JUDE
Finding my way into art
I started out as a figurative still-life and landscape oil painter. As I experimented with other mediums, my repertoire expanded.
By immersing myself in art practice, with guidance from various teachers, I did an apprenticeship of sorts in place of formal art training.
Over time I acquired the confidence to forge my own way. The subjects that motivated me to paint changed. I began to integrate self and art. In essence my observers eye pushed my art practice into new directions.
Bringing an outsiders eye to contemporary art
I am an observer, an outsider bearing witness to a constantly changing pageant of events, ideas, reactions and emotional states. Looking back on my work, I see that this observers eye began to influence my art. A theme, event or idea would become the starting point for an artistic exploration. The creative challenge is how to represent the idea. What materials, skills, elements need to come together? Materials like beach rubbish or family photos dictate new approaches. New ideas cascade as a theme expands.
Photography is integral to my creative process
Photography holds a special place in my creative world. As a child I was dad’s photographic assistant. Dad taught me the technical aspects of photography. Those early photo shooting outings with Dad gave me an appreciation of colour, light and composition, not to mention an enduring love of photography.
Now, I take photographs to develop ideas for paintings, to imbed images in paintings, to manipulate artworks, and for their own intrinsic value. Sometimes they become the focal point of a project.
An art practice that trusts intuition and opens to inspiration
I have learnt to slow down in order be open to inspiration. Patience, learning new techniques, honing skills, putting works aside for a time to see them in a fresh way, are all part of my current practice. For me, creativity works best when the thinking mind works in tandem with the intuitive self.
ART by Jude Tulloch 