I like the idea of the wabi-sabi philosophy, that there is beauty in imperfection; nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect. I begin by creating a unique and textural canvas, mixing different types of cement materials, oil paint and acrylic paint. I sand back and chip away at the canvas to reveal layers of texture and colour, memories and old paintings beneath.
Inspired by her travels through Central and South America, focusing on landscape, the feel of Brittany Ferns’s work depicts a passage of time through memory.
Take us to the beginning of your story. How did your tryst with art begin?
It began with wanting to create something tangible, to use a brush, to mix colours, to get a bit messy, to create something that came uniquely from within me and express the visual story that was within my mind.
I am a graphic and textile designer by trade. After spending the last ten years working inside an office, following a brief and someone else’s creative direction, I felt the desire to go in my own direction and create at my own pace without limits to what I wanted to do.
Pregnant with my second child, we moved from Los Angeles, California to Newcastle, Australia. My husband went back to work while I looked after my son and awaited the arrival of my daughter.
I love being in a creative environment. My lifestyle from working full time in LA to living in Newcastle, quite isolated at the time, left me feeling a little flat at first. But here was my opportunity to do something for me, without an audience to judge or direct.
It had been about 13 years since I painted on a canvas, and I picked up right where I left off.
The lagoon
Tell us about the evolution of your practice over the years.
The process of creating my artworks over the last two years picked up from where I left off in high school. Intrigued by old walls and the stories within these spaces was my starting point. I experiment with the layering of surfaces. It is just as important to add to the canvas as it is to take away from it. I love the different textures you can create. My work used to be quite abstract and it has taken on more of a subjective form.
The last two months, I feel I have really made some progress with my artistic style and motivation behind my work. Or more so to trust my instincts. I find landscapes to be quite comfortable to paint, although I think I will keep putting myself out of my comfort zone to paint a few more portraits as well.
What were your biggest lessons and hurdles along the way?
I spend a lot of time working on my canvas, to create textures that resemble old walls weathering and decaying over time. It has been an interesting and experimental journey learning what materials to work with. I have destroyed a few paintings by taking the decay idea too far!
What inspires you? Take us through your process and continuous frameworks of reference.
I like the idea of the wabi-sabi philosophy, that there is beauty in imperfection; nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect.
I begin by creating a unique and textural canvas, mixing different types of cement materials, oil paint and acrylic paint. I sand back and chip away at the canvas to reveal layers of texture and colour, memories and old paintings beneath. I use old walls as a reference.
For me, the feel of my work depicts a passage of time through memory. It is inspired by my travels, specifically through Central and South America, focusing on landscape, tropical places and portraits as my subject matter.
Postcard
What is the primary role of an artist? How do you describe yourself in the context of challenging people’s perspectives via your work and art?
I feel the primary role of an artist is to move someone and make them feel something, whether it be a strong message or simply the beauty within an artwork. If you can create something that others can appreciate, that for me is an artist.
I am sure once my art career evolves there will be more depth to this answer. I have not yet had enough feedback to know what people think or feel when they see my work.
How do you balance art and life?
I use any spare moment to get into my home studio and create. Inspiration comes at any moment. I always jot down and mood board my ideas, and come back to them at a later date. I have become a little more organised since becoming a mum, but it is all a bit of a juggle – balancing art, textile design and parenting.
I have not yet had to deal with painting in a commercial environment, but this is something that I will be dealing with in the very near future. I am excited to get feedback from others. But I hope to stick to my true source of inspiration and continue to experiment.
How do you deal with the conceptual difficulty and uncertainty of creating work?
As a new painter and being new to the art world, I have had many moments of uncertainty. I believe all I can do is trust what moves me, keep experimenting and learning from others and get involved with whatever opportunities come my way. I think I have a long road ahead. You can become mad trying to dissect what works and what doesn’t, only to come full circle. It’s definitely a challenge.
VegasPitStop
How does your audience interact and react to your work?
This is an unknown territory for me, since I showcased my work for the first time at the end of November 2019. I have a few things lined up for January 2020. This will be my first real interaction into the art world where I will have an audience to critique my work. My paintings so far have been derived solely from the desire to create.
What are you looking for when you look at other artists’ work? Which shows, performances and experiences have shaped your own creative process? Who are your maestros?
At the moment I love to see and support local Australian artists. Some artists I admire are Pierre Boncompain, very feminine and romantic. Peggy Hopper’s island girls, the colour palette and the subject, are beautiful. Also, Peter Doig’s dreamy tropical landscapes are wonderful.
Tumbleweed
Have you observed artists in flow? What have you noticed?
This is something I have never done but I hope to in the future. I would love to work within a space where I can learn from others and observe others’ way of creating. I have recently started to apply for artist residencies, where I can also attend lectures and hopefully involve myself amongst other artists.
How do you feel about commissions? How does your interaction with a curator, gallery or client evolve?
I quite like commissions. I feel once I get a good sense of a person or reason they want an art piece, I can create with them in my mind. It helps me get a direction.
I have never been involved with a curator or gallery before. In March I will have my first group exhibition at a local Newcastle Gallery called Blackstone Gallery.
What are you working on now? What’s coming next season?
Currently I am working on my first collection of art which will be available for sale in Australia via Greenhouse Interiors early next year. I am in the mood board and mapping out stages. I will be creating 10 pieces, and some of them will be large scale works.
My first group show at Blackstone Gallery will start in March 2020. My starting point for this show is a favourite band of mine called Los Pamperos.
Add Comment