A little bit more about my art practice

After receiving some questions about my practice for an interview recently, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share some more information here on the journal about my practice and journey to becoming a full time artist.

Photo by Stephanie Rose Photography.

What are the main materials you use in art?

I tend to jump around a lot when it comes to my art materials (and I love a visit to the art store!). At the moment I am focusing on my canvas-based artworks which are painted using acrylic paint for the base and then a build up of layers using oil paints. 

I think my approach to painting with acrylic paint and oils is similar to the way I layer smaller works on paper. I try to use my art journal a lot to make observational sketches and experiment with compositions and studies. In my art journal I predominantly use coloured pencil, watercolour paints, gouache paint. I like to experiment with mixed media to create unique effects. 

What kind of art do you mostly create?

Over the last decade of creating artwork since completing my university studies, I have explored lots of different genres and styles to try and better understand what it is that I want to create. For a few years I loved portraiture and painting people’s faces, heavily inspired by fashion and fashion magazines. At the time I was inspired to work with watercolour in a more illustrative way and focussed on smaller works on paper. However, in the past few years, and since moving back to the Adelaide Hills, I am predominantly focused on capturing my feelings around nature and the landscapes. I am inspired to create work that will affect the mood of a space in a positive way, whether that is through mural work or an emotive piece of artwork. 

What inspired you to become an artist?

Growing up I was always naturally drawn to art-making and creating. I loved creating things with my hands and spent a lot of time reading so had a fairly strong imagination. I’m not entirely sure where the drive to create artwork and become an artist came from but I always had a strong vision for what it was that I wanted to paint or draw and was determined to get better at it. Alongside art I have always loved music, design and travel. It was important to me that I chose a career path that allowed me to be expressive and explore these passions. 

I was lucky to have been able to attend after-school art classes during my high school years and when it came time to select my university degrees, choosing a creative path was of importance to me.