RETURN TO THE FOREST - 5 of 10 - Limited Edition of 10 Photograph

JAMIE MCWILLIAM I have been a practising photographer for about 20 years, developing creative projects, documenting daily life, international travel and scientific research & development. I regard photography as visual poetry from photographing tango dancers of Buenos Aires to capturing the wilderness of Patagonia and the Congo. The camera for me represents a powerful medium of observing and interacting with the world, directing the observer into new ways of seeing. Growing up in Southern Africa and the Scottish Highlands initiated my love of travel and cultural diversity, which fuelled a life exploring the natural environments of South America, Africa, Europe and Australia. My scientific and technological background strongly influences my work, particularly when capturing our connection and relationship with nature. LORA FLORA Art has always been a way for me to explore and connect with my surroundings. Being a practising artist is a crucial form of self expression, it allows me to visually verbalise ideas and messages, such as those on environmental conservation. My passion for nature conservation led me to graduate with a Bachelor of Conservation Biology and Botany, with First Class honours, from the University of Western Australia, and then to begin a career as an environmental educator conducting workshops in schools and the community. It was important for me to continue to explore and develop my art alongside my environmental career, which lead me unexpectedly to body art. Body art has allowed me to explore the intimate and complex connection between people and nature. I find that the ceremony of body painting in nature reconnects us on a deeper level with the environment. The act itself feels very ancient and deeply familiar, as humans have been painting themselves for thousands of years and evolved from a past with a far greater connection with the natural environment. With each brush stroke the line between model and environment becomes increasingly blurred. The human form merges with the space around it. Bare skin can be transformed with paint into an endless variety of natural forms such as bumpy tree bark, granite rocks speckled with electric orange lichen or luminous green moss, resulting in a mesmerizing scene where the human form is inseparable from nature. I became fascinated with the process of merging the human form with wild landscapes when I competed in the World Body Paint Competition in Austria in 2018.