‘Artists can enjoy a lot of alone time and be fortunate to have a lot to show and share from it.’
Cameron Richards is an Australian artist. Working from a home studio in WA, Cameron pursues emotion through his figurative and landscape works, his career gained a boost in 2020 when he won the Shirley Hannan Award.
Where is your current studio? What would be your dream studio?
My current “studio” is a room in my little 2 by 1 villa in Palmyra, WA. It’s not a huge room but I feel lucky to have a dedicated space for it! I feel a lot better when the space I’m in is organised and looks good. So currently I have a (relatively) neat set up of an easel in one corner, with a stand to hold my laptop and a mobile set of 3 trays which holds my paints, water/ terps, pallet, brushes. I have a cool light lamp that shines directly onto my pallet and paints, and a 3 globe ceiling light that I can aim in different directions for optimal lighting. I then have an old wooden desk in the opposite corner for designing my pieces, sketching etc. and a very comfortable leather armchair that sits under a window for sitters/ myself or my girlfriend when we want to relax!
This space has evolved over a few years, which I’ve dedicated a lot of energy in optimising because I want it to be an inspiring space to be in. I also want my girlfriend to want to spend time in the space, partly because it’s her property too, but mainly so I can find more time to paint that fits into our lifestyle.
When I think of my dream studio, I cant help but think Kathrin Longhurt’s studio and old pictures of Claude Monet’s studio. They inspire me as soon as I see photos of those spaces. The similarities they have are they are massive open rooms with high ceilings, plenty of hanging space and lots of natural light.
I am a big fan of rustic/ farmhouse interior design, so I think being in a space that was both practical from a creation perspective but also beautiful to look at/ sit in would best suit me and encouraging my creative process. So I think the dream would be to continue to organically grow my setup into a slightly bigger, well lit space J
Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
I often prefer to work with music. I am not sure the music influences my painting very much, but my painting influences my mood, which is reflected in the music I’ll listen to.
When I am content with my painting, I tend to listen to slower music anywhere from Angus and Julia Stone to Jose Gonzalez. When I am inspired or excited with a piece it will be far more energetic music like Nothing but thieves, PVRIS or Banks. When I am sad or just in a bad mood I sometimes won’t think to put on music, but I don’t often get much out of those times in the studio.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
I actually find I crave this isolation at times for a few reasons. The first is that I am naturally an introvert, in that I gain a lot of energy and happiness from my periods of alone time/ isolation. The second is I am a full time physiotherapist, which is a very social job, interacting with lots of different people every day for 20-30 minutes at a time, so it is nice to have a break from this. The third is I am very passionate about painting and always feel as though I am not quite getting enough time each week to dedicate to my practice.
Ironically I think this is what “balance” looks like for me with my work and my art. It keeps me hungry for my art, which means every second I have with it is well and truly cherished.
What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process?
My favourite part is coming up with an idea. There’s lots of anticipatory excitement, which then often motivates action and productivity.
My least favourite is roughly a quarter through the piece, where you’ve done a lot of the prep work, the idea is fully formed and it’s just about putting in the hours. At that point the piece is often very far from the final piece that doubt enters your mind at whether you have laid the correct foundations to arrive at your original idea. This is often where I slow down too, procrastination creeps in or life convinces you to put painting lower down on your priority list.
How has your style evolved and what contributed to the changes?
My style has always attempted to be within the realm of “realism”, however as time has passed my skills have improved to hold greater likeness to my sitters, more purposeful use of colour and greater detail (all through practice, practice, practice). Possibly what has changed the most over time is the “design” of my pieces, focusing a lot more on the overall composition between the sitter, the background and focusing on what I am conveying with both those aspects of my pieces.
Is there something you regard as essential to your preparation or process?
Coming up with a good idea. That might be in the form of thinking of a good subject to paint, some aspect of a particular subjects personality or a concept to create in the background for one of my portraits. Without this I feel as though I am just copying a photo, which feels quite empty to me.
Follow Cameron!
@cameronrichardsartist