There is a way of making that doesn’t begin with a plan.
It begins with what is at hand —
a box, a fragment, a thread, a memory.
And slowly, almost quietly, something forms.
In this episode of Beyond Survival, we sit with Carol Slattery — assemblage artist, textile stitcher, painter, and intuitive maker based in Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Carol’s work lives in layers.
Found objects, old boxes, delicate tarlatan, stitched surfaces — each piece holds a story, not imposed, but discovered over time.
Her practice is not driven by concept first.
It unfolds through doing.
Through looking.
Through responding.
Through staying with the work long enough for it to reveal itself.
This conversation moves gently across:
* Family and early creative influence
* The presence of memory in material
* The role of intuition in making
* A lifetime shaped not by declaration, but by persistence
There is no urgency here.
Only the quiet rhythm of a life lived in art.
Carol has exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at the Wagga TAFE Gallery, and her work continues to be available through the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery shop.
But what stays with us is not the list of achievements —
it is the way she speaks about making.
Without noise.
Without performance.
Without needing to explain too much.
This episode is for those who understand that creativity does not always arrive loudly.
Sometimes, it gathers.
✨ For artists, thinkers, and those who don’t feel at home in fast culture — where art is lived, not consumed.
🎙Episode Details
Hosts: Geraldine & Kelli
Guest: Carol Slattery
Superhost: Gizmo 🐾
Producer: Stephanie Davis
🎨Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:15 Welcome & Introductions
1:56 Introducing Carol’s Artwork at the Table
2:21 The Personal Family Assemblage Piece
3:41 Creativity in the Slattery Family – Mum’s Influence
8:36 Carol’s Creative Process – Intuition & No Plan
9:18 The Red Hair & Glasses Motif
10:52 When Did Art Begin? Growing Up Creative
13:08 The 2011 Workshop That Changed Everything
17:50 Published as an International Assemblage Artist
20:54 Selling Art & the Joy of Collectors
24:13 The Sheep Paintings – Carol’s First Commission
25:41 The CS Stencil & Australian Iconography
27:22 Wagga Wagga – Life in the Riverina
28:33 Works in the Wagga Wagga Gallery Shop
29:18 Experiencing Carol’s Art in the Flesh
44:17 Siblings – Growing Up with Keith
46:44 What Carol Is Working on Now
55:46 Mum’s Pottery Kiln & Cowra Japanese Gardens
1:00:03 Settling in Wagga Wagga in 1977
1:07:32 Signing Off – Laugh, Love & Just Breathe
🍰From the Table — Recipes
A high tea of quiet construction — from soft memory to delicate architecture
🌙 Kourabiedes (Greek Moon Biscuits)
🥐 Choux Bites with Tarragon Chicken Salad
🍯 Croquembouche
Read the recipes here:
🎨Artist Watch
What does it mean to build a creative life slowly — without declaration?
In our latest feature, we explore the work of Carol Slattery, whose practice spans assemblage and textile. Her work reflects a deep engagement with process — gathering, layering, and allowing meaning to emerge through time.
Read the full article:
📚Further Reading
Carol Slattery: A Whole Life Made Into an Artwork
A life shaped through making where practice unfolds quietly, without declaration.
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✨About Beyond Survival
Beyond Survival is a podcast where art, spirit, culture, and storytelling meet.
A space for artists, thinkers, and those living outside fast culture — exploring creativity, resilience, and the rhythms that sit beneath the surface of everyday life.
Hosted by Geraldine & Kelli
Featuring Gizmo the Superhost 🐾
Produced by Stephanie Davis
From Perth, Western Australia 🇦🇺
