Scarves so beautiful you don't know whether to wear them or hang them on the wall.

“I have always been drawn to cabinets of curiosities and the more scientific side of botanical illustrations.”

Welcome to Mamamia’s art endeavour, the Voulez-Vous Project. Every week we celebrate emerging artists, designers, illustrators, creators and cats who dress like their owners (not joking). Our aim: to help the internet become a slightly more beautiful, captivating, or thought-provoking place by making art accessible.

To find out more about the Voulez-Vous project, click here. Click here to see all the previous Voulez-Vous posts.

Sydney-based textile designer and illustrator Edith Barrett has always been inspired by two things. Botanics, and the Australian landscape. And this is very much reflected in her intricate, beautiful collection of work.

Her love for illustration began in her childhood, growing up in 20 acres of native garden, vaguely contained bush and paddocks, in Yendon in rural Victoria.

“It was a pretty amazing backyard to collect and fossick around for little things to draw.” Barrett says.

Barrett went on to study printmaking in high school, before having formal training at university, majoring in screen printing at RMIT.

“For me this allowed me to illustrate and mark make with a little more purpose, I liked the practicality that textiles gave to drawings. I had a small detour in my studies to the Estonian Academy of Arts where I was pretty excited to be surrounded by so many ethnographic textiles, the natural history museums of Europe and the space and freedom to explore my own style.” Barrett says.

Barrett then moved to Sydney for a job in a commercial textile print studio, Longina Phillips Designs, and in between her job, and her company, Edith Rewa, she spends her weekends exploring the surrounding national parks to examine and draw.

Another huge inspiration for Barrett has been the intrepid paintings and etchings commissioned by explorers and naturalists such as Sir Joseph Banks. Her illustrations reflect this this in their intricate, fine detail.

“I have always been drawn to cabinets of curiosities and the more scientific side of botanical illustrations – the life work and dedication of Margaret Flockton, Marianne North and the vast collections of Albertus Seba. I like the purpose illustration serves when intertwined with science, and with that often comes the fine detail needed for identification.” Barrett says.

And yet when her sketchings are actualised into, for example, her Fossick collection of scarves,  they come alive, and have a completely different rhythm.

Working in pen and ink has always been a medium that has inspired Barrett. Barrett explains that the ease and level of neatness from pens attracts her.

“I am also really attracted to the way a pen can hint at the style of the old botanical engravings and how it allows me to paint ink over the top. I always have a pen on me. Both pen and ink also translate really well onto textiles too which is important.” Barrett explains.

And while her latest collection, Fossick, is keeping her busy, Barrett has a few projects in the works.

“I am looking forward to an exhibition called Sans Souci – An abstract and humorous reimagining of classic travel souvenirs & iconic Australian products which will be in Melbourne later in the year with a few other textile pals. I am also looking forward to the installation of some Australiana wallpapers I designed, some lovely personal projects with some lovely people, and some more illustration work to continue building The Bush Museum!” Barrett says.

Barrett has recently launched a collection of illustrated silk headscarves, called Fossick. Check out some of the incredible collection below.

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Do you know an artist (or are YOU an artist) who creates beautiful or thought-provoking work and whom you think should be featured on Mamamia’s Voulez-Vous Project? Send an email to lizzie.marton@mamamia.com.au.