May 26th, 2025Artists of the Central Highlands
With Eve Lamb
Jodie Fergusson-Batte is a Daylesford-based artist with a passion for painting using oil on board. Her engaging figurative works frequently feature women whose captivating ‘female gaze’ wins her plenty of fans. While Jodie’s background spans professional nursing, corporate sales and successful start-up business ventures, her innate creativity means art is always a faithful companion and a personal release throughout life’s journey.
Eve: Jodie, your paintings featuring women are quite striking. The eyes, or gaze in particular, really hold the viewer. What’s behind this recurrent theme in your art? Where does it come from?
Jodie: It’s probably my alter-ego, my own moods. Eye contact is a way to connect with people. Women go through so many stages and incarnations. Painting the women is very cathartic. I think they represent my own various incarnations.
Eve: Your background is pretty diverse and includes completing a Bachelor of Nursing, working as a nurse and then moving into corporate sales and then co-founding the successful tea company making She Tea. Are you still involved in that?
Jodie: I sold the tea company around 2017 and then worked in the health area again and also did a Masters in Human Rights, and then started my own company providing remote digital monitoring, for aged care, enabling people to remain in their own homes longer. But I stepped down from that role about a year ago.
I started an Airbnb, Piccolo Lane, here at the back of the house and did that for about six months. That was like a sabbatical from corporate life. Got that up and running and now Discover Daylesford are running it which means I’m now able to concentrate more on painting. I’m also doing a bit of work with TEDx. I haven’t decided if I want to go back into the corporate world again yet.
Eve: That’s a pretty diverse and interesting professional and working background Jodie. How does art fit into all of this?
Jodie: I’ve been painting since I was about 15. I’ve always just loved it. It’s always been a big part of my life and sort of ebbs and flows. It’s a good form of expression for whatever you’re going through. I’ve always painted no matter how small the space I’m in is.
Eve: Did you study art as well?
Jodie: I studied nursing when I left school. I studied art at school. At school I was one of those people who use to just stay inside at lunchtime and just paint and draw. I had a very encouraging art teacher. My art teacher bought the first painting I ever sold.
Eve: And your art also became a part of the She-Tea business too. Each canister of She-Tea featured one of your original oil paintings didn’t it?
Jodie : Yes. We wanted to make them stand out and be more gift oriented using my paintings. Not everyone can afford an original oil painting but they can afford a canister of tea with a painting printed on the label. It was fun.
Eve: So what are you focusing on now with your arts endeavour Jodie?
Jodie: I’ve been actually changing my style a little and started doing more semi-abstracted floral work. I’m enjoying exploring the floral world. It’s a bit more for everyone, a bit less intense. And I have just now starting talking about having an exhibition again – looking to 2026.
