In Conversation with Liv Lee: celebrating nature in every imperfect form

Australian artist Liv Lee has found an elegant way to blend her joyful, botanical style with purpose. In collaboration with Evermade and WWF‑UK, she’s created a series of cards, wrap and art prints celebrating vital ecosystems: the Amazon rainforest, the world’s oceans and native UK wildlife. We spoke to Liv about what inspired this collaboration, how nature shapes her creative journey—and what hope she carries for the people who encounter her work.

What made this collaboration feel like the right fit for you?

Every time I pick up my paintbrush, I turn to nature for inspiration. Every time. Nature’s beauty and unpredictability are at the heart of everything I create. So being able to support WWF and their work to protect and regenerate the natural world felt like an immediate yes.

What message were you hoping to express through this WWF series?

That nature, in all its shapes, colours and forms, is worth protecting. Everything is connected: if we want to protect the big, charismatic animals, we have to protect the kelp, the seagrass, the ecosystems that support them too.

How did you choose which species or landscapes to include?

I’m always drawn to plants and flowers—they have such interesting forms and textures. One subject that really stood out was the fruit of the Amazon. They symbolise abundance and fertility, feeding animals and people, and helping regenerate the rainforest through their seeds. Tiny, but mighty.

What do you hope someone feels when they see or send something from this collection?

Joy. Or inspiration. I hope people feel inspired to create, or to do something small that helps protect the natural world.

Where do you begin a new piece?

I often start with a feeling I want to evoke—nostalgia, energy, joy. I look at reference photos, ideally ones I’ve taken myself, or dip into vintage field guides. Then I twist and transform what I see into something unexpected—through colour, shape or composition.

How do you balance traditional and digital tools?

I always begin with traditional media—paint gives my work soul and a human quality. I enhance colours digitally, but I’m careful not to lose that tactile, organic texture.

Your style embraces loose, organic forms. What draws you to those perfectly imperfect shapes?

I find beauty in things that stand out. Misshapen melons, bendy bananas, wonky flowers—those are the forms I love to paint. Irregularities make things interesting, and I try to accentuate that in my work.

What keeps drawing you back to botanical themes?

It’s partly nostalgic. My dad loved native flora and planted it in our garden. It was also a subject of his art. The shapes, colours and confidence of these plants keep pulling me back—they’re full of personality.

How has being back in Port Macquarie shaped your creativity?

It’s been huge. I can be in the bush, rainforest or at the beach in minutes. I’m especially inspired by the coastal bush—that overlap between wild flora and the ocean. Paper Daisies on rocky outcrops, Morning Glory trailing down headlands… it all feeds my work.

What’s your creative workspace like?

It’s a humble home studio I share with my husband—and our dog is always somewhere in the middle!

Has motherhood influenced your work?

Absolutely. My daughter’s perspective is so pure. She finds joy in things like seaweed or a flower on the pavement. That simple way of seeing the world reminds me to appreciate the everyday.

Are there any emerging artists you admire right now?

• Daniel Savage @somethingsavage — texta animations with robotics
• Charlotte Hardy @_charlotte_hardy_ — floral acrylic paintings with rich texture
• Mel Arsenault @mel_arsenault — ceramics with dreamy floral forms

What advice would you give to artists trying to build confidence or find their style?

Don't wait until it's perfect—just share your work. I started posting early and I'm so glad I did. You never know where it might lead.

What’s next for you?

I want to carve out more time to experiment—try new mediums, get looser in my practice. I’m also working on children’s book ideas and continuing to explore animation—there’s something magical about bringing my work to life through movement.