Interview With…

Adelle Airey

by Alyssa Laube

About: Adelle Airey describes herself as a “self-taught artist, typically creating acrylic paintings of single flower blooms or plant life covering the entire canvas.” To learn more about Adelle, go to http://www.facebook.com/AdelleAireyArtworks

 

Is this your first time at the Art World Expo? What are you looking forward to?

Yes.  I am looking forward to having my work on public display for the first time.

 

How did you get started in art?

I have always loved to draw and create things.  My grandmother liked to paint and she encouraged me to paint even if it was just as a hobby.  I was recognized in my senior years of high school, as Seaquam Secondary’s “Outstanding Senior Art Student” and commissioned to design and paint a hallway mural.  My pencil & ink drawings and water colour paintings were proudly hung around my parent’s house.  Many of my early pieces were given as gifts to special friends.

 

How were you influenced as an artist by your heritage or home town?

Our family lived on a small non-working farm in Delta in the70s.  Growing up surrounded by colourful things in nature and interesting personalities of animals, has definitely influenced my art.

 

Who was your main inspiration growing up and how has it changed from then?

Artists like Patrick Nagel and Ty Wilson have probably made the biggest impression on me as an artist.  I admire their simplicity of style and use of contrasts and colour.

 

Many of your paintings are of flowers. Is there any specific reason for this?

I still have the first photo I took with my parent’s camera.  I was 9 years old and it was of a rose in our garden.  I appreciate the wide variety in plants and flowers, and they allow for artistic expression.

What do you consider your “big break”?

Art World Expo 2014 !

 

How have you developed as an artist, both professionally and personally?

I realize I cannot be afraid to experiment.  Researching techniques and ways to improve as a painter may not always lead to a “good” piece, but that is ok.  Personally, I have “developed” in facing my fears and gaining confidence in myself as an artist.

 

How did you receive your training?

I am a self-taught artist with no formal training.

 

You also create sculptures. How did that start?

I started a craft project over the winter of ‘93. My first Paper Mache sculptures were a decorative bowl and a prickly pear cactus.  After showing a co-worker what I had made, she asked if she could commission a piece for her home.  The sale of that piece quickly lead to another 5 commissioned pieces.

 

Have you ever gotten “Artist’s Block” and if so, how did you deal with it?

I didn’t do any art for a long time.  Don’t know if that was a “block” or just letting life get in the way of something I really needed to do.  I find setting a goal or deadline for a piece helps motivate me.  I try to work on my art only when I’m in the mood”.

 

What is your favorite (and least favorite) thing about being an artist?

Fav: I get a lot of satisfaction when I am finished a piece and it turns out the way I envisioned.  Least fav: criticism that is not constructive.

 

Did you always want to be an artist? If not, what did you want to be and when/why did you change your mind?

Yes.  I just didn’t really know what kind.  I thought about being a graphic artist; makeup artist; or interior designer.