Wenona boarder and creative arts captain Lily Jardine (pictured right) is breaking new ground in the world of textile art by intertwining the influences of her upbringing in rural Snowy Mountains, coastal Port Macquarie, and Wenona’s city campus. Through her creations, Lily explores the profound significance of home.
Growing up on a sheep farm near Nimmitabel, Lily’s journey began at a tender age when her mother enrolled her in a sewing class at the local haberdashery. Reflecting on her introduction to the craft, she recalls, “I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I came to love it.”
Joining Wenona Boarding House in Year 7, Lily’s artistic horizons expanded with the transition to city life, allowing her to immerse herself in textiles and design classes. Three years ago, her family’s relocation to Port Macquarie brought yet another dimension of inspiration to her work.
As Lily enters the final stretch of her Higher School Certificate, she refines her visual arts body of work, delving into the essence of home beyond geography or bricks and mortar. Incorporating fibre and printmaking, Lily integrates wool sourced from her family’s former property, Old Curry Flat.
A testament to the empowering environment fostered at Wenona, Lily’s major textiles project centres around female empowerment. Drawing inspiration from the 1970s feminist movement, she explains, “Wenona instils in us a strong sense of female strength, sisterhood, and the importance of continuing to fight for equality”.