Create!

Keryn Hyslop

The creator behind Peninsula Art Studio,

I spent my childhood in Bundaberg, Branyan, Bagara, and Burnett Heads. During this time, I developed a deep love of nature that has stayed with me throughout my life. I remember walking on bush tracks through native bushland and experiencing many unique moments with Australian wildlife on acreage in Pennys Lane, Branyan, amongst fields of cane.

I remember the cane fires glowing at night as smoke billowed upward, dark, soft and blue, carrying a rich, pungent smell, reaching ever higher. Embers drifting across the sky as we chased them, catching them in our hands as they turned to charcoal.

The choir of frogs in McCoys creek after heavy rain, the joyous and collective voices of lorikeets in flowering trees, the nighttime hoot of owls under a million bright, and glistening stars. The she oaks whispered as we walked barefoot on beaches covered in cowrie shells. We watched nesting turtles on secluded beaches and soft sea sounds lulled us all to sleep.

These childhood memories of the Sugar City on the Coral Coast have inspired my life.

When I wasn’t walking or swimming in nature, my favourite childhood pastimes were colouring, drawing, and reading. I spent hours wiling away happily in my imagination, drawing from a rich environment. Encouragement from an early year’s teacher led me to enter an artwork in the Bundaberg Show, where I was awarded a prize. More importantly, it taught me my art was seen and valued by others.

As an adult, I felt inspired to give back some of the love for the natural world that I experienced as a child. I studied at the University of Queensland in Brisbane and went on to work throughout the state as an environmental scientist. My work often brought me back to the Bundaberg region and surrounding areas, where I collaborated with local communities.

While living and working in Brisbane, I planted many thousands of Australian native trees by hand, starting from tiny saplings in pots. It brings me great joy to visit them now as mature trees, casting their shadows over me.

I also worked with farmers to conserve nature throughout Queensland in some of the most beautiful parts of the state, alongside truly extraordinary people. I travelled far and wide from coastal paperbark forests, the rich rainforests of the Border Ranges, expansive savannah lands, and the lush tropical rainforests of the north. All the time absorbing the wonderful people and places residing within a complex and rich mosaic of nature.

More recently, I have returned to my creative roots, working as a teaching artist in many parts of Australia, including remote outback and regional communities. My desire has been to share the joy of nature and art with those who may not otherwise have access, and to encourage people to experience the richness of Australia’s natural diversity and the simple joy of creating.

My art is an expression of my life’s experiences and is rich, colourful and full of texture, often explored through mixed media artworks. I also enjoy writing stories and taking photographs. As a child and teenager, I was inspired by Australian writers such as Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, May Gibbs, and Ethel Pedley, as well as classic literature. Artists including Frank Mahoney, Pro Hart, Ken Done, and Jenny Chee, with their vibrant interpretations of Australian landscapes and stories, continue to influence my work today.

I love sharing stories through my visual art, writing, and photography.

Living in Brisbane, I spend much of my time in nature to gain rest and relaxation, finding inspiration for my art. Living with a disability acquired later in life has further shaped my art and strengthened my connection with others, particularly those who may enjoy using it in a therapeutic “no right or wrong” way, just for mindfulness and joy.

I sell my artwork and create opportunities for community arts through installations, illumination and projection works, murals, traffic signal box designs, licensing, and other creative expressions. I also contribute my artwork to charities and causes that are personal to me, and have worked with organisations such as Lifeline, suicide prevention initiatives, hospitals supporting parents of sick children, mental health programs, and the Stroke Foundation. I’m also involved in exhibitions and galleries.

Please enjoy browsing through my online store. If you find a piece that resonates with you -whether personally or as a gift- I would be delighted. While you’re here, I also invite you to explore some of the beautiful places I’ve captured on my nature photography page.

Yours in nature and peace,

Keryn