Welcome to second edition of Artisan Muse — a space created to honour the storytellers, makers, mothers, and quiet revolutionaries whose artistry and presence shape the world around them.
Each month, we’ll sit down with a woman whose creativity feels alive — someone who threads beauty through the everyday, uplifts her community, nurtures culture, and lives with a kind of intentionality that inspires us to slow down and look closer. Our muses may be artists, mothers, designers, healers, writers, entrepreneurs, or simply women who embody that rare blend of strength, softness, and creative fire.
But Artisan Muse was always meant to be a conversation — not a spotlight. Over the past little while, we asked you:
Who inspires you?
Who in your world is quietly creating change?
Who is championing sustainability, crafting art that moves you, or raising the next generation with tenderness and grounded wisdom?
Your answers reminded us that inspiration often lives right beside us — in friendships, in mothers, in sisters, in the women we pass every day who carry worlds within them.
I was lucky enough to be invited into Coralee’s studio—an intimate glimpse into her world of botanical dyeing. Stepping inside felt like entering a space suspended in time, where nature and artistry coexist in the most magical way. Every corner held something to discover: bundles of dried flora, soft layers of silk and linen, vessels of colour, and collections of foraged botanicals waiting patiently for their turn to transform. It was a place rich with texture, curiosity, and quiet alchemy.
We later wandered down to a nearby creek, where I had the privilege of watching her unwrap a recent piece. Each textile had been carefully layered with locally gathered botanicals, bound tightly with twine, and left to rest—allowing nature to slowly imprint its story. The unveiling felt almost ceremonial, each fold revealing something unexpected. No two pieces are ever the same. Nature leaves its own unique fingerprint, and that is where the true magic lies—at the end of a slow and deeply intentional creative process.
Camera in hand, I captured her in her element—it was an honour to tell her story.
And today, with much excitement, we introduce a very inspiring local Tasmanian Artist to step into this space with us.
Our Inaugural Muse: Coralee
The way we make contact with our environment reflects its value to us, often changing the very currency used to determine this value. From a mine-site geologist to botanical artist, Coralee Williams’ exploration of this idea is indicative of the global shift away from the anthropocentric norms of previous generations, to a more holistic or configurationist theory of environmental contact that can teach us deep lessons about the stakes of creativity, the value of Earth’s gifts, and the importance of community.
“I grew up near Emerald, in the Central Highlands region of Queensland, which is essentially an industrial region focused on mining and agriculture. The natural resource value in these places is highly tangible, buried in the earth, and measured in dollars and jobs.”
Coralee worked as a mine-site geologist until such a time that the conflict between her own values, and those of the companies she worked with was stronger than she could tolerate.
“I was making big decisions about precious places, that meant more than money to local communities, from a disconnected place. An office. It didn’t align with my values.”
After giving away her job as a geologist, Coralee found herself headed for Tasmania – where she knew nobody – to do some hiking. However, time spent in the Tasmanian wilderness, especially Turrakana/Tasman Peninsula, soon evaporated her desire to leave. She had found her space to experiment, and began to connect with likeminded people that steered her into a chapter of life where she felt at home.
To watch Coralee work, and see the complexity and uniqueness of her creations, gives the impression that she has honed a very complex artform over a long period of time, perhaps under the tutelage of a talented and experienced mentor. However, the truth behind her introduction to botanical dying provides a fantastic lesson in the value of experimental, low stakes art.
“I learned from the back of a business card, basically. I was at a market and someone was selling botanically dyed creations - I thought they were amazing so I took a business card, and on the back was a simple guide. From there I took any opportunity to learn, and just experimented. I still do. “
Again, the value of meaningful contact with your environment shines through Coralee’s eye and hands. For her, the importance of art is beyond formal training or expensive equipment. Instead, the importance lies within the connections made with place, the gifts of the earth, and the people who learn, teach and express gratitude in community. This a bold remembering of ancient currency, and a beautiful reminder that when the stakes of creation are kept low, giving takes nothing away from you. Rather, Coralee sees the ability to spend time in nature, creating, sharing and connecting as pipelines of deep wealth.
After relocating to Tasmania knowing no one, Coralee soon found social and artistic connections through her attendance at, and participation in, local markets. It is in these types of spaces that Coralee really started to see how people engage with art, the environment, and each other.
“Engaging in workshops, or seeing others engage, really lit me up. There were so many people willing to share skills and knowledge with others – particularly women – and I could see communities being built right in front of me”.
From here there was a natural progression into sharing her own skills, knowledge, and experience with others. Coralee found herself moving from someone who joined communities, to someone who created them. From organising markets of her own, to running workshops, she found that her particular brand of slow, nature-inspired art was a perfect way to bring people together and to connect them to nature.
“Building community takes effort and time, but the more I lean into this space, the more I realise that giving to others takes absolutely nothing away from you. In fact it does the opposite. I still like to find balance by spending time alone in the bush, collecting and foraging, but feel deeply fulfilled by time spent sharing my process with other people.”
You can find Coralee at Kickstart Arts in New Town, where she runs monthly workshops. Details of which can be found at kickstartarts.org, or via her Instagram @coralee.inspiredbynature, and on her website Coralee.com.au.
Coralee would like to give a special mention to Warren and Donna at Tin Camp Studios for helping her on her way, and OUA fans should keep watch for limited collaborative pieces featuring Coralee’s botanical
dying later in 2026.
Images @fionavailphotography
