We are so ecstatic to be having another local artist join us here at Forman. Please allow us to introduce to you the talented Kirsty McIntyre! Kirsty lives in southeast Melbourne not far from where the Boyds grew up at “Open country”. Her main subject is still life, painting stunning depictions of Australian flora and fauna.
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“I find I enjoy the sensual beauty of shapes and lines and colours but also the hidden narrative of the “characters” in my still life. A few years ago a wattlebird landed on an arrangement so I painted him into the picture. Soon I was including other Australian birds.”
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Her home studio may be tiny but it makes up in light for what it lacks in space with its lovely north facing windows currently flooding it with winter light. Kirsty is inspired by the magpies, lorikeets and wattlebirds that feed and play in her garden outside, and sometimes even land on her arrangements!
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Inside Kirsty’s studio
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Kirsty has been painting and drawing for as long as she can remember but like many young creatives, grew up with the prevailing belief that it wasn’t possible to make a living from an art practice. Instead she made the decision to spend her life working in medicine and to keep art as a hobby. Through the years she dabbled in mosaic and photography and had over 1000 photographs published in magazines.
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“I suppose in retrospect this honed my composition skills and “eye”. I started collecting Australian art and ceramics in the 2000s. I have a substantial collection of Australian pottery, vintage fabrics and an Australian native garden - it was as if all roads led to the moment when, frustrated by my inability to afford a Criss Canning still life I first picked up a paintbrush in 2011 and decided to ‘paint my own’.”
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Within days Kirsty was totally hooked but her practice was limited by time constraints. By 2016 she was struggling to work full time, be a good parent and find enough time to paint. She was then diagnosed with a serious illness which forced her to stop and reevaluate her life. She knew that she needed to make more time for herself.
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“I was fortunate enough to have a very supportive family, to be able to stop work and focus on art almost full time. A growing instagram following led to my being picked up by galleries in NSW and then Victoria. I have been blown away by the possibilities that have opened up in recent years and can’t believe I almost missed out on this life.”
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Above Left: 'SUNLIT WATTLE WITH SMALL PINK VASE' Centre: 'GOLDEN WATTLE, RASPBERRY GLASS AND FRIENDS' Right: 'LEMONS, GREVILLEA AND AQUA GLASS'
Kirsty’s parents were both art teachers so she grew up drawing and sketching, but when she took up painting in 2011 she admits that she really didn't know anything about the technical aspects.
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“I literally bought acrylic paint at the newsagent and googled “how do I paint?”! About five years in I reached the limits of self tuition and decided to find a teacher.”
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She took lessons with Ron Reynolds for three years which were invaluable in learning about simplification and abstraction but revealed huge gaps in her basic knowledge of realist painting. She then subsequently went on to do workshops with Nick Chen, Jenie Fawkner and most recently an online international workshop with Catherine Kehoe. Kirsty experiments with other mediums and supports but always comes back to oil paint on canvas.
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“I initially used brushes but found I was too perfectionistic with them so I started using a palette knife - it’s impossible to be too finicky with such a clumsy tool and I like the accidental effects that come with it. Lately I have been experimenting with different viewpoints, limited palettes and using flat, geometric shapes.”
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Work in progress in Kirsty's studio
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Criss Canning and Margaret Preston were Kirsty’s initial largest influences, later the Australian modernists as a group and the Scottish colourists. In 2018 and 2019 she travelled to Paris and New York just to look at the art.
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“You can always tell who the artists are at an exhibition - they are usually right close up to a picture trying to work out how an effect was achieved!”
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These days Kirsty follows numerous Australian and international artists on instagram. Amongst the international artists, she loves the work of Zoey Frank, Ed Praybe and Catherine Kehoe particularly. When talking about what influences her work, she shares
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“My husband is unfailingly supportive and always ready to give me a frank first impression which often influences the final result! And finally I just adore flowers.”
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Kirsty creates her art first and foremost for her own relaxation, expression and enjoyment.
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“I love that others enjoy my work and get a real buzz when someone buys my work for the love of it. More recently I have been entering prizes - art is a solitary business and it’s nice to work towards a big event.”
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Kirsty has already enjoyed some highlights over her journey as an artist including “Best in Show” at the Warranwood art show in 2018. Then in 2019 she entered her first national art prize - the Eutick Memorial Still life award (EMSLA) with no real expectations and was selected as a finalist. In 2021 she participated in group exhibitions and is now planning a solo show in 2022.
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Kirsty has such an extraordinary talent in capturing the sensual beauty of our flora and fauna in her compositions. When experiencing her work, it’s impossible not to be blown away by the stunning character and qualities of Australian nature and be overwhelmed with a feeling of home.
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You can view all of Kirsty's gorgeous artwork HERE and pop into the Forman gallery to experience them in person.