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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.
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.
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