Art by Rehana Nathwani

Australian Art for those who see magic in the small unnoticed things

Author: artbyrehananathwani

  • The Process

    The Process

    How I get from a blank page to a realistic watercolour painting..

    Every painting begins with seeing something of interest – a leaf, a flower, some seed pods. If I haven’t seen it, then the kids bring me something they’ve found on the playground and ask me to paint it.

    The hardest part for me is the composition. Figuring out which angle looks best, finding the right light (sunlight is best) for a photo against a white piece of paper and which produces the best shadow. The process is slow and intentional. Sometimes I find what I think is an amazing looking item but can’t get a photo to capture it correctly, so end up having to abandon it. My camera roll always looks like this with tens of photos at different angles with different shadows all trying to get it just right.

    From there, I print it out in the size that I want to use so I can see how it looks. I try to keep the size as it would be in nature, so end up with small pieces of art. I want it to look like it’s just sitting there and could be picked up.

    To transfer to the watercolour paper, I either trace or freehand draw it. It depends on the complexity of the shape and shadow. Sometimes I’m tracing the outline and freehand drawing all the details on the inside.

    Then it’s time to paint. I love the smooth surface of hot pressed 100% cotton paper for the detail that it allows me to create. I start by layering – starting with the lightest colours and then the darkest. Then it’s filling in all the colours in between. Watercolour is beautifully unpredictable at times so I’ve learned to let go of a little control when layering up colours seeing how they all combine.

    I paint in the tiny pockets of time I have – usually between kid duties and when there are moments. It’s not always neat or quiet, but it’s honest. I enjoy that I can build up a painting made of tiny stolen moments of time – especially in today’s busy world.

    Each painting holds a little story — of childhood curiosity, of resilience, of beauty in the overlooked — and I hope they speak to something in you, too.

  • How it all started..

    How it all started..

    If you had told me years ago that I would be an artist, painting leaves, gumnuts, and tiny details most people walk past, I would have laughed. Art was always there in my life, but in the background—something I did when I had time, squeezed between a career and family.

    Then, life changed.

    Family loss in 2019 followed by a cancer diagnosis in 2022 made me re evaluate and rethink some things. Becoming a full-time carer for my daughter in 2023 forced me to act on that rethinking! I went from corporate life to one where I didn’t feel like I was making much progress on anything. I also felt like I had very little that was mine.

    A good friend at the time had told me – “Do something that can’t be undone”. What she meant was that so much of what I was doing – drop offs and pick ups, cleaning up, washing clothes – would all need to be done over and over and over again. I wasn’t doing anything that was somewhat permanent or that would stay and grow. So I picked up my paints again.

    I have always loved art but never felt like I was able to pursue it as more than a hobby. Every few years I would pick up my paints and dabble in things. I could never quite figure out the style I liked though so tried everything. In 2023 I came across Anna Mason’s style and was immediately drawn to it. She does delicate realistic watercolour painting and from then I knew what I wanted to do. I practiced and finally started painting my own things. Every quiet moment I had, I would sneak into the office and paint – even if it was only for 5 minutes. In those quiet moments, art became more than a hobby. It became a way to process everything and to see the world differently.

    The Anna Mason Pear Tutorial that I completed in 2023. The tutorial can be found at: https://www.naturestudio.com/

    I started painting the things my kids brought home—fallen leaves, broken twigs, and seed pods they found in the playground. Their wonder at these small treasures made me stop and look closer. I began to notice the tiny imperfections, the way light touched a gum leaf, the beauty in things others might step over without a second thought. I also enjoyed watching the joy that small leaves and flowers brought to my children. On a whim, I entered one of my paintings into the Northern Beaches Art Competition and to my shock, I got in! It felt surreal having a painting hanging in a gallery, and the whole time I kept thinking it must have been some mistake, as my art was up next to well established and famous Australian artists.

    At the Northern Beaches Art Competition in August 2024 with my painting “Old and New”

    At first, I painted in the back of the car in the small pockets of time I would get between carer duties. It was cramped and tricky but I could make it work. I enjoyed how it engaged all the kids at school – they’d stop by and want updates on my paintings, and they’d bring me pretty things they’d found in the playground.

    Now, I share my work as a way to capture those unnoticed moments, hoping it will help other people slow down and enjoy the ordinary. If my art reminds someone to pause and see the world a little differently, then I’ve done what I set out to do.