WILD THINGS

CHERYL NANCARROW

// Cheryl is based in Australia and had the opportunity to attend and photograph the Annual National Body Painting Festival in Cooroy, Queensland, a few years ago. It was a special opportunity, as Covid-19 threw a wrench into the organisation of last year´s festival, and Cheryl is glad she was able to document this one with her camera.

“As an older person, photography has been life changing with the many opportunities it has given me. Photography is a wonderful hobby and I’ve made many new friends with common interests, and I’ve kept my brain active with learning new techniques of camera use and post processing skills,” Cheryl says. All that adds to her living a full and meaningful life. This is especially important in this uncertain time, with home quarantines and lack of travel with pandemic-related restrictions.

This is our second feature of Cheryl´s work and very different in technique and nature, documentary in style as opposed to painterly, and we hope you enjoy it as much as the first one.

“Art is for everyone – art opens your mind, soul & emotions.”

Cheryl Nancarrow

What draws you to the arts?

“I have been enjoying the performing arts for over 40 years, as an audience member. When I started digital photography about 10 years, it was the start of my journey in creating art with my camera. I’ve taken every opportunity to attend and photograph artists in any genre possible. I get lots of positive feelings from being involved either passively or actively with my camera.”

What do you like best about the body painting event that you were able to photograph?

“It’s taken time to pass, for me to reflect how special it was to have this unique opportunity to capture these amazing artists and models. As a hobby photographer I feel very privileged to have shared that event and captured some amazing photographs.”

During the “Wild Things” themed body art festival in Queensland in 2018, a few photographers were allowed into the area where the body painting artists were working. It was a very busy, chaotic area with each artists given a set time limit to paint their art creations onto the bodies of their models. The finished art was judged and prize selections made. Cheryl had the opportunity to photograph some of the artists at work and the finished body art.

“Last year’s event was cancelled because of Covid and I understand they will no longer allow photographers access to the working area of the artists in future events,” she told us. “Now on reflection, I’ve realised what an amazing opportunity it was to have experienced that event and document it with my photos.”

Click on the photos to see a larger image. Some images may be cropped for layout.