The Soft Meadow Collective was established in 2021 by artists Adele Daniele, Sarah Lynch and Daniella Ruffino who share an interest in plants, pollinators, urban ecology and climate change. The collective has a passion for generating new perspectives and has collaborated with fellow artists, urban ecologists and landscape architects.

Soft Meadow Collective is deeply interested in urban nature, particularly spontaneous plants. By closely examining the often-overlooked flora of disturbed and neglected sites, the collective’s recent drawing workshops have focused on foraging and arranging weeds from gardens, laneways, and roadsides. Through botanical drawing and observational exercises, participants engage with these ‘spontaneous’ still life arrangements, sparking conversations and broadening perceptions.

The collective intertwines decorative patterns with scientific observations, exploring the colonial impacts on the landscape and how spontaneous plants have adapted over time. With a commitment to low-impact, nurturing practices, Soft Meadow Collective offers free, accessible workshops where participants use foraged and found materials in a contemplative space. The first zine, Weed Dérive: A Handbook, was inspired by the simple act of walking and explored themes of making do, while the current zine centres on drawing as a meditative practice for self-care and slowing down, hence cultivating an open ended process of seeking beauty in the everyday through the act of observing.