Our Story


Hello, Bonjour

from Isabelle & Melanie! Welcome to La Source Australia - The Source of Inspiration!

We are a mother and daughter artist duo from South Sydney. Since 2010, we have been creating together through our art studio and what a joy it has been! Inspired by Australia’s rich landscape and our French heritage, our bold and playful artistic style is a reflection of our passion for life. Through our art, we seek to express and share the joy we experience when connecting with nature and the world around us. 

This has grown into a deep respect for the earth, as we acknowledge the vital role we all play in its protection. We have been lucky enough to enjoy some beautiful walks and programs run by Birdlife Australia and their wonderful team of volunteers; and have chosen to support their great work in bird conservation and education.

Alongside contributing to nature and birdlife conservation organisations, we are also committed to bush regeneration on our own bush property near Braidwood NSW. Planting 750 trees, we have created a wildlife corridor, to help small birds travel safely between forest areas. Since starting our business, we have aimed to use sustainable art practices to reduce our carbon footprint and continue to care for this beautiful place we call home.

 

We are a proudly Australian Made and Owned family business.

Most of what we create is Australian Made or at the very least designed, printed locally and hand finished by us in our Sydney studio. When you purchase from us you can be confident that you are supporting a family business that cares about the earth and strives to be eco-friendly. Being light on the environment (and light to carry), we offer the perfect Australian made gift for nature lovers and travellers alike.

Thank you for supporting our dreams, Isabelle & Melanie xx

 

La Source Australia acknowledges the Dharawal people as the traditional owners of the land upon which our studio stands, and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture.

 

   


Isabelle Boreham (the mother)

Parisian born Isabelle, spent time painting in Paris, London and New York as a textile designer before moving to Australia in the 1980s. After working at Bonds Australia which included designing for the Sydney 2000 Olympic games, she decided to follow her heart and founded La Source Australia in 2010. 

Isabelle now divides her time between her Sydney residence and her bush property near Braidwood NSW. Much of her inspiration is drawn from her immediate environment and the bountiful life that coexists there.

Her appreciation of the Australian bush is “pas en pas” with the French post-impressionist, Henri Rousseau, and English romantic, William Turner, as influences for her diverse practice. Isabelle’s own art process begins by taking the time to observe and sketch the natural world around her. Her love of bold colours and textures becomes evident as she then merges reality with her own musings. Once her ‘characters’ have been created she incorporates them into unique stories. Some cheeky birds chatter amongst the native flowers, whilst others remain solitary guardians of iconic sites.

 


Melanie Beresford (the daughter)

 

Melanie was born in Australia and has been a practicing artist since 2007. She completed a Masters of Fine Arts in Painting/Drawing at CoFA, UNSW and has exhibited in over 40 shows around Australia. Her practice has been quite diverse from painting, drawing, video, installation and sculpture.

In 2013, she joined her mum in the La Source Australia art studio. Together they create their collections from start to finish - this includes painting, drawing, printing, packaging, managing orders & deliveries, and having FUN! Her biggest inspiration comes from her two beautiful daughters Juliette & Florence who bring sunshine and laughter into the studio.

 

Eco Friendly Art Studio

We are always looking for new ways to reduce our carbon footprint and operate more sustainably. Our collection is designed, printed, and packaged in Australia. 

Some positive changes we have made to protect the planet are:

  • Our greeting cards, height charts, calendars and envelopes are printed on 100% recycled paper.
  • A reduction in our use of cello bags as protective packaging. Our tote bags and tea towels are now 100% plastic free.
  • We only do small print runs to minimise potential waste and all of our printing is done locally.
  • We’ve extended the life of our greeting cards, which are designed to be reused as a bookmark.
  • We use brown recycled paper for our gift-wrapping and biodegradable, recyclable bubble cushioning when needed.

If you have a suggestions for how we can improve please reach out and share your ideas, we’d love to hear them xx