Tell us a bit about how you first started painting.Art was always my favourite subject at school, but I only really started painting when I joined a friend to paint in her home in Spain almost twenty years ago. From then on I was hooked and haven't stopped since. I often wonder why I hadn't started to paint sooner as I have always had the urge to be creative, though in many other ways.
Did you have any stops and starts in your painting career?
My painting career started gradually. All the while, I was gaining knowledge and experience, first giving away paintings and then beginning to sell as I gained confidence, I would say that everything that I had done before has led up to where I am today. Every year seems to get better and better and I just love what I do.
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| Autumnal Colour (click to view) Enter to win by clicking on the link at the top of the DPW home page announcing Diana's interview. |
What mediums and genres have you experimented with?
I started painting with water colours and progressed on to acrylics, dabbled a little in pastels, but finally settling into painting with oils which is my favourite medium. I have tried to paint loosely, abstractly and with mixed media, but I always come back to realism and the 'tight' way of painting. I guess I am a perfectionist at heart and there's no getting away from it!
Which ones have "stuck" and which ones have fallen away?
Today I paint mainly in oils, occasionally I play around with water colours, though I love them, I find I don't have enough time to devote to them.
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| 2027 Ready for Painting (click to view) |
Who or what inspires you most?
I love to peruse other artist's work on the internet and gain so much inspiration and ideas from them. I was originally inspired by Karen Jurick and Carol Marine to start painting daily, which improved my painting immensely. Now I take my inspiration from many American artists such as Karen and James Hollingsworh, Blaire Atherholt and many others besides.
What does procrastination look like for you?
Where my art is concerned I don't have too much problem with procrastination, more with jobs I wish to avoid such as cleaning and ironing!!
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| 2008 Candle Light (click to view) |
What techniques work to ensure that you make time for your art?
I paint almost daily and get fired up by new ideas and can sometimes not paint fast enough to keep my galleries supplied and have enough work for exhibitions. Having deadlines helps too, and delegating household chores to my hubby gives me plenty of time to paint.
How do you generally arrive at ideas for your paintings?
Painting still lifes, I like to paint short series and am inspired by the items I collect in junk/antique shops, I never seem to run out of ideas, in fact I have more ideas than time.
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| 2029 'Opening' (click to view) |
How do you keep art "fresh?" What techniques have helped you avoid burnout and keep your work vibrant and engaging?
I think trying new compositions, new techniques, new colour combinations, new viewpoints, the options are endless. Looking at other artists' work often helps to get new ideas if I'm stuck.
What do you feel you are learning about right now as an artist?
I'm always learning through doing and trying to remember how I achieved certain colours or effects by taking notes. Reading about other artists and also watching video demonstrations is really an excellent way of learning too. The more I learn the more I realize that I haven't even scratched the surface yet!
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| 2024 Blue Teapot (click to view) |
What makes you happiest about your art?
This is the first 'job' that I have had in my life that I absolutely love and will never get tired of.
I also love it when a piece of my work is purchased by a collector, it is such a compliment to me; it means that I can carry on doing what brings me happiness and as long as I can hold a brush or a palette knife that is what I will be doing for the rest of my life!
Thanks, Diana!
© 2018 Sophie Marine
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