Taking her inspiration from the old, unloved and tumbledown things we see around us in everyday life, artist Vicki Disney loves a moss covered wall and a rusted old fence. There is nothing more inspiring to Vicki than a derelict house with the secrets of lives it sheltered being shown to the passing world…
When I paint I am always looking for inspiration in the finer details in the world around us, the things we may look at but not see, so when I’m out walking I try to always look around, always absorbing what is there, the colours, textures and details that make that specific thing interesting.
My fascination with rust and the wearing/ageing process becomes apparent when you look at my collection of work, I am intrigued how something like a quite ordinary shiny metal becomes so much more the older it becomes, colours and layers become more apparent, it feels as if it is showing you its age, the life it has seen.
Tarnished
60 x 60 cms acrylic on canvas
I start by finding the colour palette I want to use and the mediums that will help with the layers and I put on some good music or a comedian to listen to as I work. My new work has been inspired by surfaces, concrete, rusting metal, water, I start with the layering process, always stepping away from it, photographing it so I can look at it when I am away from the studio so I can see where I need to add to it. And sometimes it helps to look at it first thing the next morning with fresh eyes to see what it looks like on a new day. In my mind I see what I want to achieve before I start painting and sometimes it turns out better due to the nature of the way I paint, not always though. The painting is complete when I am happy with it. My painting style has just developed over the years due to knowledge of how the paints work for me now. Before, I would always try to achieve a style that wasn’t always natural for me, this style feels very natural.
Wooden Lines
100 x 100 cms, acrylic on canvas
Texture is really important to me as it gives the painting more depth and changes the way the paint sits on the canvas. So you have different effects with each medium and you can add to a paint or with the depth of the paint you put on the canvas.
I would love it if my paintings inspired people to slow down and look at the beauty that surrounds us, everything has a beauty – look closely!
Here you can see the texture detail up close, I would like people to be able to enjoy looking at my paintings from afar then getting up close and realizing there is a lot more detail on closer inspection, I feel it makes for a more interesting view.
I love to be in the studio painting, it feels very calm. It’s a happy place to be. It is very luxurious to be able to do something you love with the potential of someone else buying it because they want it to enhance their home.
Surfaces – Water
100x 100 cms, acrylic on canvas
I am hoping this year sees me able to expand where my work is for sale, I would love to be showing in a gallery or two, and I would love to collaborate with interior designers. Also I aim to paint bigger maybe a 2m x 2m canvas – if I can get it into the already full studio!
Surfaces – Burnt
100 x 120 cms
