Stephanie Mortlock – Lyrebird Nest

Stephanie Mortlock
Lyrebird Nest, 2026

Etching with soft and hard ground
Edition of 10 + A/P
Image Size 20×29.5cm / Paper Size 46×38cm

Artist Statement
Lyrebird Nest depicts a lyrebird’s nest that I witnessed on Wurundjeri Country, Kinglake. I had heard how rare it is to see one. I stood in the creek and gazed into the soft centre. An entrancing structure, built at the edge of a creek from leaves and sticks, framed with fishbone ferns. I created a detailed drawing of the scene which informed my plate. The fine details and soft textures of the nest are captured with soft and hard ground etching. I was fortunate to learn these techniques through my Jane Fitzherbert Memorial Residency at Baldessin Studio this year. 

Stephanie Mortlock (b.1998) is an emerging visual artist working on unceded Wurundjeri Country in North Warrandyte. Her art practice conveys a deep and long-held connection to the environmental systems in her surroundings. Working primarily with pencil, her recent work depicts rare native orchids, examining their unique evolutionary relationships and the conservation efforts being undertaken to protect them. She is currently undertaking the Jane Fitzherbert Memorial Residency at Baldessin Studio exploring etching techniques to expand on her depictions of local bushland and memories of nature held as personally sacred. 

@leaflovinart
wwww.stephaniemortlock.com