BrisStyle: Sandra Darling: Visual Artist

This week the BrisStyle team met up with Sandra, the talented visual artist behind Sandra Darling. Here's a little peek into her creative world.....

How would you describe your work?

Creative, Feminine, Unique, Inspired, Captivating.

My art work is available as Limited Edition Fine Art Photographic Giclee Art Prints (archival, printed on Hahnemuhle Rag Paper), Art Cards, Blank Greeting Cards, Calendars, as well as my new fabric design range.

Through my artwork, images rich in layers and textures, I explore all that is intrinsically human and in particular feminine. I think the quote "the present is just a moment passed" sums up our fragile existence and offers an insight into the world of what my art work explores.

How did your Etsy shop come into being?
Late last year I made the decision to re-engage with my visual art practice, as although I had originally majored in painting and drawing in my Degree, I have recently been enjoying photography as a medium. Through this I developed my own style of digital collage. I use photography and photo editing software as a tool much the same way as an artist uses a brush or a drawing implement or collage techniques. I wanted a place I could share my art with a wider audience. Etsy offered me a good global, as well as local platform to showcase my work.

Who or What inspires you?
My influences are first and foremost everything I see, feel and experience, but I've always had a great love of the Decorative Arts and Crafts, the Art Nouveau and Art Deco period, the great 20th Century Artists, and I have a great admiration for the artists of the Renaissance period, where images of mythology and flora are in abundance.

We are the sum of our experiences and as such I believe everything leading up to this moment is the inspiration for all those who create. A kind of 'joining the dots backwards'.

Do you 'reduce, reuse, recycle' as part of your creative process?
I am currently working on a project which is the extension of my art work to 'wearable art' through fabric design. My range of Sandra Darling Fabric Designs include organic cotton based fabrics which are suitable for different applications including retro inspired fashion creations, home furnishings such as beautiful cushions, window dressings and upholstery, and fabric accessories such as stylish clutches and tote bags. My fabrics are available by the fat quarter or yard.

I have introduced a small selection of my fabrics and will be extending my range in the very near future. I am working on a collaboration project to launch a selection in the near future via an art exhibition and fashion parade where I will be working closely with Jennifer from Jennifer's Gift, another BrisStyle member. It is very exciting and we can't wait to share our joint creations with you! Stay tuned and mark February on your calendar. Please email me at sandradarlingvisualart@gmail.com if you have any enquiries about my Fabric Designs or would like more info about the upcoming exhibition!

A future project I am also working on is a small range of 3 dimensional jewellery pieces where I utilize recycled sterling silver as part of my process! This range will be developed through a process of 'lost wax casting' and will be based on organic and fluid forms. The individual pieces will also see additional embellishments of vintage fabric, ribbons, lace and other parts incorporated into the final design - making each jewellery piece completely unique and with an eco conscience. I hope to launch my designs in the first half of 2011. Stay tuned.

My Art Cards and Prints are also from sustainable resources. They are printed on a 'supply and demand' basis which ensures these resources are in small batches only as well as offering better quality control and minimizing waste. I have included a link below from the makers of the paper I use for my limited edition prints showing that having a green conscience is part of this company's ethics as well. Click here to read more.

Can you describe your studio/work area?
My studio is largely 'Mother Nature' herself! Whether it is my own backyard, where many of my images of roses have originated from, or from further afar, gardens of natural, abundant and rugged landscapes - this is my studio!

The other part of my studio/work area is based in my 'Queenslander' home where I am surrounded by an eclectic mix of art and collectables that I have accumulated along my travels. I try to keep my work space to one area but in reality it follows me to every room and space I go, including my car and other workplaces that I inhabit.

What is your favourite thing in the shop at the moment?
My favourite thing in my shop at the moment is 'Above an Awakened Surface'. Although my 'favourite' changes on a daily basis, and to be honest, they all have a special place in my heart - there is a little piece of my soul in every creation. I normally find my latest creation becomes my new favourite, until the next new creation!