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Rachael Little has been creating from a young age. She studied Visual Arts and Fine Arts at Melbourne University. Over the years she has worked in ceramics studios and taught ceramic painting.

Along with art, flowers have always played a large part in Rachael’s life. She worked as a florist for 10 years and flowers, foliage and garden landscapes continue to provide her with constant inspiration.

Rachael has been creating from a young age and it’s something she describes as “calming and truly relaxing”. She works from her home studio in Melbourne, “with three kids and a bit of family chaos thrown in for good measure.” The studio looks onto a garden she created with her husband 15 years ago. Some parts of the garden are structured and layered and other parts are whimsical and flowing - something that is reflected in her own paintings.

When painting, Rachael rarely starts with a set plan. Instead, she works spontaneously, loosely painting from her memory and imagination. Her paintings are built up in layers with loose patterns.

Colour is extremely important to Rachael, as can be seen in her bright and joyful works. “Matching colours, clashing colours and blended colours – sometimes I do it all in the same painting! I want people to feel joy whenever they walk past these artworks, and to find something new each time they look at them.” 
 
See Forman's range of beautiful Rachael Little works here!

Best,

Forman

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Marika Borlase likes to paint an individual response to her experience of landscape. Her paintings are a fusion of abstraction and detail that embodies a sense of dreamlike other worldliness to the land she references.

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As a child, Nunzio Miano loved drawing portraits of family members. He has fond memories of his grandmother and great uncle and aunt visiting from Sicily, when he would spend hours getting them to pose for him while he drew their portrait.
 
Nunzio now has a career as a retail creative director, which he absolutely adores, along with his “passion job” of creating art. “My two passions go hand in hand and feed each other. I get to use my brain and work with a bunch of talented people commercially, but I also need that alone time to express myself on canvas.”
 
When creating art, Nunzio usually works from his home. “I have the music pumping and have the time of my life. Depending on my mood, it’s either house music or old Sicilian love songs. It’s either a dance party or a meditative calm time in the studio.”
 
Nunzio draws on a range of sources for inspiration, from people, his thoughts, his childhood and his Sicilian heritage. “I love film, fashion, design, architecture, interiors and branding. I can’t get enough of it, and I guess that all goes into the big melting pot of inspiration.”
 
The creative process always changes for Nunzio, sometimes he plans paintings on paper, other times the plans are in his head. Sometimes he simply starts painting and it emerges. Nunzio mostly paints portraits, working predominantly with acrylic paint as it allows him the flexibility he needs in his painting techniques.
 
“I get a little deep and am always exploring emotional concepts. I’ve always been intrigued by humanity’s need to belong to tribes or cultures. The need to be loved and liked, to be popular and the need for approval. The faces depicted are quite emotional, portraying themes of despair, sorrow, desperation. While these themes can be quite dark, they are usually in bright, joyful colours. I love that contrast.”
 
See Forman’s range of Nunzio Miano works here.

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Zarina Fernandez of The Workspace Stylist gives us her top tips for finding the perfect artwork for your workspace!

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Divya Bahukhandi has been painting for as long as she can remember, and she recalls the walls of her family home in India being full of her art. The beautiful surrounds and the simple life of her small home town shaped her sense of beauty and she now works to create artworks that are calming and bring a sense of joy to the spaces in which they hang.
While living in India, Divya started studying painting at a very early age with a guru under the apprenticeship system. However, it wasn’t a career in the arts that she originally pursued. ‘As I grew, I started to think of an artist’s life as a lonely one, especially growing up without the noise of social media, TV and phones (the TV came to our home when I was in grade six). In pursuit of a more social life, I started my engineering degree, but soon design presented itself as an option.’ Divya studied Industrial Design, specialising in Textile Design. After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked for a number of home fashion and apparel brands overseas. After love and marriage brought her to Australia, she continued working in the industry here.
It was only after she had her two boys that she gave up her full-time design job to start painting again. ‘For some reason, watercolour really attracted me – it just agreed with where I was in life at that point. I was ready to let go and be mesmerised by the unpredictable and spontaneous nature of the medium.’
Now based in Melbourne, Divya works from home while keeping an eye on her two gorgeous boys. She enjoys being surrounded by her ‘creative mess’, working predominantly with watercolour on paper along with watercolour and acrylics on canvas. She loves to create layers upon layers, exploring the depths and interactions of natural forms.
Inspired by scenes such as mist covered mountains, the untamed wilderness of the backyard, lush green rolling hills and wild weeds and plants, Divya loves to explore forms, interactions, shadows and details. ‘I love the idea of the never ending canvas of life; my artworks often create a sense of the art extending or reaching out beyond the canvas.’ When beginning her work, an idea could start with a colour or form that captures Divya’s imagination. Other times it is just a fleeting thought or a memory that she aims to capture.
A highlight for Divya is when she can see her work hanging in their new homes. ‘I love when I can create a perfect artwork for a client’s home. It’s an unmatched feeling of gratitude and humility!’ She also loves collaborating for special projects and being surrounded by the energies of other creative people. ‘I still remember the day I walked into the Forman store. Nick and Kara have been so warm and lovely! It is an absolute joy to be part of their creative journey, and I’m so thankful for their support and friendship.’
‘Another big highlight for me is when my boys like my work! It totally makes my day, although it’s a very rare occurrence!’
 
See our range of beautiful Divya Bahukhandi works here.

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