spends more daylight hours in her bedroom than on campus, but
upon visiting her humble abode I soon understood why. Paintings and
illustrations, both her own and magazine cut-outs, were delicately
arranged around the room. Framed pink proteas and finely-outlined
coral drawings peeked out behind overflowing plants and metre-long
cacti. Classic novels lined up snugly between potted succulents and
wacky sculpted faces sat in front of her floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s a
space anyone could happily spend hours in.
While I could have perused Karri’s room all day, I’d come to see her
botanical watercolour paintings. She’s taken to recreating the food
she loves to grow and eat; peaches, pomegranates and apricots are
among her latest artworks. They have a depth of colour and intricate
detail, yet a soft warmness that could only be achieved by studying
them outside beneath the sun and leaves. A bunch of beautiful
wonky carrots also caught my eye, which Karri exhibited at last year’s
‘Pocket Power’, an event run by Youth Food Movement on food
waste. She tells me: ‘like vegetables, my art is never perfect, but that
it makes it more real’. But in my eyes, the twisted orange characters
and the rest of her leafy, bright creations are pretty flawless. Only a
selection of pieces Karri cannot seem to part with are reproduced in
a few life-size prints. She prefers to sell her original artwork, not only
to preserve the vibrancy of the paintings, but to maintain a connection
between artist and appreciator.
Among all of these endeavours, Karri also finds time to jot down some
of her culinary creations and share them on her blog Frankly Fodder.
She uses this platform to create conversation on food connection
and her ‘farm to table’ approach. Through wholesome plant-based
recipes, as well as stories of her agricultural experiences locally
and abroad, Karri encourages people to: ‘grow whatever you can,
wherever you are, regardless of whether you own fifty acres or a
sunny kitchen windowsill.’ One can also admire (and buy) Karri’s prints
on Frankly Fodder. The curation of art, recipes and stories seamlessly
tie together her environmental ethos and holistic way of life.Karri’s wonderful creations can be found on franklyfodder.weebly.com.
Otherwise, pop into Goodness on a Saturday or Tuesday and chat to
her over a cuppa.Page left and above: In her botanical illustrations, Karri has taken to recreating the food she loves to grow and eat: peaches, pomegranates, carrots and apricots feature
among her latest work. Below: Karri at home in her family’s garden.