Hello!
I'm Cara, sharing the Whispers of the Wild through art, illustration, photography and wild remedies (or however else they wish to be expressed!) I live in a small Sussex village nestled half way between the coast and countryside which is perfect for me and my need to be in or around the ocean, the trees, the wild flowers, the birds and the bee's!
My love of the natural world and the changing seasons is definitely what inspires me to create. The rich colours and textures of the ever changing wild landscape never cease to amaze me and I cant help but try to recreate the beauty in my work. I've always got pockets full of berries, cones, twigs and shells or I'll take a photo of something eye catching that will later inspire my artwork.
In 2018 with the help of social media, I started sharing little snippets of my days along with my artwork and creations which organically led to Whispers of the Wild becoming a creative brand specialising in paper goods, gifts and homewares inspired by nature.
Illustration
I mostly create artwork by using scrap paper or the pages of old books and newspapers which I colour with paint, pastels and earth pigments. I add texture by etching patterns directly from nature and snip away at the papers until the collage begins to reveal itself. I love how building up the layers of paper creates texture and makes the picture feel tactile and wild!
My original collages are professionally scanned and printed onto recycled cotton paper and card to create greetings Cards and Giclée Prints. My work also forms part of the branding for my range of apothecary products.
I sell my illustrated paper goods via my own webshop, through Etsy and I supply specially selected independent shops.
If you would like to know more about my wholesale offerings then please contact me here.
Visual Storytelling
I am a natural introvert, so sharing my personal stories is not something that comes easy, but capturing the natural beauty around me and the way it makes me feel, is something I love to do! Whenever I go on a dog walk or visit a new place, I always have my foraging basket and my camera close at hand!
My photography journey began when I had my floristry business and needed high resolution photos to showcase my work. Today, I still enjoy styling little scenes to photograph products for my shop, but my real passion lies in photographing the seasons as they change. I love capturing the magic of light falling through the trees as the sun goes down or the rich colours of a fading rose just before it's petals fall to the ground. Capturing moments like these makes me pay attention and mindfully focus on the beauty and magic that is all around us.
I am inspired and fascinated by people who are living and working in tune with nature and her seasons. Whether its a farmer, forager, basket maker, grower or anyone deeply connected with nature, it lights me up to learn more about their craft, their process, their passion and to capture their essence through the art of visual storytelling.
My Nature Story
As a child I remember feeling intrinsically connected to nature. I loved being outdoors; climbing trees, dancing with foxgloves on my fingertips and gathering berries to make potions. Life was simple and every day felt like a magical new adventure! Fast forward to adulthood where I almost forgot my roots as the false narratives of how we 'should' be living slowly drowned out the whispers of the wild! Thankfully, my body and soul strongly reacted and gave me the nudge I needed to return back to the natural world and in turn, my own true nature.
This reawakening of sorts has stayed with me and has grown even stronger as I watch my son intuitively connect with the natural world around him. As a home educating family we enjoy the simple things in life and try to live in tune with the seasons, allowing gentle rhythms and rituals to weave through our days. We also have a family business Wildly Crafted which specialises in crafting beautiful sustainable cabins and treehouse's in harmony with nature.
Finally, I couldn't not mention one of the key things that helps deepen my connection with nature, and that is exploring and understanding plants and their healing properties. I have always been fascinated by our plant allies and feel they have so much wisdom and medicine to share. This has definitely been the case with my own healing journey. I often say, I could spend my entire life learning more about healing herbs and I'd still be no expert, but my goodness what a journey! I mostly like to connect with plants directly, but I have also found no end of practical herbal wisdom from The Herbal Academy who I study with and who I am honoured to be affiliated with.
