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<\/a>Oliver\u2019s latest show, Murmurating<\/i>, is named after what birds do to fly with cohesion and not hit one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cPainting art is kind of like murmuration,\u201d she says. \u201cI really find that interacting when I\u2019m creating is quite inspiring, and then if I need to work hard I come into my studio and don\u2019t talk to anyone while I\u2019m working.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coming up with ideas is not an issue these days, says Oliver; the challenge lies in \u201cchannelling and focusing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just really comfortable with either painting over a piece of crap, or cutting the canvas up entirely,\u201d she says. \u201cSometimes you can\u2019t paint over, because the image comes through the ridges and things from the previous disaster.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver gets inspiration from Emily Carr, who also painted in nature a lot. Oliver has been working outside since she was young.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a child, I always sketched and did watercolour outdoors and Emily Carr was kind of my invisible friend. Her teachings have always been something that has inspired me,\u201d says Oliver. \u201cOne of the things she urges is painting outdoors. There\u2019s a spontaneity to the piece that you can\u2019t get in the studio in a controlled environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the past, Oliver has worked indoors, using photographs as her inspiration, particularly when she had her kids to look after. She says she got bored with it and put it aside for a long time, but now she\u2019s back in nature, where she works best.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea that you\u2019re dealing with the elements is invigorating,\u201d she says, adding that being outdoors is reflected in the piece. \u201cThe pieces are rougher; they\u2019re not tidy, controlled pieces.\u201d<\/p>\n
The people who consume the art play an important role, too, she says. She says the idea of murmuration extends to humans, as well. If we move as one, and support one another, we will help each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re all connected in this grand conversation,\u201d she says. \u201cAn artist without art lovers, without people to see our art, people to talk to about our art\u2014it\u2019s just pictures. Creating is a layered thing, and that\u2019s why I love the idea of murmuration, where we can all move together as a community and support the artist and at the same time increase our own mental health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oliver has struggled with mental-health issues for much of her life. She is one of the founders of the Pandora Arts Collective, a mental-health project that started up 12 years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a place for people to create without boundaries,\u201d she says, giving as an example of a boundary the time limits imposed in similar programs offered by the government.<\/p>\n
Oliver\u2019s dedication to the project comes from her own experiences. She knows as well as anyone how important art can be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do it,\u201d she says about painting, \u201cbecause if I didn\u2019t, I would go crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n