how rosie rushton found her distinctive artistic style
Plus, an extra-special giveaway from The Other Art Fair Sydney.
The Other Art Fair is heading to Sydney once again, and there are heaps of impressive and inspiring artworks to see (along with plenty of interactive experiences and tasty food and bevs).
Among the massive line-up of artists appearing at this year’s event is Rosie Rushton, who’s known for her fluorescent pink-and-blue still life works. Ahead of the fair (which runs from December 1st – 4th), we sat down with Rosie to chat about how she creates her art.
Oh, and if you’re keen to see Rosie’s work in real life, check out the huge giveaway happening on our win page. One major winner will receive a pair of private view tickets to The Other Art Fair Sydney, plus two Bombay Sapphire cocktails, two $25 food vouchers and one $250 art voucher. Ten runners up will also receive a pair of tickets to the fair. How good is that?!
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Hello, Rosie! Tell us about yourself. I’m originally from London and moved to Sydney four years ago. I was only planning on being here for a year, but (classic pom behaviour) that year turned into four and now I never want to leave. I’m a part-time freelance graphic designer, which is pretty great because it gives me so much freedom and time to work on my art.
What mediums and techniques do you use in your work? I’m a Posca pen and acrylic paint kinda gal. I also recently discovered this insanely cool silver reflective chrome pen (thank you kindly, Instagram ads), which I’m starting to introduce into some of my new works.
Your art has a very distinct look and feel. How did you find your signature style? It started on the bus. I would sit at the back of the bus and draw people with a single blue Posca, but then realised it was missing something. I tried a few colours and then boom – out came the fluoro pink and I was instantly obsessed. Then I discovered my love of still lifes, which made perfect sense because I LOVE food. So I thought: why not go crazy and do still lifes in pink and blue?
What is your artistic process like? I usually draw a bunch of ideas in my sketchbook or on a random receipt from the depths of my bag. Occasionally, for a bigger and more complex piece, I’ll do a few different colour trials in the form of a very messy sketch with lots of scribbles on the side, then just go straight onto the canvas!
How do you balance personal work with paid work? Honestly, this one is SO tricky and I’m still trying to figure it out. I try to go to life drawing sessions once a week to do something purely for myself without worrying about producing a ‘perfect finished piece’.
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What’s your favourite non-art related thing to do? Float on my back on a beautiful sunny weekday (when it’s not busy) at Gordons Bay or Coogee beach. I also like to spend time with my friends at the beach, do hot yoga and pilates, wander around art galleries by myself while listening to music, and hang out with my beautiful cat.
Do you have any tips for young artists hoping to kick-start their career? Experiment, experiment, experiment. When you think you’ve experimented enough, experiment some more! Put your work in front of as many people as possible and be yourself. As long as you’re doing what you love and you love what you do, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
You’re heading to The Other Art Fair in Sydney soon. What are you looking forward to? My absolute favourite thing about The Other Art Fair is making friends with other artists, speaking to the wonderful people who enjoy my art and seeing people’s reactions as they approach my stand. Also, trying out the tasty food truck offerings.
How do you prepare for events like this? Annoyingly, I work best under pressure, so usually with three weeks to go I realise I really need to get a move on. I cancel all social plans and basically become a hermit for the whole of November, lock myself away and tie myself to my paintbrushes (pretty much). In the few days leading up to it, I am literally running around like a headless chicken trying to finish everything, and waking up at 4am filled with excitement for life!
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See more from Rosie on her website and Instagram, and head to The Other Art Fair's website for more info about upcoming events.