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Metallic Paintings
What inspires you to paint using metallic paints?
From the earliest age I was attracted to anything shiny or sparkly, starting with the rainbow effects of oil on watery puddles or light bouncing off the surface of the ocean. I love metallic and iridescent paints for their ever-changing qualities and ability to capture light in so many ways. Recurring themes in many of my paintings are flowing images, I like the idea of movement and that nothing stands still and is always changing. Metallic paints with their 3-dimensional qualities and ability to look different in daylight or electric light or even when viewed from a different angle are fascinating to me.
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What artists past or present have inspired you?
The first painting that I remember really caught my imagination was Salvador Dali’s ‘The Persistence of Memory’ (The one with the melting clocks), which I saw in a book when I was only about 12 years old. That a painting did not have to be a photographic representation of an object or place was news to me and I started to read about the Surrealists. I loved their use of strong light and shade and imaginative subject matter. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to gaze upon this actual painting when I visited the MOMA in New York.
I am still attracted to artworks that use light and texture. Some modern artists I find inspiring are Sax Impey for his wonderful modern seascapes, Philip Raskin for use of texture andwonderfully lit skies and Bill Bate for his beautiful underwater paintings of nude figures.
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What process do you go through when painting?
I always paint in a very free, creative way and always in a strong, positive frame of mind. I work mostly from my imagination and from inspirational photos, including underwater photos that I take on my travels around the world. Most of my inspiration comes from nature. I am especially interested in the calm reflections of water, the fury of a stormy sea or the breaking light in the morning skies outside my window. Every painting is something of a journey and sometimes where I end up is not where I started out to go but I love this freedom and at times just going with the flow produces my best work!
For many years I worked as a fashion designer before taking up painting full time and I believe my training and experience in design has given me a good eye for colour, proportion and balance. Metallics have a great decorative quality and my paintings are often purchased or commissioned as part of an interior design. I really enjoy creating special bespoke pieces for clients who want a unique painting to compliment an interior and who sometimes send me photos or colour swatches to work from.
By Sharon Deegan
View Sharon Deegan's Artwork
