Head in the Clouds

Sophie Lee is a Meanjin/Brisbane-based artist working across painting, drawing, mixed media, and printmaking. Her practice explores the interplay between internal and external environments, shaped by her lived experience of mental health challenges. She draws inspiration from natural spaces - trees, mountains, and coastlines - and their ability to calm or transform her inner state.

Educated at the Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University, Sophie’s visual language ranges from realism to abstract impressionism. She is influenced by the ethos and aesthetics of street art, punk, comics, steampunk, zines, and the expressive creativity of her young child. Her work embraces imperfection, vulnerability, and quiet rebellion - each piece a layered reflection of emotion and place, inviting others to feel, process, and connect.

Follow Sophie on Instagram and check out her website.

‘Head in the Clouds’ is a joyful experiment in colour, creativity, and collaboration. My son and I drew this with oil pastels and massaged acrylic paint into dreamy shapes on a large unstretched canvas. Luminous blues, pinks, and citrus notes drift across the surface, inviting the eye to wander and the body to slow. Pastel lines meander without hurry and encourage the viewer to do the same. The artwork highlights how creating and experiencing art can transport us into states of awe, flow, and mindfulness