About the Artist
The Artist
I’m Shanti Padme, which is a Sanskrit name. Shānti (शान्ति) means inner peace, and Padme (पद्मे) means lotus flower, which symbolises enlightenment. Inner peace through enlightenment… wouldn’t that be nice.
No, I don't have any heritage from India, but I think I must have gypsy somewhere in my past, as I seem to be unable to stay in one place for very long.
The Current Place
I currently live in the gorgeous sun-drenched area of Queensland (Australia) called Newport. I was born in the beautiful Hunter Valley in New South Wales, and went on to live in busy Sydney, peaceful Toowoomba, spectacular Hobart, bustling Brisbane, and tropical Cairns, before moving back to Hobart in the middle of the pandemic!
As I’m up to home #31, it’s occurred to me a Romani wagon would've made my life much easier.
The Loves
I love and miss our dog Zak, I love good coffee and a meaningful chat, I love a wine while cooking dinner, and I love my partner and our ever-growing family very, very much. They are all incredibly special and important to me.
As for everything else, I’ve had so many iterations of myself throughout my life, it's difficult to keep up with who I am. Then there’s the inherent conundrum of not wanting to be defined by what I do… but I’ll try to keep this short and refrain from writing a novel, as my writing career hasn’t commenced yet.
The Iterations
I’m a professional artist after years of working in the corporate world of various governments in legal and governance teams. Prior to that, I studied Arts and Law at University, which led me to working with vulnerable children and young people, including homeless teenagers, and working with flood-effected communities. I eventually worked in child safety, but working on the frontline came to an abrupt end when I discovered I had lived through one too many traumatic situations and was diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), so I moved to the corporate sphere.
I will say though, it’s interesting how one’s most difficult phases in life sometimes turn out to be the most important ones in terms of growth.
Common Threads
Through all of the ‘what I do’ categories, for as long as I can remember, each version of me had the common threads of wanting three things: to create art; be of benefit to others; and to explore the mysteries of the Earth and of the metaphysical universe to better understand my world, myself, and my inner world. The synergy of these three formed the compass I continue to navigate my life with, and together they’re the reason I find myself where I am and doing what I’m doing today.
The evolution of my artwork has been inextricably linked with my spiritual journey, and as I’ve continued with the development of my inner dimension, my artwork has mirrored my spiritual path. The result is that every piece of art I create, I do it with the intention of it being of immense benefit to whomever becomes the owner or owners of that piece.
Evolution of Artistic Style
My artistic style for many years was one of control and precision so I could attain perfection. The extreme level of detail in my real life sketches and paintings mirrored the early stages of my spiritual journey and the particular teachings I followed at the time. As my spiritual journey progressed into teachings about presence and awareness, my artistic style has evolved and become much more about letting go of control, and embracing the energy, flow and movement of the materials I use.
I create my artworks being fully present with the creative process, and I’m much more aware of when I can rest and simply allow the flow of the art materials to lead the direction of the artwork. It’s in this space of creation that I most deeply connect with my true nature.