Jane M Murdock-Smithard, of Wylde Oake Artistry, is a research-led pastelist fine art artist who also has extensive further experience within the mixed media and textile fields.
Through often highly detailed botanical or conceptual imagery the work primarily focuses on creating dialogue that enables a deepening understanding and awareness of fungi as part of a larger, more complex ecosystem. Furthermore, the work seeks to immerse the viewer in a thoughtful, multidimensional exploration of fungi, human identity, and the often-overlooked connections between the two. Jane’s approach, blending research, personal experience, and artistic practice, is really powerful. The work is more than just representation—it’s a way to prompt conversation and reflection on the larger, intricate systems that sustain life on Earth.
Each piece of work seeks to becomes a way of experiencing the fungal world. The fact that this is rooted in the artist’s own physical interactions and personal insights gives the work a grounded, almost intimate quality. The varied range of pieces—ranging from highly detailed botanical representations, abstract colorations and the aforementioned conceptual pieces —also opens up the art to be appreciated by those who might be more visually or conceptually inclined.