 Tina Newlove
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Gallery Direct Interview with TINA NEWLOVE
Tina’s art is a culmination of images that surface from her subconscious, and depict relationships both intimate and distant. Her new work is largely concerned with the violations of privacy and over-protection in society and the vulnerability of the individual in both city and intimate home-life situations.
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At what point in your life did you decide you were going to pursue art as a career?
It feels like I have always known I would pursue art as a career as it has always been my most natural form of communication. Although the real decision came when I decided to enter University to continue my art education.
Who has given you the most inspiration and encouragement during your career as an artist?
I have had the privilege of being encouraged by many different people and artists at various junctures of my career. Throughout my career my family has always been my primary source of inspiration and encouragement. My mother, Rose Anna Newlove, has always supported my endeavors. And as my art agent, I along with a number of other artists, have had her invaluable help with public relations, entering works in juried shows and multiple other business tasks allowing me to concentrate on painting.
Artists along the way who have inspired me include Doreen Fitzgibbon who first taught me oil painting and drawing techniques, and Gretchen Day, watercolours. To me, these women are important examples of discipline and dedication in their continued art-making practices.
In university, my professors, Graham Todd, Jean Maddison, Don Carr, Hugh Galloway and Judy Major-Girardin were infinitely inspiring and encouraging during my four years at McMaster.
Recently, I have had great inspiration and encouragement from the online exhibitions I have seen at www.womanmade.org from the Woman Made Gallery in Chicago.
What is your artistic medium of choice and why is it your favourite?
Oil painting is my favourite medium of choice. I love the depth of colour, the creaminess of the paint and the many layers that can be applied to the canvas or paper. Although I use acrylics in performance painting and often work in watercolour, for me, nothing compares to working with oil paint.
What experiences have most influenced your choice of subject matter?
Childhood trauma, religious experiences (in a non-religious spiritual sense), nature and dreams often are the source of my subject matter. Travel, especially my trip to war-torn Kosovo after the war in 1999 and cityscapes influence my painting sensibilities as well.
Is there any way that you produce your art that you feel is unusual or unique?
Ah, a wise woman once told me to not give away any of my secrets but I will tell you that because of my watercolour background I tend to begin my oil paintings very thinly and people often comment on these sections that are visible in the finished piece.
What role do you think your emotions play in the creative process?
My emotions are highly connected to the creative process, sometimes as the catalyst for a series of work or as the culmination of the work when I reflect on what I have accomplished. Usually as I work my emotions are suspended.
What is your ideal working atmosphere? Do you listen to music while you paint?
My ideal working atmosphere is in the studio, on my own with no deadline for the day, a steady flow of music with a coffee or tea break.
As an artist, do you feel you perceive the world differently from other people?
As individuals I think we all notice the world differently. I tend to notice details, such as patterns, shapes, stitching, colours and shadows. Sometimes to distraction which can make day to day tasks awkward to finish.
Could you tell us a bit about your Series “WordPlay” and the relationship between the images and text and what inspired you to do these works.
In university I was challenged in a critique to explain the small three page oil on rice paper books that I had been producing. The works were very personal and I was asked how they related to a wider audience. As my works are often word-based or inspired by poetry or song lyrics the dictionary pages I chose to work on seemed an excellent starting point for the viewer (almost an illustration) as well as providing me with endless amusement as I played with the words and images.
Usually I will pick my 'theme' page from the dictionary and either work on it directly or have it printed larger to canvas or watercolour paper. Then I circle and underline the words and phrases which connect with me. After applying a clear base coat I paint away. I find these works to be enjoyable, time consuming and mentally exhausting - I love them.
What has been the biggest challenge for you during your career as an artist?
The biggest challenge for me during my career continues to be funding - finding it and taking the time to apply for exhibition grants etc. Also while my work sells very quickly there are the periods in between that are hard to budget for when I am producing the art.
How do you think or want other people to respond to your work?
People tend to respond with very strong emotions to my work - positively and negatively. I appreciate the time people spend with my work and I’m glad that it effects them one way or another.
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