Nunu and the Ants

“Once upon a time, in a land not far away, there lived a little artist named Nunu.

Happy as can be, she painted with joy and ease, inspired by her ant friends, nature’s very own creative team.

The ants, Winsor, Newton, Daler, Rowney and Reeves, guided her creativity towards the intricate understanding of texture and colour.   With their artistry, each work, became a beautiful masterpiece

The wise old ant, named Lukas, was a visionary, and had the ability to truly see. He drifted towards dreamscapes to receive inspiration and reminded her that passion was the fundamental key.

Nunu and the Ants created interesting themes, like Boy in the blue scarf,

Kite face, Shape shifters, and some delightful Kandinsky influenced memes”.

Nunu and the ants was inspired by the evolution of my partners journey towards her creative self.  I used an image of her at 4 years old, which reflects her childhood innocence and playfulness.  Sadly we tend to lose our childlike nature, as we grow older and start to take life too seriously.

Laresa at the age of 49, rediscovered her inner child and started to create art. She had tremendous fun, experimented daily, and painted everything in site.  She became the child who had complete freedom, with no adult intervention, prevention and rules. Her clothes, sometimes hair, and studio floor would be regularly covered in paint!

In her photography, she used to watch ants for hours and be fascinated by their determination and teamwork.  In ‘Nunu and the Ants’, I decided to bring in a team of ants that could help her in her creative process.  It became an imaginary world, where she could escape and find inspiration. By tapping into this magical splendour, a whole new world of creation was at her feet.

As I am the witness to her process, she reminds me of a seed sprouting and slowly metamorphosing into a flourishing tree.  Throughout her evolution her imagination continues to deepen and her work evolves and transforms. Without any rules or boundaries, Laresa finds a way to be playful in her studio.  Inspiration and adventure awaits, when she silences her mind and becomes present in the moment.

Laresa’s journey into her creative self, is a reminder that it is possible to rediscover this purity within ourselves, at any age.

With this piece I hope to inspire everyone, to find their inner child and to be playful and carefree for a while.