Melbourne artist & photographer Hilary Sloane...

Gloss Posse Feature

   

 

1. I've noticed you work across a range of mediums - what is your preferred medium?

This is a tough question. I would say I'm most at ease with photography, but there's nothing quite like painting or drawing in that you can create something completely original that did not exist anywhere other than in your mind. Drawing doesn't have the restraints that photography does.

2. What concerns you most in an artwork or photograph: colour, composition or subject matter?

All of those elements are very important, but colour is something I particularly pay a lot of attention to. I tend to have an inclination to subdued, natural and organic colour palettes.

 

3. How important is art in your life, and what would you say you gain from it?
Art is everything to me. Absorbing others, attempting to create my own. But I confess I create art for mostly hedonistic reasons. There is nothing quite like the high from creating something from scratch and the feeling you get afterward when you gaze at it, surprised at what you can execute and the subsequent infinite possibilities thereafter.

4. a. Do you have to be in a certain mood or mindset to sit down and compose a painting?

Most definitely. Unfortunately most of the time I'm usually pretty lazy and deterred by the process of having to set everything up and clean up the mess afterwards. This is where having a studio or specific painting space - with no distractions, would make all the difference. Hopefully one day I can acquire such a thing. Then I will have no excuse!

b. Is there much preparation involved, or is it whatever spills from the pen or paintbrush?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If I have specific subject matter in mind, I will usually go to a bit of preparation such as sketches, drafts, then onto the final surface. I wasn't blessed with a photographic memory or natural drawing ability, so I may also need to source imagery to remind myself how something looks.

5. If you could exhibit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

This will sound incredibly cliché - but it definitely has to be Paris. Because:

a. Paris is internationally and historically the hub of all the great artists - you can safely say you've made it if you have exhibited in Paris

b. To say I have exhibited in Paris

6. What do you hope will happen with your art / and what are your long term creative goals?

My long term creative goals are to expand my use of different mediums (perhaps give animation or film a go) and continue to build my skills. At the moment I guess I feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none. I am still locating my niche and finding what medium is truly for me.

Hopefully one day I will have a strong body of work that I can look back at and smile when I see what I have achieved. And that others have enjoyed seeing it too. And of course (hopefully) make enough money from it to have a roof over my head.

 

Thanks Hilary and we look forward to seeing more of your fantastic artwork and photography. Definitely keep Gloss updated with what you have been up to in the future.

Feel free to contact Hilary via email if you're interested in showcasing or purchasing her artwork.

Interview by Meg Bauer