The Hidden Self

This collection of art and poetry from Bee Williamson and Naomi Downie is a beautiful book for yourself or a gift for a loved one. The eight colour plates and other black and white images are, like the poems, evocative of female sexuality and spirituality. Bee Williamson, a Melbourne-based artist, chooses photography, mixed media and illustration to explore and celebrate the female form, particularly through dance. Bee likes to explore her own femininity, with a special affinity for flowers. She says "the process of making art is as important to her as the finished work itself. Art for her is meditation-in-action." Naomi Downie, an artist from Newcastle, has selected works from her collection that trace the journey of her search for meaning. She uses photography and mixed media to dive deep into the themes of myths, love and mystic visions gathered from her meditations. She says, "I love the mystery in the process of artmaking, the joy of being a part of the universal creative force. A gift of gratitude and communication for that which has no words." Both Bee's and Naomi's poetry have themes of intimacy, sexuality, identity and nature, and look at the deeper truths and legends surrounding women and spirituality. Bee has been writing poetry since she was fourteen and this book includes her first love poem! Poetry has always been her first response to the hardships of pain and trauma as well as to insights, the joys of friendship and a deep relationship to nature. Naomi is a performance poet whose work can be found in many magazines and Internet sites. "Poetry for me is a soul landscape, a continent to travel and guide others who dare across the scars and secrets of the heart's chamber. Poetry has been a vehicle to share with others the many faces of God I have seen and lived to tell the tale. "We hope you cherish this work and it inspires you to reveal your own hidden self."