How Art Supports Conservation

Have you got paintings tucked away in a drawer because you don't think they're good enough to show anyone? Well, before you throw them away, think again! In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, wildlife artist and educator Kerri Dixon explores creative ways to turn your artwork, including unfinished paintings, practice pieces and even those not-so-successful experiments, into beautiful, meaningful Christmas gifts. Kerri shares how a couple of simple watercolour backgrounds, originally intended to be painted over, became gorgeous designs for cushions, tote bags, clothing and even a bucket hat! You'll discover that your artwork doesn't have to be a masterpiece to become something special. Why your art is good enough: Learning to see beyond the mistakes and recognise the value in what you've created.

Beyond the Reference Photo: Creating Wildlife Art That Tells a Story Have you ever spotted a beautiful wildlife photograph and immediately thought, “I'd love to paint that!”? But what if that photograph was just the beginning? In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, I'm exploring how researching our wildlife subjects can inspire more meaningful and creative artwork. Rather than simply copying what we see in a reference photograph, we'll look at how understanding an animal's behaviour, habitat and unique characteristics can help us make our own artistic decisions. I'll share examples from my Colours of K'gari dingo series and explore how the Greater Gliders living on our property could inspire three completely different compositions. Because sometimes the most interesting part of a wildlife painting isn't what we can see in the photograph — it's the story behind it! Going beyond the reference photo: Why a photograph can be the starting point rather than the final composition.

Can a drawing really make a difference? In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, I’m exploring how wildlife artists can use the art we already love creating to raise awareness, tell the stories of threatened species and even support wildlife conservation. This topic was inspired by our latest Draw for Wildlife event, where 135 people came together online to draw a juvenile green sea turtle named Elliott — and together we raised $1,350 for Turtles in Trouble Rescue. One turtle. One drawing. Two hours creating together. And a very real contribution to a small wildlife rescue organisation. But fundraising is only one way our art can make a difference. In this episode, I also share the stories behind some of the animals I’ve drawn, including the Greater Gliders that live here on our farm, Gouldian Finches and my K’gari dingo paintings. We chat about how simply choosing a threatened species as your subject can introduce people to an animal they may never have heard of before — and why telling the story behind your artwork can sometimes be just as important as the artwork itself. How Draw for Wildlife raised $1,350 for turtle rescue

You’ve put down the final pastel pencil, stepped back from your painting and finally decided… It’s finished! But what happens next? In this episode of the Tuesday Art Chat Podcast, I’m talking about everything that happens after the last stroke — from deciding whether your artwork really is finished to protecting, storing, photographing and framing your soft pastel paintings. These are questions I’m asked all the time, and they’re things we don’t tend to think about while we’re busy learning how to create the artwork itself. We’ll chat about why I like to walk away from a painting before officially calling it finished, why I personally don’t use fixative on my pastel paintings, and the simple way I protect finished artwork using glassine and flat storage. I’ll also explain why photographing every finished artwork has become one of the most valuable habits in my own art practice. You may not plan on selling prints or entering competitions today, but that photograph could become incredibly useful years from now. Then we’ll get into framing — including the simple framing system I use, why I standardise my artwork sizes, how I reuse frames for exhibitions, the importance of a pastel gap, and why you should never tape your artwork down on all four sides. How to decide when your artwork is really finished Signing and recording your finished paintings Whether you should use fixative on soft pastel Using glassine to protect pastel artwork How to safely store and transport finished paintings Why you should photograph every artwork you create Simple tips for photographing artwork accurately How I edit and save my artwork photographs Framing soft pastel behind glass Mats, glass and creating a pastel gap Why I standardise my artwork sizes and reuse frames How to mount pastel artwork correctly Making budget frames look more professional The simple finishing routine I use with every painting

Kerri shares a practical book chat on Austin Kleon’s Keep Going, focusing on how artists can stay creative when time is tight, motivation dips, and life gets noisy. This episode is especially useful if you want simple, repeatable ways to keep making art without waiting for the perfect mood or perfect schedule. In this episode, Kerri explores how the book’s ideas apply to real artistic life, from routines and lists to play, gifts, and seasonal creativity. She also reflects on what it means to keep creating for the love of it, not just for output or income.