Go behind-the-scenes with Maia Green—Australian artist and creator of BREATHE for the 2023 yearly wall planner collection

Hello Maia! Thanks for taking time from your schedule to chat to us! Let's chat about your creative practice. How, when, and why do you create?

I work on my art practice part time around my family. My favourite time to work is at night once everyone is in bed asleep, and love my creative space at home.

How did you get started in the creative industries? Do you remember a moment, time, or place when you realised this is what you’d love to do?

I was lucky to have a creative mum and a dad that would go to great lengths to support my creative endeavours. I was creative from a very young age and chose all of the art and textile subjects throughout high-school. I studied a Bachelor of Creative Industries before proceeding with teaching. It wasn't until I had children that I really thought I could be a practicing artist.

Motherhood gave me the pause from my career that I needed to realise that I could pursue more than teaching.

What do you love about it?

Painting is my outlet. It is a space in which I feel most at ease and relaxed. I have a confidence in my work that I don't find elsewhere.

In your years as a creative, has there been a turning point or catalyst for changing your path?

Motherhood gave me the pause from my career that I needed to realise that I could pursue more than teaching. 

Tell us about how your work has evolved or changed over the past few years…

I am still constrained by time, but my work has definitely evolved to be more layered and considered. My earlier work was either structured illustration or loose abstract and now my work is somewhere in between. 

What kinds of artwork projects do you usually take on? 

I usually paint in a smaller scale. I don’t often accept commissions however I love the challenge of working in collaboration with other designers and creatives. 

What are your favourite tools of the trade?

I am not fancy at all. Perfectly sized containers to hold all of my diluted paints, really makes me happy. Angled brushes with just the right point. A good podcast. 

My studio is a self-contained granny flat underneath our house. My husband works from the office space and I have an open, double-spaced room filled with tables and shelving. I feel very fortunate to have this space. Up until two years ago I was working on my dining table. 

Where do you look for inspiration or what helps keep you motivated?

We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful places. Our home overlooks the Currumbin Valley so that has become my main inspiration. My other love is interiors and domestic spaces.

Every artwork I sell buys me more time to make more art.  

My artwork and practice has grown alongside my children. The older and more independent they become, the more opportunities I can take on in my creative practice. My paintings are slowly growing in size and I am saying yes to more and more projects.

Oh gosh. I have already started adding in entries to next year's wall planner! I do love a good notebook for ideas and inspiration but often I am jotting down appointment times for my family, invoices I have not yet sent and product orders. One day I hope to find time to sketch and plan again. 

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