INSPIRATION

Where does it come from?

I can tell you what works for me.

Music is the most important thing for me. It is always a big inspiration. I am constantly searching for something new which will move me. I am a big fan of Bob Dylan and I have been naming my paintings after titles of his songs for some time. I make CD cocktails of the songs I like. Instead of just going for greatest hits, I search albums looking for that raw diamond, the one you don’t usually hear on the radio.

I play music at my art classes and it’s the best feeling when students start singing along with the music because then I know that they are relaxed and attuned with the painting.

Visiting art exhibitions is always inspirational. I love visiting the galleries in Parnell. I always find works that inspire me.

When you are painting, make a date with yourself, have your favourite music ready, maybe a glass of wine (I personally like to drink Cointreau over ice with a bit of orange zest).

Meditation before hand is always beneficial too.

Good company can also be beneficial. I used to like to organise a dinner party and then when everyone was relaxed I’d paint in front of them. With my way of painting I like to be distracted by conversation because that way my subconscious mind can be easily reached. The chatterbox inside your head often likes to work against you.

Some artists prefer solitude and to be alone with their thoughts.

There are no rules, and even if there were, they are there to be broken. I guess that’s one of my favourite sayings that I tell my students. The second is: It’s not Christmas every day. This means that masterpieces do not happen every day. You have to be persistent.

I always save pictures which I come across on the internet and sometimes just browsing through them can inspire me.

Any spiritual practices that I am going through inspire me and are reflected in my paintings, namely, Reiki, Journey, Silva Method.

I like following artists on Facebook, often they share their own processes which can be very inspirational. Cristina Popovici and Steven Da Luz are very generous on Facebook (FB) and they often share images of artists who inspire them.

Visiting the Sydney Biennale a month ago was an eye opener for me and I also decided to record as much as possible of it to share on FB with my friends. Cristina was there at the same time and she had a number of pictures on her FB page which I did not even register while there myself. So when she shared her album on FB I was able to catch up on the missing bits!

Please feel free to share the things that move and inspire you.

Enjoy your painting.

Butterfly Bride, 2013, oil on canvas, 101 X 51 cm

This Dream Of You,

Inspired by Bob Dylan Song, 2009,

oil on canvas, 60 X 30 cm