An Interview with Lucy Car
I’ve always loved to draw and paint. When I was 10 I had some painting lessons from a Wagga Wagga artist called Willy Sheather and she began my lifelong love of acrylic paint, colour and Aussie subject matter.Background & Inspiration
- How did you first become interested in art, and what led you to pursue it professionally?
I originally studied Medicine at University as I wasn’t sure what to do with my love of art and it’s only been since my five children have been at school that I’ve had the time and mental space to paint in earnest .
I’ve grown so much over the past couple of years painting most days and developing my own style.
Wagga Wagga artist Will Sheather, Picasso, Van Gough, Australian artist Wendy Sharpe and current artists such as Kate Gradwell, Helen Stephens and Susan Trudinger.
- Can you share some of the biggest influences on your work? Are there specific artists, places, or experiences that shaped your style?
I am drawn to the use of and focus on colour in abstract art. I have not been able to paint abstract, but I do love it.
I get inspired by the large garden and rainforest I have around my home and my trips to Perth, where family lives, with their amazing flowers and seed pods.
I’ve discovered that painting is a very sensory process for me and even after painting I’m reliving the brushstrokes in my mind.
- Are there any personal experiences or themes that appear frequently in your work? Why are these important to you?
Art is an escape and I delight in contrasting colours and bright colours and these are recurring things I do in my painting.
I paint mostly native flora and birds as I find them amazing - our Aussie life is so unique and their chunky pods and blooms work well with my style.
I start with painting a canvas a bright red - I find it gives an underlying warmth to the finished painting.Artistic Process
- Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you approach a new piece from concept to completion?
I mostly use blues and greens and have a cool colour bias so it makes me happy to apply these over the red.
I then decide whether it will be birds or a still life with a vase or a bouquet and then I will look through photos of flowers or birds to help me decide what to include.
I then paint the outline on the canvas in a dark paint then get to work blocking in the colours.
Following that I decide on a background colour that works with the colours I have felt compelled to paint in the subject matter, and then I paint that.
Finally, I add shading and detail with white or light colours applied to extra detail and light at the end.
I work with acrylic paint on stretched canvas and I favour a loose style, painted quickly by intuition and then finer points added later. I find acrylic paint works well with this - it dries quickly and it fluid so I don’t have to wait long to apply another layer.
- What materials and techniques do you prefer to work with, and why do they resonate with you?How do you balance your vision with the unpredictability of the creative process? Do you often experiment, or do you stick to a structured approach?
I find it works best if I have few set ideas to start a painting - I’ve discovered the subject matter that works best with my style and then I just see what happens - the colours I never predict beforehand. I love seeing that develops! This can make commissions a bit stressful!
I experiment a lot and have tried different styles and am trying for a more neutral colour palette but I always come back to bright and bold!
"I would love people to feel happy and have sensory fulfilment when they look at my art. It bring me such happiness just to play with colours and I hope that people can delight in this and perhaps gain more appreciation of our native flora and fauna by looking at my art."
- Are there any themes or messages in your work that you hope audiences connect with or take away?
"I have painted more frequently in the last few years and I have honed down the subject matter and painterly techniques which I feel work best for me and creates a finished product that I am really happy with.Personal Reflection & Growth
- How do you think your art has evolved over time? Have you noticed any major shifts in your style or focus?
I used to paint people but have completely moved over to flowers and birds. I had a big series of Australian animals that was quite quirky - they were all playing a musical instrument. I did run out of animals and instruments in the end!"
"The challenge has been to control how much I paint, mainly due to costs and space! I love it so much and paint quite quickly. I have to keep myself away from the canvas so that I can get other tasks around the house and garden done. I wait until I sell some paintings so that I can buy more canvases!
- Have you faced any significant challenges in your artistic career? How did these experiences shape you or your art?
Another challenge has been social media - it’s been great in terms of viability but it’s an emotional roller coaster that is hard to deal with at times. Art is one of those things that more work does not necessarily equal more sales or awards so this has taken some reconciling."
"Keep going! Never stop perfecting your art . Try not to take rejections personally, I know through my sales that people love my art so I just have to find them."
- What’s the most valuable lesson you've learned as an artist?
"Yes. I try to vary what style I paint based on what might have sold before or what has resonated with people. I just want to paint.Audience & Exhibition
- Do you think about your audience or the public’s response when creating a piece? If so, how does it influence your work?
I have learnt to only agree to paint things that I will be pleased with in the end. There’s no point painting something you are not comfortable with and producing a piece that you will never like."
"I have a number that I love, mainly because they are the ones that came together nearly of their own accord - I was very happy with the ways the colours came together. I enjoy looking at my more quirky paintings as I love kooky things such as a banana with roses blooming from it or kangaroos dancing in the desert in clogs."
- Is there a particular piece you’re most proud of or one that has special meaning for you? Why does it stand out?
"I have not thought beyond Australia and my work is Australian focused so I would love to be in a big gallery in one of the cities in Australia. I would love a solo exhibition."
- If you could exhibit your work anywhere in the world, where would it be, and why?
"As above, I would love to exhibit my work in a city gallery. It would be wonderful to collaborate - I feel my work would go well on fabric!Looking Ahead
- What are some goals or dreams you have for your future work?
I am keen to involve my art in charity work and to have a bigger name would help that."
"I would love to experiment with abstract art - so far I’ve produced nothing I’m happy with but I’ll keep going."
- Are there any new themes or mediums you're interested in exploring in the future?
"Practise as much as you can and constantly try to get your name out there. People are surprised at the amount of rejection I’ve had but I just keep going as it’s not really an option to stop painting!"
- What advice would you give to emerging artists who are just starting out?
