After the Rain 

There is a particular kind of magic that arrives after the rain.

The air smells sweeter and cleaner. Plants seem brighter. The world feels quieter and somehow new again. Beneath the soil, worms, insects and tiny organisms are busy at work, while above ground the sunshine returns to a landscape that has been washed and replenished.

For Australian fabric designer Denise Burkett, these moments inspired her latest FreeSpirit collection, After the Rain.

Living on acreage between the hills of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast hinterland, Denise is surrounded by nature. When the rain comes, rather than wishing it away, she embraces it.

Rain means time in the studio. Time to paint, experiment or work out a new sewing project. Denise describes the rain as calming, bringing a feeling of peace and rest. She loves knowing that the water is nourishing the plants, animals and people around her.

Then comes the moment after the rain.

The sun reappears, the garden comes alive and everything feels refreshed. It’s this sense of renewal, nourishment and new activity that sits at the heart of After the Rain.

A lifetime of creativity

To understand Denise’s fabrics, it helps to know a little about the wonderfully winding creative path that brought her here.

Her love affair with art began early. Denise remembers the joy of finger painting at kindergarten and, in particular, the fabulous freedom of expression it gave her.

Art was all she wanted to do.

She went on to graduate in Commercial Illustration at the Queensland College of Art before later studying Visual Arts, majoring in textile printing.

During her studies, a tutor nominated Denise to teach a block-printing workshop in Central Australia. The long journey itself became inspiration for a large painted and pieced wall hanging titled Tenant Creek, which received a highly commended prize in Alice Springs the following year.

Textiles continued calling.

Denise started a business hand-painting cotton and Lycra for garments and swimwear, selling her creations to boutiques around Brisbane.

A creative detour

Then Denise’s career took an unexpected turn into real estate.

Creativity came with her.

Rather than following conventional approaches, Denise became known for her innovative and sometimes unorthodox ideas for marketing homes. In 1993, she received the Queensland Courier Mail Marketer of the Year Award and was subsequently offered a position as a trainer for PRD Nationwide in Queensland.

Yet throughout her years in real estate, the desire to design fabric never disappeared.

In 1998, Denise travelled to Rajasthan, India, with the goal of having her block-printed designs screen printed onto fabric. Two designs were successfully printed before, six weeks later, she had to return to Australia and her full-time career.

The dream was still there. It was simply waiting.

One Big Art Excursion

After 21 years in real estate, Denise made another significant change.

She bought a motorhome, packed up and, accompanied by her dog Millie, set off on a solo journey around Australia.

Not far into her travels, Denise had a wonderful realisation. With gratitude, she recognised that the adventure she was on was really “One Big Art Excursion.”

Today, travel remains an important part of her creative life. Denise paints outdoors and explores natural environments, places where she says she feels “most at home” and creative.

Her home base and studio sits on 10 acres in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, where she also shares her passion with others through workshops in hand painting on fabric.

In 2018, another piece of Denise’s creative story fell into place when she joined FreeSpirit as a fabric designer.

It was the fulfilment of a passion that had followed her through illustration, textile printing, business, travel and an entirely different career.

After the Rain

Now that journey continues with After the Rain.

The collection reflects so much of what has always drawn Denise to creating: nature, colour, organic forms, freedom of expression and the pleasure of observing the world around her.

There’s also something lovely about the story behind this collection. Rain doesn't simply interrupt Denise’s day. It gives her permission to retreat into her studio and create. Outside, the earth is being replenished. Inside, creativity is happening too.

And when the clouds clear?

The garden is refreshed, the sun is shining and an unseen world beneath the soil is busy coming back to life.

That feeling of peace, possibility and renewal is After the Rain.

Denise Burkett’s After the Rain collection for FreeSpirit is in stores now and we will have a special curated range online this week.