Inspired people – Trish Ward

Artists are inspired people. But what makes them create what they create? What lights the fire that produces such wonderful work? Here are a few questions that will hopefully inspire some answers.

 This week we have the wonderfully witty Trish Ward. Unlike the majority of people I meet online, Trish lives not only on the same continent as me, but actually just down the road. It is fantastic to have her close by and we met for the first time just last week. Trish paints, writes (one of her fiction stories recently won an award) and inspires everyone around her with her determination and intriguing mindset. I love the way she approaches her art and hope to one day follow a similar course with mine. Thank you, Trish for agreeing to do this interview. It is fantastic to have you here.

The Artist

Who are you? What factors in your life have led you to create? Was it an epiphany moment or something that has always been?

Firstly I would like to thank Liz for asking me to do this interview.  I confess I still consider myself very much a newbie to art so it is an honour to be included with such wonderful artists that have come here before me.

Who am I?  Well I might have once said “a bored middle aged wife and mother looking desperately for some direction”, but now I am an Artist.

A couple of years ago I started a blog as a creative outlet and through that a whole new world of artists and writers opened up to me.

I met (virtually) an amazing writer and inspirational artist Micael “Rabbit” Chadwick and we become close friends despite distance.

One time, when I was saying things like “I think I might take some art classes, one day, maybe”, just general fluffing about and procrastinating, he quite simply gave me the boot up the bum I needed by telling me to “Shut up and Scribble”.

It was then that I raided the kid’s cupboard and found an unused visual diary, a chewed up stub of a pencil and took myself out to the patio and discovered that I could draw by covering the page with random doodles.

Where are you from, where do you live, and how does your location influence your art?

I am a South Australian, born and bred.  I think my location certainly has an influence with several of my paintings being landscapes, the inspiration taken from local areas.

When the sun is shining and the mood takes me, I will head out for a walk armed with my camera and sometimes even my sketch pad and pencils looking for potential future projects.

Were you ever distracted away from your art and creating by the need to make a living? Have you ever stopped creating?

Although I loved art at school, a combination of factors and a general perception that art was more hobby than job, meant that I never actively pursued a creative career.

That said, I have always found ways to be creative in many different forms. I have knitted jumpers, done extravagant cross stitch and complicated crochet. Sewn brightly coloured baby clothes and made complicated birthday cakes smothered in chocolate. Pirate costumes for school book week and even a UFO for a school play were fun to put together and more recently dabbling in creative writing, photography and now painting.

The Art

 What do you create? Do you have a niche or do you spread your creativity across several disciplines? Do you have a preferred subject?

At the moment my art is all about painting, mainly in acrylics. I have also been doing some drawing, experimenting with watercolours and Inktense Pencils.

So far, as I have still not taken any classes except for a 6 week WEA sampler class, I am pretty much learning as I go.

Not knowing the rules means I don’t know if I am breaking them.

This gives me the freedom to just paint whatever takes my fancy, challenging myself with landscapes and then perhaps following up with unplanned abstracts or contemporary styles.

I have been doing a lot of fairies and mermaids, experimenting with different techniques and materials and find them a lot of fun.

I love using bold bright colours and highlighting with metallics.  I like to think a lot of my art has a happy fun feel to it.

What inspires you to create? Do you have any techniques to find inspiration?

A photograph, a scene, an idea?  Perhaps something someone might say.

Sometimes I have no idea where to painting will go after I start to lay down the colour.

It just happens.  An orange and green abstract will become a koi pond after the addition of a water lily.  Washes and dribbled paint becomes a swamp and a faerie in the moonlight appears.

Or there might be an emotion involved.  A need to release a feeling that becomes an image in paint.

Sometimes it is the materials themselves.  A piece of glass and a curiosity to see what will happen if you paint on it.  What effect will that piece of bubble wrap give?  Stencilling with leaves always gives interesting effects.

There have been multiple disasters but just sometimes, something works even better than you could have imagined and you have a piece of art you can’t wait to show the world.

How often do you create? Do you procrastinate? How do you balance between the things that have to be done versus the things you want to do?

I would love to say I create every day.  That I have an overwhelming need to sit and draw that distracts me from my daily routine.  But the truth is I work part time, I have a husband and two teenage kids and all that entails.

My real time to create is generally on the weekends.  When I can shut myself away in my “Girl Cave” and get messy.

And yes, I do procrastinate at times.  I will glare at an unfinished painting and then walk away and find something else to do. (We won’t talk about the boat painting ok)

Where do you create?

While I like to sit on the red couch and draw, most of my creating is done in my “Girl Cave”.

I am very lucky that in the home we are currently living in, I have a room for my office/studio.  It gets beautiful morning light and I can paint and write away from dirty dishes and smelly boys.  I have music, scented candles and an inspiration board, plastic on the floor, plenty of shelves, my art table and easel.

It is also easily turned into a guest room as needed.

What do you enjoy doing the most?

Honestly, getting messy.  Just putting colour down and making pictures.

And I love giving away my art to people.

I love that people have something I created in their homes hopefully giving them pleasure.

Sadly, despite the good karma I hope I am accruing; my husband will not achieve his goal of retiring on my earnings as an artist.  3 paintings sold does not make a superannuation fund.

Do you have any advice for other artists?

I think my advice is for everyone, even those that might find it difficult to call themselves artists.

Believe in yourself, try new things and follow your passion.  You really don’t know unless you try. And don’t be afraid of making mistakes.  They are the best way to learn anything.

Do you have any questions for other artists?

I am so in awe of other artists and my questions would probably be similar to what you have asked me here, all about how they find inspirations.  There would also be the technique questions- How did you do that? What did you use? That type of thing.

 

Where can you and your art be found?

To keep it simple and somewhat organised, I try to showcase my art in an online gallery I have called “Not so Dodgy” http://notsododgy.tumblr.com/