New Whimsical Wallpapers by Fleur Harris

Fleur Harris is an Australian artist from Melbourne, Victoria. When she was just 7 years old, she moved from Sydney to Mornington Peninsula in Victoria where her family started a vineyard. She recalls, “It was a very peaceful, beautiful place to grow up. Growing up on the vineyard, we spent a lot of time outside playing make believe games, and this inspired a lot of creative and fantastical thinking that I still cary with me.”

She continues, “Our vineyard was surrounded by pine forests and bushlands, so we’d not only play amongst the vines but we would also squeeze through the boundary fence and head into the forests, it was like stepping into a new world, the floor a soft bed of pine needles and it was dark and cool amongst the trees. Our adventures were always laced with discovery and excitement amongst nature, and that most certainly inspires my work today.”

Let’s have a look at some of the designs that grew out of this inspirational time.

Fleur studied Fine Arts at Monash University in Melbourne and Italy in the early 2000’s. She then went on to study Interior Design at RMIT and Illustration at Chisholm. But her artistic roots are even deeper. “My family are creative people, but in different ways to me. We do have a famous Australian portrait painter in our family, Paul Fitzgerald, who painted many prominent people’s official portraits, including the Queen, the Pope and even Vivian Leigh.”

In high school, Fleur’s love of art blossomed further with influences from Brett Whiteley and Picasso. Today, she more admires artists for their work ethic. “I know what a long road it is to forge a creative career, so when I see other artists achieving success I am inspired by that – I know they’ve worked hard and followed their heart and that is very inspiring.”

Today, her she finds inspiration all around her. “I always have a sketchbook on hand which I use for concept development. I have a garden outside my studio which I spend a lot of time working in, and I photograph things in it daily for reference, or cut or press the flowers to bring into my studio to have as inspiration.”

Let’s see if we can find where her inspiration comes through in these new woodland wallpapers.

“Imagining fantastical things was always my favourite thing to do as a child and drawing allowed me to bring them to life. That all-consuming, sparkles-all-through-you feeling you get when an idea comes to you and it grows until you just have to bring it life.”

Colour is very integral these magical wallpaper designs by Fleur Harris. While some palettes feel natural others feel more fantastical. She explains, “Colour is one of my favourite elements to work with. It can completely change the atmosphere, and I’m mindful of this when creating artworks for interiors. I use colour palletes that are broad so that they will be able to blend into any interior, but I use softer hues so they’re not overwhelming, and I choose colours that are calm and serene, while also being interesting and engaging. It’s a delicate balance, and it’s one of my favourite aspects of my work.”

Let’s admire some more of Fleur’s designs and the delicate colour balance to which she refers.

We asked Fleur, that of all the wallpaper designs, “is there one you’re most excited about at the moment? She answered, “I’m especially excited to be releasing the ‘Garden Party’ collection as wallpaper, there are so many whimsical details woven into that artwork – it lends itself wonderfully to walls. I am also excited so be releasing some brand new artworks ‘Bush Melody’ and ‘Bush Babies’ which celebrate Australia’s magnificent flora and fauna in a way that is perfect for interiors.”

So let’s see what has her so excited…

Garden Party

Welcome to Fleur Harris’s Garden Party, where imagination soars, kindness reigns and hearts big and small delight in wonder. Set in the shelter of a woodland garden, the Garden Party Wallpaper features magical creatures preparing for a tea party to celebrate the wonders of nature, life, love and friendship. Inspired by the magic of imagination, this enchanting collection is abundant in delightful details. The beautifully curated color palette fuses soft pastels with lush greens and neutrals while the vast range of hues in the artwork give it broad appeal and make it effortless to style.

SHOP GARDEN PARTY WALLPAPER

From finding inspiration as a child to seeing through the eyes of her own child, she reflects on how becoming a mother made her reflect on her formative years. “Becoming a mother gave me pause to reflect more deeply on my own childhood, and what sort of childhood I wanted to be able to provide for my child. I wanted to be able to fill his world, and everyone’s world, with magic and wonder, and that desire is at the heart of my art practice.”

So what’s next for Fleur Harris, she reveals, “I am always creating something, or thinking of what I might create next. In parallel with working on Fleur Harris collection for Milton & King, I have also been bringing my apparel collection to life – soon to launch into David Jones and The Iconic, it is full of magical, beautiful pieces for babies and young children up to 8 years old. It’s a very exciting time!”