Professionals Serendipity 
Considering the creativity of the Tamborine Mountain community, a place surrounded by inspiring natural beauty, it’s no surprise that there’s enough artists to lay the foundations for an organisation like the Tamborine Mountain Arts Collective as covered in a previous article. Today we talk to Lilly Piri, one of those very same artists, in the wake of her recent exhibition on the mountain to get some insight into her unique style and creative process and learn how her journey has brought her here.
by Kyle Hitchmough
What kind of art do you do? What methods or mediums do you work in?
I do a lot of illustration, that’s my background. People might be familiar with my work on the Friday Barnes series, a children’s detective series. I did all the Australian covers. There’s a new one coming out sometime next year! I do a lot of painting, too. I studied traditional art, life drawing, and fine art and illustration. I do a lot of still life, landscapes and portraiture.
How long have you been making art?
I never stopped when I was a kid! Most people tend to stop, but I didn’t really. I’ve always been interested in art. I wrote in my Grade 2 journal that I wanted to be an artist and here I am!
Do you have a particular style as an artist?
I think I have a few. Most people stick to one style but I don’t find myself able to do that.
Do you have any inspirations or influences as an artist?
I like the impressionists. I also like a lot of still life painting from the 1600s, the flowers or setups of food. I didn’t like them until I saw them in person and realised how cool they were.
Do you use any particular equipment while making your art?
I really like oil paints at the moment. I have a wooden palette that I like. The style I work in for oils is alla prima, which is a wet-on-wet style. You try to do it all in a few sittings, or one.
You are a member of the Tamborine Mountain Arts Collective, correct? What has that experience been like for you?
I’ve never been part of a physical arts collective before. It’s really interesting because everyone supports each other, and you have these group initiatives like open studios. Having other people who are working on art is important because it can be lonely if you’re just in your studio all the time. You can meet other people who think the same as you and are going through the same things. It’s the sense of community.
Do you have a favourite piece that you’ve created?
Maybe one of my self-portraits I’ve done! Probably the one I did during the pandemic, Working Remotely II. I went down to Murwillumbah, they have an artists’ picnic every year. It was in one of the COVID dips, so I took my painting down there. It has a computer monitor in it, so I put the landscape in there that I painted on location. It was really nice because everyone had been holed up and then you got to go down and paint with everybody else.
What goes into the average day for you when working on your art?
I do software engineering too, that’s my main job. But if I’m working on a painting, I’ll set up the still life or whatever it is I’m working on, and then I’ll mix the paint. I might put a podcast on once the sketch is done, and then I’ll just start painting.
Are you a local? What’s your opinion on the Tamborine Mountain area and community?
Yes! I think it’s really unique, both the landscape and the people here. It’s a very special place. The community here is really great and the rainforests are really special.
What’s your favourite thing to do on the mountain?
We go to Ness and Nell’s Nook a lot! They’re just around the corner from us and they’re super friendly. They’re awesome. We have a nice park near us, too, it’s full of jacarandas at the moment. Curtis Falls is nice, with the fireflies.
Do you feel being an artist on Tamborine Mountain has influenced your art? Do you draw any particular inspiration from the area?
Some of the subjects of the paintings in my exhibition are local, like the flowers from the Beacon Road honesty stall, and I also painted some of Franquette’s pastries. I like getting stuff that’s local and painting that, if I can. It’s a lot nicer, I think.
What do you enjoy most about what you do?
It kind of feels like magic, because you’re just making stuff, and then it exists. You took some paint and then you have this whole world you’ve made.
What’s been your most memorable moment in your art career?
This exhibition is really great! Normally I’m in the studio and I don’t have a lot of contact with other people. A lot of my day-to-day in terms of art is applying for prizes, so I get a lot of rejection. But with an exhibition, you see people come in and react to the things you’ve painted, it’s really cool. I’ve done lots of group exhibitions and a few solos, though this is my first one in a long time. It’s been amazing, I’ve really liked interacting with the community.
Are prizes a large part of the work cycle of an artist? What goes into that for you?
You have to make a painting within the criteria of that prize. Some might want it to be from life, or partially from life. You just apply to the ones that appeal to you. For a lot of people, myself included, there’s a lot of rejection but sometimes you get through! I got semifinalist at the Lester Prize. It was amazing! They printed my painting on a pillar outside, along with all the other semifinalists. It was pretty cool! One day I’d like to get into the Archibald Prize. I don’t know how far away that is, though, it’s a pretty lofty goal.
Do you sell your art or offer any other commercial outlet for it?
I have an online shop now, I opened it for the exhibition. It’s mostly the stuff from the exhibition, and I’ve sold a few on there. But the majority is sold through the exhibition space.
Is there anything else you’d like to go on the record?
It’s important to me to thank Renee, who owns The Art Post, the exhibition space, as well as TMAC and the Tamborine Mountain community.
Lilly Piri
TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN QLD 4272
We are always looking for new topics for our blog. If there’s something you like to see more of, send your suggestions to: social@professionalsserendipity.com.au, or email the writer at kyle.hitchmough@hotmail.com.
