A quiet connection
Gazing at marisa veerman’s artwork is like taking a deep breath of fresh air.
Hello! Who are you and what do you do? Hi there! I’m a mixedmedia artist and my work is a mix of photography, embroidery, beading and wax. I spent my early life growing up in Coffs Harbour, but while I was in primary school my family moved to Brisbane, where I still live now.
Describe your art for us, please. It’s very delicate, quiet and dreamlike, while still having a sense of certainty. I like to use beautiful colours and leave a lot of breathing space around each figure.
What kinds of materials and techniques do you use? Each artwork is quite a journey. It all starts with a beautiful piece of found fashion – I visit my local antique shops to find just the right piece. Next, I create either a floral headpiece or collar with fresh flowers, tulle or other fabric. Then it’s time for the photographic bit! Movement is key to my images; I take a lot of photos to get the perfect one. Once I find an image I connect with, I edit it and have it printed on my favourite canvas. From there, I add stitches and beading to accentuate movement and create focal points. I finish by brushing on a wax varnish, which creates a beautiful painterly feeling and connects all the media.
Has this always been your chosen creative outlet? My career began in a fabric store as a sales assistant. I was always very distracted by the amazing work of the in-store visual merchandiser, so I asked her to teach me how to do it. Thankfully, she kindly agreed to train me on my days off. Soon I was dressing mannequins with metres of fabric and pins.
Do your eyes get tired from focusing on such teeny-tiny details?
I try to work during the day so I can see better, as the natural light is much kinder on my eyes. I do struggle a bit at night, but I think I should invest in some better lighting!
How do you want people to feel when they look at your work?
I want the viewer to relate to my work in their own way, connecting it to something in their life. It needs to mean something to them. After that, I guess I want people to feel calm and peaceful.
What inspires you? I’m inspired by so many things: my sentimentality for family, fashion, art, colour and textiles. Most of all, though, I’m inspired by people’s stories and the lives they’ve lived. Humans are so intriguing, and each one so important.
Where does most of your art-making get done? From one end of our tiny house to the other! I have a very patient and encouraging family. There are cardboard tubes with prints inside, stretcher frames, costumes on hangers, flowers, fabrics and embroidery thread collections strategically placed everywhere. I work hard to contain my creativity, but I definitely make our home unique.
What are you working on at the moment? I have an exhibition coming up in September in Brisbane, and I’m also working on a collection of tiny pieces for people who have smaller spaces and a smaller budget, but an appreciation for beautiful things.
One thing we should know about you? I love hanging out with people in their 70s, 80s and older. They offer a mix of great humour, honesty and perspective.
Where can we see more of your stuff? marisaveerman.com.au or on Instagram at @marisa_veerman.
Marisa was an art + illustration finalist in the frankie Good Stuff awards.