Corinne Melanie
Q. How did you start your artist journey?
A. My artistic journey is one that I feel like I’ve always been on! I’ve painted and drawn for as long as I can remember, and my childhood memories are of me entertaining myself by drawing and creating castles and jungles and other fantasy worlds. I didn’t complete an arts degree but pursued business studies instead, because I was told that being an artist wasn’t a real career and I wouldn’t make any money. How wrong that was! The internet and emerging world of e-commerce changed everything. My entrance into the art world as a professional artist was through the creation of my own online store and social media platforms, and sharing art online continues to
be my favourite way to reach more people with my art
than I ever could have imagined I would.
Q. What inspires you to incorporate complexity into
your paintings? Are there specific themes or ideas
you’re exploring?
A. I describe my paintings as contemporary mixed-media,
and I use a hybrid of both traditional and digital painting
methods to create my work. I’ve always been passionate about technology and the drive we have as humans to continually evolve and advance, while paradoxically having an innate need to stay connected to our roots and history. I see my artwork as telling this story; the past and the future is a central theme.
My style blurs boundaries between digital and traditional mediums as I combine classical subjects such as the sky, clouds and florals into new abstract forms and shapes,
with surreal elements of light embedded into the pieces.
Q. Your art is described as having dreamlike qualities.
Can you share the inspirations and techniques that allow you to achieve the dreamy quality in your work?
A. I combine my unique, soft abstract painting style of florals, clouds and other shapes, and overlay these with painting effects that almost look like a starry sky. These starry effects can’t be seen when you look at my art from
a distance, only when you take a closer look. I create these effects with a combination of alcohol ink, airbrushing,
paint splatters and digital brush techniques.
Q. What is your favourite color? Does this describe you
as a person?
A. I don’t have a favourite colour specifically – but right
now in my current season of life I’m drawn to deep blues, purples and the changing colour of iridescence. Blue speaks to calmness and tranquillity, and purple is associated with creativity, imagination and a sense of spirituality. My love for iridescence and the phenomenon
of colours changing from different angles symbolises a sense of playfulness, and an appreciation for the magical and unexpected.
Q. You draw inspiration from your life experiences and travels. Can you share some places or experiences that have had a significant impact on your art?
A. One of the biggest influences on the creation of my art
occurred at the start of 2020. In February 2020 we visited
Europe and travelled by road across different countries including Austria, France and Germany. We finished our
trip in Norway and saw the Northern Lights, which was incredible and a huge inspiration for me.
When we returned home in March, this amazing journey was followed almost immediately by being locked down
in Melbourne when the pandemic was starting in Australia. The beautiful places, landscapes and dreamy skies I saw
on this trip combined with the solace and space of lockdown led to the inspiration to create my Clara Auri ‘Bright Gold’ collection, which was the start of the style
you see today.
Q. How do you hope your art impacts the viewers and
the world around you?
A. I want to convey a calm and peaceful knowing that everything in life is unfolding exactly how it should be.
An excitement for the future and everything we are yet to experience, know and discover, while being grounded and content in the present. An appreciation for love, beauty, luxury, and all the fruits of life.
Q. Are there any artistic movements that have influenced your work?
A. My work has been influenced by the Art Nouveau and Abstract Expressionism movements, and I’m also very influenced by the artists that surround me sharing and promoting their work on social media. There are so many incredible modern artists on the internet right now, and the sharing of their work keeps me excited and
motivated to create even more.
Q. Could you walk us through the process you follow when creating your paintings?
A. How I combine digital methods and traditional
mediums changes from collection to collection and sometimes from painting to painting, but I always start with photography. Whether this be of the nature that surrounds me, the sky, or simply photographs of the colours or shapes I want to capture in my work, these
form the base of my work.
I’ll paint swatches of colours and shapes to paper or canvas, scan and upload them, and incorporate these with elements of photographs I’ve taken, and other textures and then paint the entire canvas digitally. For my mixed-media originals it’s at this point I’ll have a fine art giclee of the artwork printed, and I’ll continue to paint over it and add layers of paint, collage and texture until the piece is complete. For some of my fine art prints these pieces are scanned and then I’ll digitally paint over it again and apply more effects.
In the end, each piece is a beautiful, blurry blend of digital and traditional painting methods that I aim to make so seamless that sometimes I don’t even remember where
the traditional ends and the digital begins.
Q. Can you elaborate on the changes and growth
you’ve observed in your style over the years?
A. Over the years my techniques have become more complex and detailed. My paintings now take longer than they ever have before. I have a natural tendency to always be pursuing something new, trying a new brush, a new way to add texture or a new colour palette. The most recent evolution of my style is the inclusion of Japanese Mulberry paper as a collage layer into some of my works, when it dries it creates a translucent effect where it almost dissolves and blends seamlessly into the work while giving it an earthy texture that I just love.
Q. What are some of the most significant lessons or
breakthroughs you’ve had during your artistic journey?
A. I think the most significant breakthrough I’ve had
as an artist is accepting failures and mistakes are a necessary part of experimenting. Before realising this,
I felt that every painting needed to be perfect. But within this safety I wasn’t allowing myself to try anything new, and there was no progress. Now I understand it’s okay for there to be failures because between every mistake and failed piece of work, there is a shining light in the form
of a new technique or medium discovered that elevates
my work to the next level.
