How long have you lived on the Beaches?
I moved here from the eastern suburbs in the late 90s – the best move I have ever made!
If you had to live anywhere else in the world, where would the second-best place be?
Italy. My father grew up in Veneto, North Italy and my mother’s father too, it feels like a second home. I love the culture, the people, the language, the art and, above all, the food.
What inspired your cover?
By a feeling I had while walking along Manly Beach promenade and watching a surfer struggle to walk against the wind as an impressive storm approached. I wanted to capture the drama of the elements and the magnitude of nature’s powerful force. I used a traditional Japanese sumi-e ink method, and I combined it with western water colour paper to create a monochromatic contemporary seascape.
How would you describe your art?
Eclectic. I like to dabble in a range of diverse techniques and practices. I have been studying oil painting for many years and with oils I mostly work on Still Life subjects and plein air seascapes. Then in contrast, three years ago I started studying the Japanese tradition of sumi-e ink painting, the complete opposite of painting in oils. I enjoy the paradox of switching mindsets between oils and ink. It helps me stay motivated.
Do you have a favourite part of the process?
The beginning, it’s so full of excitement and optimism. The drawing part of the painting is about thinking, planning and composing. People think painting is relaxing but it’s not, you are always trying to achieve a desired outcome and feeling. It’s a struggle. Ink has its problems too. Once you make a mark on the paper, there’s no removing it. I usually do multiple copies of one painting in ink, trying to achieve the desired outcome. Then, part of this process includes looking at the work, accepting the imperfections and appreciating where you have fallen short and letting go of control.
What’s it like having your studio in Brookvale?
It’s a great place to practice my art while also having enough space to teach small classes and run monthly events like Life Drawing Drink & Draw. Sometimes small groups book the studio for private life drawing events and birthday parties. The community engagement that flows through the studio from facilitating events is very enjoyable, a good contrast to the solitude of working on projects and commissions alone.
Which artists dead or alive would you like to have dinner with?
Salvador Dali would be very interesting and most entertaining. I’ve seen retro interviews with him and he’s hilarious, completely surreal. I’d also like Georgia O’Keeffe and Freda Khalo, both notable female pioneer painters. I could add many more. I’d love to go back to Renaissance times and talk to artists about their practices, techniques and materials.
Are you inspired by certain themes, ideas, and locations?
Connecting to and finding beauty in nature inspires my work and the Northern Beaches has so many diverse natural environments to choose from. Also, I love to observe the way light behaves and its relationship to shadow and darkness. I strive to tap into the feeling of my surroundings and convey that feeling and stillness in the work. I hope that the viewer feels a sense of connection to the location and subjects of my paintings.
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