A SPACE GALLERY // Melbourne polytechnic visual arts
Megan Tampaline
Wanderlust 2021
Advanced Diploma of Creative Product Development
Empty Seedling
I am a traditional illustrator born in Melbourne. I’ve always been influenced by animals, nature and the sweet countryside. This year my work has predominantly focussed around native Australian animals, and domestic house pets. I’ve created a selection of watercolour and ink illustrations such as my swap card series featuring my pet rats. 
I’ve developed my mixed media practice. I find using a combination of media can push my illustration results further, creating stronger depth of colour with watercolour, fewer layers with coloured pencil, and sharper details with gouache. The results of this method can be seen in my work ‘Home Among the Rocks’ which is a finalist in this year's inaugural WAMA art prize.
Enquiries for available works and commissions please contact Megan:
0426502738
emptyseedling@gmail.com 

Home Among The Rocks
Coloured pencil, watercolour and gouache on Arches hot pressed watercolour paper, 21 x 42 cm, framed 

The brush-tailed rock wallaby, one of Victoria’s most critically endangered species, rests within a rocky crevice with her precious joey. She gazes over her vast mountainous home. Now that her kind is so rare, this land seems larger than ever. 

I wanted to create something beautiful to remind everyone about the importance of preserving our natural home and it’s creatures. I learned about brush-tailed rock wallaby while doing research on the Grampians, which was the location I chose to create this landscape. 

I have always focused on animals and nature in my art. Although it is only this year that I fell in love with drawing our native wildlife. My inspiration is all around me, so I wondered why I haven’t been doing this all along. 

I created this work using mixed media. Beginning with a thin wash of watercolour, many layers of coloured pencil and finished with gouache details. 

‘Alpine she-oak skink’ 

Coloured pencil and gouache, rising Stonehenge paper, A6 

Alphabet series ‘A’

‘Broad toothed rat’ 

Coloured pencil, rising Stonehenge paper, A6 

Alphabet series ‘B’ 

‘Common bent-winged bat’

Coloured pencil, rising Stonehenge paper, A6

Alphabet series ‘C’ 

‘Fly’
Watercolour and copic multiliner, Arches hot pressed watercolour paper, A5
Swap card illustration 

‘Dot’
Watercolour and copic multiliner, Arches hot pressed watercolour paper, A5
Swap card illustration 

‘Jessica’
Watercolour and copic multiliner, Arches hot pressed watercolour paper, A5
Swap card illustration

‘Rorschach’
Watercolour and copic multiliner, Arches hot pressed watercolour paper, A5
Swap card illustration 

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