Julie Croston
My work is primarily driven by my passion for colour and is an expression of the way in which I view the world. As most artists will say, painting and creating is something that is a need, it's a part of me that is always there.
If looking at one of my paintings makes someone smile or gives them a sense of calm or happiness or evokes positive emotions, then I have succeeded in what I set out to achieve.
My process
I sometimes use a combination of sketchbook images and photos I've taken (and greatly manipulated) as the initial inspiration for new paintings but then rarely refer to them again once I've actually started working. Creativity takes over and dictates where the piece ends up. Otherwise, inspiration can be anything from deserted beaches or landscapes to the chaos and clutter of a city street or even something as small as a postage stamp. Using those as starting points I'll often just paint from memory, aiming to capture the emotion or attachment to a place more so than the actual likeness to a place.
The starting point for a new painting is generally with collage - I love to work with sections of cut and torn papers to create both texture and a ground on which to start painting, often incorporating text I feel has relevance to the piece or is inspirational or quirky. I then paint on top with a variety of media including acrylic paint and inks and often add further pieces of collage on top.
I like to leave hints of images and text that aren’t always initially apparent through thin layers of paint so they can be discovered later. For me, this gives a piece more depth and makes my work multifaceted by giving it layers that go beyond just the visual art.