Image 1; Nicola Slattery Meeting of Minds Acrylic on Wood 50 x 60cm
Image 2; Owl Boy Acrylic on A4 Plywood panel
This weekend I was lucky enough to spend two days in the wonderful studio of artist Nicola Slattery exploring ways to ignite the imagination and get over my fear of acrylics (and new materials in general).
It is my mission coming into this last year of my degree to pull art from my soul rather than my perceived idea of what might look good in my portfolio. The struggle is that my skills do not always stack up to the images in my head.
Moving away from my safety net of coloured pencils into paint as a medium felt a little daunting but I was pleasantly surprised by the versatility of layering colours with hard and soft lines, light and dark washes, much like the process with pencils. The aim is now to pick up a brush within my own space where I don’t have the backup of an experienced mentor to hand.
It is easy to be inspired when you are surrounded by the atmospheric and warming artworks of Nicola Slattery. It reminded me that it is not about rendering the most realistic representation of a character, but about the narrative and visual storytelling. That is what captures my soul. That is my ultimate goal.
Exploring the creative realm outside of my self-imposed boundaries seems a good way to find a route to my own spiritual voice. Less thinking and more doing.
