Belinda Marshall is a Melbourne-based artist and surface designer working with acrylic on wood and linen. Today, we chat with Belinda, who recently debuted her beautiful countryside inspired work at our Sydney AW15 market. Read on to discover more about her practice…
How would you describe your style of artwork and how has this evolved?
My work is abstract, colourful, emotive and intuitive. I work with bright colours as well as moody hues in lots of layers.
My style has evolved from a semi-abstract style which was sometimes minimal and sometimes a bit fussy to a purely abstract style. I had a set of life changes/challenges a couple of years ago which made me feel more attached to getting down to the essence of creating work without too much concern for failure. Strangely the hard stuff gave me confidence to do this.
What is your background and what lead you to where you are today?
My background is in graphic design and publishing. I always wanted to do something creative but didn’t quite know what it was I wanted to be doing. I wasn’t creatively satisfied in either of these industries. When I was pregnant with my first baby I left my job a few months earlier than planned and used the time to paint. The freedom of creating for the sake of it rather than trying to achieve anything in particular was perfect. My love of painting grew from there.
What inspires your work, and where do you look for inspiration?
Inspiration comes from many places like instagram, visiting galleries and markets, shopping or just being out walking. The process of working is the most inspiring though. Sinking into the quiet world of painting, even for a short stint, is the best feeling. It’s like fuel!
What are your preferred mediums to work with?
I love to paint on wood and also linen. The natural finish of wood can be a feature of the work as the texture and lines come through in a subtle way. I paint with acrylics ~ fluid and heavy.
Describe your workspace and your creative process.
My work space is quite small as it’s set up at home. It kind of takes over which I don’t mind as I get to be surrounded by the paintings in progress ~ plans emerge subconsciously! I’m hoping to get a studio soon as the works are getting bigger.
I usually work on 4 or 5 paintings at once. I build up layers of colour and move from one painting to the next in each sitting. The process is fairly intuitive. The direction for each piece tends to emerge when I’m feeling the process rather than thinking it through. If I find myself thinking too hard about what to do next it’s usually time to take a break. Sometimes they happen quickly but mostly they take their time to feel finished.
What do you love most about being an artist, and what are some challenges?
There’s nothing better than being in the space of creating ~ when time is meaningless and the world is just what I’m creating. I love colour and the actual physical act of painting.
The challenging part is accepting the fact the percentage of time needed for running the business side of things is high compared to the time for creating the work.
What has been your favourite project or exhibition and why?
I’ve really enjoyed the collaborations with Frankie + Swiss {the cushions and wall hangings}. It’s exciting to see the work on fabric and to imagine the products that can be made.
If you missed Belinda’s work at our Sydney AW15 market, you can find her work online below.
www.belindamarshall.com
www.belindamarshall.bigcartel.com
www.instagram.com/belindajmarshall
www.facebook.com/belindamarshallstudio
