Starting on Earth Day (26 March) in 2022 with a commitment to continue until Earth Day in 2030, every day award winning botanical artist Sharon Field is drawing and painting a species directly onto her Scrolls to “tell a story with a lasting visual impact”.

After a long career in the Australian Public Service—including many years living and working in Papua New Guinea as well as on humanitarian programs in Africa and the Pacific—in 2009 Sharon Field left her job to become a full-time artist. Having also served for 20 years as a volunteer firefighter protecting Ngunnawal and Ngambri lands (also known as the area around Canberra, the location of Australia’s Federal Government), Sharon had become acutely aware of the interconnected global climate and biodiversity crises and is an exceptional communicator on all its manifestations.

Haunted by visions of distressed ecosystems and confronted by the scientific facts in the United Nation’s IPCC 2021 Report—including the scale of work that needs doing to transition to zero emission energy systems while drawing down excess carbon from the atmosphere before 2030—Sharon counted the days: 3,000. So, Sharon set herself a challenge; to make a drawing or painting every day for the next 3,000 days.

For the medium’s powerful classical references, Sharon chose Scrolls for her ongoing project. Through viewings and presentations she is seeking to engage as many people as possible to join her in doing everything in their power to halt the damage and begin healing ecosystems.

Every day I am looking around, often guided by others, for a new plant to draw.

One plant a day is drawn directly onto the paper – no preliminary pencil sketches are done. Each plant is numbered, dated and described with its botanical and common names, and each has a small story attached to it. This information [ie place-based stories] is recorded in an accompanying book. The nature of the scroll means that I cannot plan the placement of each plant. I do one drawing after the other using a fine point black pen, holding archival ink. The colour is watercolour, which is painted over the pen. 

By the time we launch the tour I will have added 925 images, which is 925 days.  This is close to 1/3 of the way through the project.  

Sharon Field, 11 August 2024

Strategically timed, Sharon’s Scrolls presentations in the US, UK, France, the Netherlands and Singapore are in the lead up to, during and just post the UN COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan (yes, why are global climate negotiations again being hosted in a petro-state?).

Australia is leading the world in mammal species extinctions. The Australian Climate Accountability Project’s recently released findings reveal that “Australia is the [world’s] second-largest climate polluter when calculated by total carbon emissions [‘total lifecycle’] from its massive fossil fuel exports – beaten only by Russia, but ahead of every OPEC country and the United States”. In response, Sharon’s presentations reference the community-led City of Yarra Climate Emergency Plan 2024-2030 to show what is possible when people unite around First Nations leaders’ care for country protocols.

A stunning, active, archival artwork of extraordinary beauty, Sharon’s Scrolls are deeply moving and inspiring. They invite viewers to connect with how they feel about what is at stake from the Climate Emergency and the betrayal by the fossil fuel energy companies (and their financial and political allies) largely responsible for it. They are a powerful, timely call to action to preserve and protect invaluable ecosystems upon which all life on Earth depends.

Beyond taking responsibility for personal pollution, Sharon’s presentations provide people with meaningful tools and agency to take powerful action to address the interconnected climate and biodiversity crises we face.

Already Sharon’s Scrolls and presentations have inspired numerous artists from other parts of the world to create their own locally focussed nature honouring scrolls and projects.

As a community driven, not for profit arts and advocacy group dedicated to mobilising communities to take effective action to address the Climate Emergency, CLIMARTE is very proud to support and present Sharon’s vital work in Australia, USA, UK, France and Singapore.

Melbourne Fringe Festival Event: Viewing & Conversation

To discuss the role that art and culture plays in best practice policy development, CLIMARTE is hosting a special viewing and presentation of The Scrolls and facilitated conversation with Sharon and key architects of the City of Yarra’s world-leading Climate Emergency Plan.

When:   Sunday 6 October 2024 from 2-5pm, with a facilitated conversation from 3-4pm.

Where:  The Store, Abbotsford Convent, 1 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford

There is no registration required for artwork viewings but if you’d like to attend the conversation please click the BOOK NOW tab below.

This event will launch Sharon’s international tour with her Scrolls, including presentations in the US, UK, France and Singapore.