Guest Artist Tanya Blong

A Body of Work with a Nod to Mid Century

We welcome our October Guest Artist, Tanya Blong. Receiving high acclaim at exhibitions at her sell out shows, it is a particular delight to present this stunning body of work exclusivly created for Artform.

In a discussion over coffee, while throwing a stick to her very, very busy dog, I asked Tanya a few questions about her inspiration and what drives her to create these amazing, vibrant, transforming art.

What drew you to this craft initially?

I like to create a narrative, set a scene, or suggest an emotive quality, paint is the most natural way for me to do this.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

It always starts with a bush walk, to get ideas ruminating, to study light and shadow - how this falls on foliage etc , I am in the studio by 10am and working on a number of paintings, often researching images or topics of interest throughout the day. I break at 4pm for family time and return to the studio at 9pm till late.

What is the most rewarding part of your work…?

The way it makes me see the world, it is such a privlege to live an artistic life, where I can observe, study and process the most banal to the most interesting subjects and feel all the dots connect! For me being a painter slows down my world and makes EVERYTHING interesting!

What is the most challenging process for you?

To be more loose, painterly, playful within my work, less is more is an ongoing ellusiveness!

The best piece of advice I’ve received is…?

Slow down your work, exhaust all angles in one narrative, stretch your colour pallet, follow up decisions you didnt take in the previous painting, be intimate with your work know it so well you get bored with it, that is when you will push new ground!

Can you give us a little insight into your creative process?

Images and stories inspire me wether fact or fiction, I like to create that dream quality where you can remember and feel it, but you can't quite pinpoint the details... Images, novels, music all inspire me, I magpie from all, make very quick sketches, and then layer paint, working intuitivley, sometimes the work ends up nothing like the sketch or feeling I wanted to create.

How would you describe your work and what influences your style?

I have a few different genres but they all stem from nostalgia, a time gone by..... Warm faded memories..