Little Green Bicycle Art Studio and shop Palm Cove owner Natalie Lorentzen donates Leaf Studio artwork

A fun project initially created to entertain children at Cairns Children’s Festival will come full circle as the artwork is donated to mental health and community services. Read more about it.

A FUN project initially created to entertain kids at Cairns Children’s Festival will come full circle as the artwork is donated to mental health and community services.

Little Green Bicycle Art Studio and shop Palm Cove owner Natalie Lorentzen has compiled the artwork created by children at her creation station called Leaf Studio at Cairns Children’s Festival in May.

“This artwork is made by and for Cairns kids,” she said.

“As part of this art project, the final artworks were designed to be donated to children’s mental health and community service locations in Cairns.

“By giving the pieces back to kids in the community the themes in the artwork come full circle.”

Little Green Bicycle Art Studio and shop Palm Cove owner Natalie Lorentzen has compiled the artwork created by children at her creation station called Leaf Studio at Cairns Children’s Festival in May.

“The Leaf Studio was an interactive art project which used dried/fallen leaves from the

surrounding environment. Children chose leaves and used paint markers to experiment and

play with colour and pattern.”

Ms Lorentzen said the artwork was created to encourage people to connect with nature, to think about self value and to experiment with art making.

“Each of the individual leaves vary in size, pattern, colour and shape, but come together to form part of a swirling, colourful artwork,” she said.

“There’s an element of chaos and spontaneity as the artwork grows and evolves organically with each new child’s response and contribution.

An important message is expected to come from the artwork created.

Artwork created by children at Natalie Lorentzen’s creation station called Leaf Studio at Cairns Children’s Festival in May.

“At a micro level, it’s about looking at individual differences, individuality and uniqueness and valuing all of those variations and details,” she said.

“We each bring something different and contribute in our own way – all are valid and accepted.

“Then zooming out to the macro level, it’s about seeing the bigger picture, and getting a

sense of how these smaller things join together to form something much bigger and messier.

“We’re recognising commonality and shared characteristics which join us together.”

Ms Lorentzen said she would deliver the artwork to a couple of places in the coming weeks. Youth Step up Step Down, Connections House and Cairns Toy Library.

“It was a fun process and the results are bright and colourful,” she said.

Originally published as Little Green Bicycle Art Studio and shop Palm Cove owner Natalie Lorentzen donates Leaf Studio artwork