Painting your personal stories (with gusto)

Heather at SALA Australia

A Sure Shot

Back from Italy, back to our office and before we tackle our fourth segment of “How I see Art”, we would like to share this story, a follow-up of a previous post.

We are always very happy to hear about the artistic achievements of former participants of our painting workshops. Heather Wadrop one of our Australian budding artists of Studio Italia June 2015, is currently showing her new work An End… and New Beginning at the South Australia Living Artists SALA Festival. Heather was invited to submit a work inspired on the theme “of the ether”. She successfully tackled the subject through a personal story which has had a very strong impact on her life; no wonder why she is so happy with the end result. As we always say, any artist in search of inspiration need look no further than her/his own life experiences; as we wrote before, it is stories that link us all. The sincere transcription of emotions onto canvas helps artists to convey their message in a powerful and touching way. Here are a few excerpts of Heather’s email:

“I was pleased when I realised my work had been included in the précis of the exhibition  ‘…. this circular motif is repeated in Wadrop’s work, an end …. and new beginning, cell-like building blocks imagined at a quantum level, jostle upon the canvas, vibrating outwards’. The critique was not far off…. they are my particular cancer cells. All but one shows the centre staining indicating cancer.  The one without is my new beginning. I was astonished when asked to discuss my work with local students from the area. In my heart I know that your Studio Italia gave me impetus to push on and to be bold with my work. Art has indeed been my new beginning and I am so thankful for the very big part you played in getting me to ‘let it go’.  I want to acknowledge your part in what has come for me my major focus, other than family, painting.  You gave me the confidence to paint at will, not to be held back, that painting ‘right’ is not the way to go.  I now mix my colours with great bravado and yes even with gay abandon; the result being working with a limited palette and a unified finish. I’m still not ready for an exhibition of my own work but it will happen, it is what I am working towards, my next major goal.”