Paint with me as I create a huge artwork, learning so much about life and nature as I live off grid in my art studio in the mountains. I spend 72 hours painting a huge enchanted rainforest landscape filled with memories between each stroke. On the edge of the water, a hoop pine stood, covered in ferns, its reflection always dancing across the water. Slowly the tree had begun to lean further and further until this week, when the pressure got too much and it finally snapped. It feels silly to grieve a tree, but when the branches fell into the water it felt like all the memories did too. But, we have to remind ourselves that everything is circular, that this one tree held so much meaning, but honestly, every tree or piece of nature holds so many stories and histories. Now that this one is gone, there is room for more trees to grow and room for more stories to unfold.

  / motherthemountain  
  / motherthemountain  
Anastasia's Instagram:   / anast.asia  
Julia's Instagram:   / juliavanderbyl  

We are sisters, Julia and Anastasia — caring for a regenerative farm on Bundjalung Country on the East Coast of Australia. We have a dream to build a self sustainable future and regenerate the land for generations to come. Join us as we learn to build, farm, garden, and care for the animals and land.

We live and farm on the land of the Arakwal and Minjungbal people of the Bundjalung Nation and these practices of regenerative living, agriculture and permaculture owe their roots and theories to Indigenous knowledge — they have been practiced by Indigenous People around the world for so many years. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Country we live on, and recognise their continuing connection to the land and waters. We thank them for protecting this rainforest and its ecosystems since time immemorial.

Music by Maple Glider
'Good Thing', Friend', 'Swimming' and 'Performer' off debut album "To Enjoy is the Only Thing"
https://mapleglider.com
https://mapleglider.lnk.to/bandcamp
Music courtesy of Pieater
https://pieater.net

A big thank you to all of the incredible artists who share their music in each episode! All of the music included can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7AX...

Chapters:
0:00 The enchanting tree
2:47 Starting a huge landscape painting
4:20 picking flowers with the ducks
5:14 Painting water’s reflection
6:14 Starting a campfire under the moon
9:25 Morning routine with tiny ducks and bouncy goats
11:04 Day two of painting
15:05 A rainy day three, painting the figure
19:43 Finished!