Bachelor of Fine Art - Printmaking
Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary)
Visual artist working in a variety of mediums including relief printing, painting, drawing and photography
Visual artist working in a variety of mediums including relief printing, painting, drawing and photography
From memory, what was the first thing you made with your hands?
As a child I was drawing on everything. Toilet paper, newspapers, cereal packets, books, wrapping paper; anything I could find. Fortunately, my parents knew someone who worked in the Bendigo Advertiser so they managed to get boxes of off-cuts of butcher paper, which was a sanity saver for everyone. At primary school I had queues of students wanting me to draw images of Bambi for them, and I always had the job of drawing chalk images on the black board for events such as Easter and Christmas.
As a child I was drawing on everything. Toilet paper, newspapers, cereal packets, books, wrapping paper; anything I could find. Fortunately, my parents knew someone who worked in the Bendigo Advertiser so they managed to get boxes of off-cuts of butcher paper, which was a sanity saver for everyone. At primary school I had queues of students wanting me to draw images of Bambi for them, and I always had the job of drawing chalk images on the black board for events such as Easter and Christmas.
What are you making with your hands right now?
At this moment I’m working on a portrait of a friend. I’ve stretched raw cotton duck on a frame and not primed it. I use watered down acrylic paint to stain the canvas and produce a loose brush affect. I create the details using water based textas. I find that you can blend the colours with a stiff brush loaded with water if applied immediately after making a mark. So I need to work quickly. Also using textas on my paintings give a ‘drawing’ affect. I then use opaque paint for highlights and to create definition. The two images above are portrait studies for the final piece.
Why is the art of handmade is so important?
For me personally, art is my first language and I was born an artist. If I don’t make artwork I feel like my ‘mojo’ is missing and can’t live without it. I had put art making aside for several years while raising my children, which I didn’t mind as they were also very important to me. But now they are independent and living their own lives, being an successful artist is my main focus. So, my art making is quite a selfish endeavour.
At this moment I’m working on a portrait of a friend. I’ve stretched raw cotton duck on a frame and not primed it. I use watered down acrylic paint to stain the canvas and produce a loose brush affect. I create the details using water based textas. I find that you can blend the colours with a stiff brush loaded with water if applied immediately after making a mark. So I need to work quickly. Also using textas on my paintings give a ‘drawing’ affect. I then use opaque paint for highlights and to create definition. The two images above are portrait studies for the final piece.
Why is the art of handmade is so important?
For me personally, art is my first language and I was born an artist. If I don’t make artwork I feel like my ‘mojo’ is missing and can’t live without it. I had put art making aside for several years while raising my children, which I didn’t mind as they were also very important to me. But now they are independent and living their own lives, being an successful artist is my main focus. So, my art making is quite a selfish endeavour.
Recently I met someone who bought an artwork from my Dying Swan series (above) which changed my attitude to my art making. This series is about the ‘space’ between life and death, inspired by my mother, my cat and the ballet, Swan Lake. It’s a ‘space’ where a life and death are at a crossroad and there is struggle to which way to go; return to the living or continue the transition to death. The ballet dancers, although appearing graceful and delicate, need to be physical and psychologically strong to perform successfully, therefore, became a metaphor for my theme.
I was fortunate to be able chat with the buyer and discovered that she had related to this artwork because she almost died and came back to life, therefore, personally experienced that ‘space’. “ I had to have it” were her very words. It was immensely rewarding for me that my artwork had such a meaningful experience for someone else. Therefore, emotionally and spiritually connecting with people is an extremely rewarding by-product of making artwork. It seems that art can express meanings that words cannot define.
All photographs courtesy of Isabelle Kawai Vincent
Isabelle can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists
See more of Isabelle's work at Isabelle Kawai Vincent Artist Page
Isabelle can be contacted via Splinter Contemporary Artists
See more of Isabelle's work at Isabelle Kawai Vincent Artist Page
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