My MAGICAL JOURNEYS - some sort of artist statement in questions and answers
*Can you tell us a few words about your exhibition. Is this the first one at the Gloucester gallery? Have you exhibited before and where?
“Magical Journeys” is probably the first large step I am taking in the world of arts.
Over the last years I have been exhibiting a number of works at the Hastings Fine Art Gallery in Port Macquarie as well as at the Forster Art Gallery. Gloucester Gallery however is the first venue that gave me the honour of hosting a solo exhibition of my own art.
*Where did the inspiration for this exhibition come from?
I have been dreaming about journeys under huge moons, starry nights or across stormy oceans ever since I was a child, but what inspired me the most for this particular collection is my recent moving to Old Bar NSW.
Living so close to the ocean, being absorbed in its colours, motion, and energies has helped me immensely. The stories I depict in my paintings are usually stories of the sea, and they are all related to living in Old Bar.
Art by Christine Onward: OUR MAGNIFICENT TRAVELS at the Gloucester Gallery from February 2022
*How long have you been a practising artist?
I can say that my first “artistic endeavours” started about four years ago. While studying for my post-graduate degree in psychology, I found that doing a little bit of painting (on rocks!) every day was helping me considerably to relax and take a break from all worries of school work.
Painting on canvas however started maybe two or three years ago. The collection of painted rocks was getting a bit out of control so I had to find a medium to paint on that was easier to store or display.
Art by Christine Onward: THE LAST HOUSE IN ZEEHAN, to be exhibited at the Gloucester Gallery from February 2022
*Why did you choose to become and artist?
Life takes us on journeys that are sometimes impossible to envision or explain in simple words. What was supposed to be an exercise of painting for relaxation before becoming a psychologist has turned into a passion for arts and self discovery through arts that I am grateful for every day.
I found my career as a full time artist a better fit for me. It allows me to express myself in better, more comprehensive ways than before. I can build new perspectives on the world, hopefully make a difference, and inspire others to take the courage to follow their dreams at any point in life they find possible.
Art by Christine Onward: HAPPY NOW, exhibited at Gloucester Gallery, February 2022
Art can help you create your own story of hope, courage, gratitude and love. That’s what “Magical Journeys” is about: a collection of magic that each and every one of us can identify with at any point in life.
Photo: In my studio, me with The Other Me
- Christine Onward
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