Artist's Drawing & Inspiration
A Change of Pace
Searching for a change of pace from her professional photography business, this artist made the leap to drawing and painting, rekindling her love of all things art.
Ibegan my working life as a professional photographer, photographing mainly weddings and portraits. I worked for a professional studio as well as for a lab which handled professional processing. Back then my real love was hand developing my own black and white pictures and medium format photography.
As a natural part of this, I learned to control contrasts and tonal values while developing black and white images. Colour processing taught me how to see colour hues and balance them. When chasing that ultimate photo, looking for
the light and knowing how to use it as well as composition became invaluable lessons that I still draw upon for my art today.
I had worked successfully in my own professional photography business for 26 years until the time when I felt I needed a change of pace. Before I retired from photography, I started to draw as a way to relax, to find some peace. I had drawn for a short time at school, but with a busy business, three kids and other commitments, there was never the time to explore this, though the desire was always there.
I have a deep faith in God and I believe that we are all incredibly gifted and talented in some way or another because we are made in the image of an incredibly creative God, we just need to explore what we are actually capable of ... but sometimes when life is so busy we don’t get the chance to discover who we really are. My love for drawing and art reawakened during a season where I was unable to sleep well; I decided to do something constructive with this time. I purchased a journal and that night I decided to roughly sketch in the shadow area of a face to see if I could make a distinguishable mark. The results, though rough, were encouraging. I showed it to my mentor who immediately encouraged me to do it again but bigger. And that was the beginning.
Since then I have developed my skills in drawing in both pencil and pen and love to play with just about any medium I can get my hands on. At the moment I am exploring pastels, oils and acrylics and watercolour. My mother is a very talented and popular artist as well and even though I am mostly self taught, her guidance has been invaluable in developing my gift as well as helping me to launch a career as an artist.
I enter judged exhibitions around the state and have placed well many times as well as having my pictures purchased for public and private collections. I have had the privilege of drawing to illustrate a book cover and receive commissions to do personal work.
Another area that has developed is that of Prophetic Art ... painting a message of what we see in our spirit as a way of encouraging and helping and bringing healing for other people. I am involved in mentoring other people into this area as well.
To further develop my skills, I have enrolled in a couple of different types of classes and workshops to see what I could learn. I love the process of discovery, and have several different works on the go at any one time. My photographic studio has been converted into my art room where I have a much loved drawing desk, easels set up with my ongoing creations and I have a cupboard full of wonderful art supplies to play with. I have the hanging system still on the wall from photography days and use this to display what work I have at home that is not out on exhibition.
My first award was won in 2011 when I won the Grace Church Pastors Prize for the religious section at Port Macquarie Easter Art Exhibit ... My first show!
OTHER ACHIVEMENTS:
• 1st prize at Port Macquarie Easter Art Exhibit 2012
• 1st prize Joan Newton Drawing Prize HVFAA Summer Exhibition 2012
• 1st prize Goulburn Annual Art Prize 2013
• 2nd prize HVFAA Summer Exhibition 2013
• Sponsors Choice HVFAA Summer Exhibition 2013
• 1st prize Gosford Agricultural Show 2014
• 1st prize Camden Haven P.A.H. & I Society 2014
• Highly Commended RNCAS
Canberra 2014
• Highly Commended Cootamundra Wattle Time Art Exhibit 2014
• 2nd prize Henry Lawson Festival 2014 These I won for drawing as well as having also sold at numerous exhibits.
In addition to exhibiting across the state, I have shown my work in our local gallery, run by Hastings Valley Fine Arts Association of which I am a member. I was part of “Line and Brush”, an exhibit held with two other artists at Long Point Vineyard and exhibit at Masterpiece Framing and Gallery.
For inspiration I am drawn to a variety of subjects. I love the texture and line work
available in timber and trees, the fun found with flowers, birds, and animals. I love mountains and seascapes and rural scenes. If a scene or picture inspires me or connects with me I am drawn to recreate it, to explore it, to express it through art. Sometimes I create from my imagination but I do take a lot of photographs (being a photographer) and usually draw from them, combining parts of different ones to tell a story. I do have most of the finished artwork in mind before I start but maintain artistic licence ... the photos are just a guide and my job is to create.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY IS: 0HQWRUV DUH JUHDW 7KH\ DUH D JRRG sounding board and give you safe critique. They help you push through to achieve better results. They build into you and help you with confidence and wisdom. 0LVWDNHV LQ DUW DUH QHFHVVDU\ $UW LV PHDQW WR ORRN OLNH LW ZDV created. Tracing makes things too perfect, allow some imperfection, it JLYHV WKH DUWZRUN FKDUDFWHU /HDUQLQJ to draw will increase your talent across the face of all of your art. For all enquiries please contact Colleen Palmer Email: colleenmpalmer@gmail.com Ph: 0408 652 396 I