Crest Up

Product Description

Crest Up by Chelsea Gustafsson

10″ x 8″, 10.8″ x 8.8″ x 1.75″ with frame, Oil on Wood Panel

Current Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: 4th Year Anniversary Show from December 19th, 2015 to January 19th, 2016

Previous Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery:
- Foliage from September 5th to October 6th, 2015
- 3rd Year Anniversary Show from December 6th, 2014 to January 6th, 2015

Artist Biography:
Chelsea grew up in a small rural community in Australia, later moving to Melbourne to study painting and sculpture. Her love has always been for painting and she has had a varied creative career: working in a sculptor’s studio for a period of time, the art department in the film & television industry and in graphic design before having kids, which she now juggles whilst creating her art in the coastal town of Barwon Heads.

Exhibitions:
2015
- Foliage from September 5th to October 6th, 2015
- 3rd Year Anniversary Show from December 6th, 2014 to January 6th, 2015
– With Love Your BIggest Fan 2, Arch Enemy Arts, Philadelphia, PA.
– BHPS Art Show. Barwon Heads, VIC.

2014
– 3rd Anniversary Show, Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, CA.
– Group exhibition at Boom Gallery, Geelong.
– Solo exhibition at Boom Gallery, Geelong.
– Solo exhibition at Hut 13, Richmond.

2013
– Solo exhibition at Boom Gallery, Geelong.

2012
– Several group exhibitions, here and there.

2011
– Commissioned by the Royal Society of Chemists (UK) to produce a series of portraits (oil on canvas)
– Commissioned by TarraWarra Estate, in Yarra Glen to provide 25 paintings (oil on canvas).

2010
– a winner of the Linden Postcard Show.

Finalist in the 2009 ANL Maritime Art Prize; 2008 John Leslie Art Prize; 2007 Metro 5 Art Prize; 2006 ANL Maritime Art Prize… (and more)

Artist Website: http://www.chelseagustafsson.com/

Artist Interview with Flower Pepper Gallery on Jan 2nd, 2016:
- How would you describe your own artwork?

My paintings combine a minimalist aesthetic with detailed, realistic studies of my subjects. I give the subjects a lot of breathing space – a good dose of negative space around them. I like to explore contrasting elements, such as playing with the light for dramatic contrast. Sometimes I’ll choose a subject for it’s symbolism and then sometimes it’s just a straight up study of something I find quite beautiful, or something so ugly that it’s beautiful. Nothing’s off limits.

- Is there a story behind this painting?

This painting, Crest Up, is of local (Geelong, Aus) musician & artist Ok Sure (Akaysha). I wanted to do some figurative painting again and Akaysha has stunning features and an awesome wardrobe that influenced my decision to contact her to model for me!

- Can you talk about your creative process?

The creative process usually begins for me when I’m about to nod of to sleep, or I’m walking the dog – wherever my head has a bit of space from all the daily distractions. That’s when the seed is planted and from there I might research and scribble ideas and thumbnails or just launch into setting up a subject to photograph. From the photo I draw up my image, transfer it onto the painting surface and then pain and angst over it until I’m about three quarters through – usually the point I start to have some faith in what I’m doing or bin the idea all together!

- Who is your favorite artist?

I couldn’t nail it down to just one favourite. Mark Rothko and Cy Twombly definitely rate. I’ve been lusting after Christian Rex Van Minnen and Colin Chillag’s paintings. And Dan Witz… and…

- What’s the one thing we should know about you?

I’m quite shy, and a little bit loud.

- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A ‘painter’.

- Coffee or tea?

I’ll have a coffee, thanks.

Additional Information