Tiel, tell me, who are you?
My name is Tiel Seivl-Keevers. I live in Brisbane, Australia. I work from my studio that is apart of my home where i live with my husband, two children and two dachshunds, Sizzles and Sesame.

What do you do for a living?

I am an artist and part time graphic designer . I paint, draw, design, and illustrate.

Have you always been an artist?

I have always been creative from a young age. Some of my strongest childhood memories are of tactile and visual experiences. We were taught basic maths at a young age with Cuisenaire Rods and it is the colours I remember more so than the counting. The memory of making my Paper Maché elephant in year 1 or my grandfather teaching me how to crochet. 

Nature is a huge influence for me. I am very earth bound and have a strong connection with the environment. I live in a country where there is so much variety within our landscape. Although my home town is fairly stable re its seasons, (it’s mostly hot and sometimes hot and wet), I crave variation within the flora of each month. I grew up in the southern parts of Australia where it gets much colder. The change within each living plant excites me. I go a little crazy when see real Autumn or when it rains after it has been incredibly dry for so long. I also have a strong love of textiles, traditional textile techniques and pattern making.

What is your favourite subject?

I think if I had to choose just one natural element it would be leaves. They come in all shapes and sizes. I collect them on walks, I pick them up from streets or parks in foreign countries. I love their intricacies and watching them grow and die.They seem to have a  language all of their own.

What is your favorite medium?

Paper. You can do amazing things with it.

What is your dream project?

I would love one day to work on a large scale painting that would not only include paint, but modern tapestry techniques. That combination of fibre arts and fine arts. And maybe to work with textiles, a collaboration with a designer would be fun.