Western Australia is known as The Wildflower State.
From August to November, people from all over the country - and the world - travel to our remote corner of Australia, to experience the vibrant and colourful displays of wildflowers that transform our wild and rugged landscapes every year.
The southwest corner of Australia, known as the Southwest Botanical Province, is one of the most florally biodiverse regions in the world.
These three West Australian artists have all found in native blooms a source of beauty, resilience, adaptation, survival and inspiration.
It is safe to say, all biases noted, that Western Australia has some of the most diverse and inspiring flora on the planet.
From the carpets of yellow Pom Pom Everlastings (Cephalipterum drumondii) and Yellow-seeded Goodenia (Goodenia xanthosperma) that cover kilometres of the ground north of Perth; to the singularly unique WA orchids like the Queen of Sheba or the endemic variety of Hakeas, Banksias, Melaleucas found through the Kwongan landscapes, the wildflowers of WA have been these artists true muses.
Helen Ansell
Helen Ansell - in action painting Desert Blooms inspired by the Wreath Flower - Lechenaultia macrantha.
In Mullewa, about 500 km north and slightly east of Perth, Helen Ansell has found a home whose landscape and native wildflowers inspire her every day.
But it wasn’t always like that. Helen found her love for the native WA species while living overseas. Her vibrant art has evolved alongside her appreciation for the wildflowers that thrive around her.
And that’s no surprise - the wildflowers in that region of WA are jaw-droopingly beautiful.
You will find clusters of delicate spider orchids under the alarming red of Bird Beak Hakeas (Hakea orthorrhyncha) or delicate but abundant hues of yellow, purple and salmon coloured eremophila.
Spider Orchids - Caledenia sp.
Bird Beak Hakea - Hakea orthorrhyncha
But no wildflower draws more people to Mullewa, and more specifically to the nearby settlement of Pindar, than the mysterious Wreath Flower - Lechenaultia macrantha (below centre).
Lechenaultia macrantha - Wreath Flower - Pindar, WA
Lechenaultia macrantha - Wreath Flower - Pindar, WA
Lori Pensini
Recently awarded the Collie Art Prize - one of Australia’s most lucrative regional art prizes - Lori Pensini has been inspired by the raw beauty and huge expanse of WA’s landscapes since she was a child.
Lori Pensini is a child of the Wheatbelt, she grew up near Narrogin and also spent time living in the spectacular Pilbara region of the state.
Lori refers to her art as an exploration of the ‘confluence of self and landscape’.
Some of her most dramatic paintings are botanical portraits that stand out for their distinct bold and abstract compositions of people, wildflowers, and landscapes as one.
Like this one:
Hakea - Hakea cucullata - by Lori Pensini
Hakea cuculatta - Stirling Range National Park.
Lori Pensini, March 2024.
Inspired by this wildflower the Hakea cuculatta, found in abundance through the Stirling Range National Park.
On a visit to her studio in early 2023, Lori and I talked openly about the disconnection that exists between human existence and nature, and how her art redirects our gaze to images of humans as part of nature, belnding together and being the product of the natural environment.
“ …My art practice is an exploration of myself, my identity and placement within my family’s multifaceted history. It is illustrated directly from lived experiences on country and my responses to, and relationship with our landscape. “
Lori’s website reads:
“The botanical elements … link key positive personality traits of people with ecological characteristics of botanicals to create a distinctive 'language of flowers'... create a narrative around our cultural identity and role within our natural world.”
Today, Lori lives with her husband in Boyaup Brook, in WA’s southwest, where she works from her spacious studio. Her and her husband are involved in regenerative agriculture and adhere to principles that respect the delicate balance of human activity and agriculture.
Look out for times of the year when Lori opens up her studio, it is worth the visit.
Jude Taylor
Summer Scented Wattle - Acacia rostellifera by Jude Taylor in Jurien Bay - north of Perth
Jude grew up in North Perth and remembers a time when there were fields and horses around her. Her love for for landscapes and wildflowers was inspired by these natural surrounding and regular trips out to country.
“As a young girl growing up in WA, wildflower season was always a great joy.
Her colourful and bold linocut artwork and prints reflect how they have inspired her.
“Western Australian women can relate to them. The flowers and the female experience have a lot in common.” she says.
”Having to survive surrounded by the rather harsh (male) environment and its a hard land - having to survive and managing to hold on to the feminine quality - both dealing with a similar situation and still supporting and trying to bring great joy to every one.”
”Wildflowers are a great asset to WA - their abundance, the quality and quantity, and they beauty.”
Jude Taylor prints - bold and vibrant.
Visit her studio in the Swan Valley for a display of her beautiful linocuts.
Jude’s studio is a creative landmark in the Swan Valley and she is a regular contributor artist at the annual Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show. Look for her there from 8 - 20 September 2025.