1. Camilla, you're such a bright spark in the art world. Thanks so much for coming on. Can you tell my readers a bit about you, your background, what you do and maybe even some goals you have for the next few years?
Thank you so much for having me x
I was born and raised in South Africa and as long as I can remember drawing and painting was the only thing that truly inspired me.
Art and drama was the highlight of my school years. I went on to study Textile Design for 4 years and then worked designing textiles for both apparel and homewares. My husband and I made the decision to immigrate to Australia in 2003 and was lucky to find work in the product development field which I loved as I worked with a great team of creative people from designers to brand managers.
When my son was born in 2007 I really wanted to stay at home and be a full time mum. At this point I started to think of how I could develop my artistic capability and creativity from home. My first venture was working with two creative friends to create a kids home decor and developed a brand known as Nog ’n Piep. We successfully sold our products at many of the popular outdoor and boutique markets. This adventure lasted for about 4 years.
When my daughter was born in 2011 sustaining our initial approach was time consuming so I started with creating artworks and sold to a few friends and then finally approached a few local homeware stores and to my surprise sold some artworks. This was enough for me to believe that I could have a business from home. Fast forward a few years and I have found success in doing what I love everyday.
My mind is always racing with ideas and I plan to keep growing my small business. I aim to have my own studio with a gallery in the next 5 years.
2. Your artworks are so amazingly vibrant! How do you go about planning a new artwork or body of work?
Thank you Ros. There is not much planning at all. I am an intuitive and instinctive painter. Colour is the only thing I would plan before painting however I do have my go to colours that are used in all my artworks. I would squeeze my colours out, add white and black (or indigo blue, deep violet) to my mixing board and start to blend to see what I like and what colours sit well together.
Sometimes depending on the size of the artwork or how many I am painting in the same series I would then mix up a lot in tubs however its mainly straight from my palette board and I keep mixing as needed. The beauty in this method is achieving a lovely range of colours in your artwork. Sometimes I have an idea in my head as to what I want to create but most of the time it changes as I paint because I allow myself to be totally free with no constraints.
You will notice that I have many different styles and approaches to my artworks. This is due to allowing myself versatility in my creations.
3. So many artists love colour just as you do. What's your biggest tip for getting that love of colour down on canvas or paper?
Honestly colour excites me the most and it's that which draws me into any artwork . I constantly try different colour combinations and place colours next to each other to see how they complement each other and if they are easy on the eye. I used to have colour swatches or cuttings from magazines of colours I like visible on my wall to help me with colour combinations.
Practice and don’t be afraid to try as this is how one learns. I never stress about colour as you can also correct by painting over a colour you are not happy with.
4. Are you following any other artists closely at the moment?
I am always inspired by the talent I see on my socials and often drawn to styles unlike mine.
@georgiewilsonartist - love her use of colour, compositions and interesting details.
@wowhaus.au - (Kate) - for the genius of her line work, summer vibes and the palms are amazing.
@joanblond - adore her colour combinations and pattern work.
@michaelbondart - what’s not to love!
@tschiegg69 - I adore her portraits and use of colour.
@katedebbo - Love her animals, texture and her compositions are amazing. Great use of colour too.
5. It's been a pleasure quizzing you for this artist feature blog post. Thank you so much for your time. How can my readers find out more about you or get in touch?
www.camillacicoria.com
Instagram - @camillacicoria_art
Facebook - @camillacicoriaart
Another beautiful week and another beautiful artist! Comment below if you felt inspired by this post.
Ros
x
PS. If you fancy a free watercolour video tutorial, head HERE.