks
and gouache.

I have lived by the ocean since I was a young
teenager but before then our holidays were always
spent camping locally at Brooms Head, Minnie water
and the Coffs Harbour area. I grew up in a home that
was always full of saltwater fish tanks housing an array
of amazing sea creatures including moray eels and
blue ringed octopus. As an adult I also keep saltwater
aquariums and spent a huge amount of time
snorkelling in rock pools and rivers observing the
amazing sea life that we are lucky enough to find on
the north coast of NSW while the warm currents are
running.
watercolour paper, pencils and inks. Within
My husband and I are lucky enough to have the hours of setting up camp I have usually also
freedom to head off camping very regularly at many of set up my temporary studio…it’s a delicious
the places I camped as a child. We also love escape to backdrop to create with when you can hear
Bowen in north QLD and are regular visitors to Heron the waves and the gulls and plovers and
Island…. I never go to any of these places without my breathe in the salty sea weedy air. Just last
snorkel and never leave home for a holiday without week we were camped at Nambucca heads
paper, pens and watercolours (at least) and were entertained by a dolphin
feeding on a school of fish right in front of
I have a box filled with my creative supplies that fits our campsite. I never take those moments
nicely in my caravan and usually includes beautiful for granted.