WHEN THE WORLD FALLS SILENT

The moment I created my first abstract image, I knew I was home. Among all my creative endeavours in the realm of photography, creating nature abstracts is what I love deeply. In the dance of shadows and hues, I find solace, and in the silence between each image, I immerse myself in the purest form of meditation I know.

I photograph what I hear. I wander until the sounds of nature beckon me to look. Birdsong, rustling leaves, swaying trees, the gentle murmur of a stream, or the roaring force of the ocean. Sounds confidently summon me to take a photograph. I lift my eyes and witness the abstract piece of art materializing before me. As soon as I lift the camera, the world falls silent. Only the click of the shutter and the echo of my breath remain. I am in. Exquisite tranquility unfurls effortlessly, which envelops me completely. I observe, I move, I surrender, and in that surrender, I create.

This is where I belong.

Welcome. I'm Petsy.

Like many children, I once imagined a life spent close to animals, immersed in the wild, in the mesmerising world of buzzing flower fields, magical forest trails, with endless time to listen, explore, and belong.

I wanted to be a veterinarian. Instead, I became a Harvard-trained negotiator and a Shaolin Temple disciple. This journey was also an evolving from 'over' to 'enough', from noise to stillness.

Today, those formative experiences shape the way I lead Sommardale Art: with clarity, calm, and a deep respect for connection. From the negotiation table to the temple floor, I learned the value of stillness before action, of mastery over haste, and of moving with purpose, creating impact.

The longing for quiet freedom and connection to the wild has never left me. Since 2010, I've been quietly creating abstract nature photographs. Thousands of images. Each one a study in stillness and transformation.

Nature became my most powerful teacher, showing me how a coastline surrenders to the tide, how a tree gracefully bows to the wind, how light simply arrives, needing no permission.

In the slow, deliberate rhythm of the natural world, I found my artistic voice. It now lives through the art I create for Sommardale Art, which I founded in the summer of 2024.

Keep reading if you are interested in how I got here...