Feel the Earth breathing, a collection of drawings, mixed media art and photography by Janet Botes, is inspired by an emotional response to moments spent in the forest, on the beach, and travelling. They represent the artist's deep respect for and appreciation of the Earth’s biodiversity and the wisdom locked away in moments of silence – moments during which you can hear the song of the Earth and the sea if you listen carefully enough. Intentionally created as visual prayers, these artworks speak of connection and silent growth through natural cycles.
Botes is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who works with natural materials and found/discarded objects. She facilitates workshops and creative learning experiences in outdoor spaces, and has participated and contributed to several projects, organisations, residencies and workshops. In 2015, she participated in the Global Nomadic Art Project in South Korea, and in 2016 assisted with Stories of rain in South Africa as part of the same project, as a Site_Specific team member. Botes' art is included in local corporate art collections, and she created the artwork for the Sandown MyCiti bus station for Cape Town City. Her first solo exhibition, Wild & Still: expressions of the landscape, was shown in June 2014 by StateoftheArt Gallery in Cape Town, which also hosted her second solo exhibition, Organism, in April 2016.