Featured Artist Sally Walsh

Sillier Than Sally (aka Sally Walsh) has embraced the medium of watercolor with all its “unruliness” to create wonderfully fun, lively and colorful pieces of art. Enjoy more of her work by visiting her website.

 

 

Art for me is a gorgeous opportunity to touch and awaken another person’s soul with wonder, warmth, colour and awe; to in turn spark a smile and to remind us all of our own infinite potential.

 

 

A Romance Story: A girl and her watercolours…

 

 

I have always been a mixed media girl at heart. Actually I think it’s a bit more than that — my love of art, art supplies and new art techniques is like a colourful beast that needs constant feeding! Mixed media is like a wonderland, there is always something new to discover, a new art supply to buy (my poor wallet), a way to add history by incorporating vintage papers, or a new way to use your existing supplies discovered by exploration or by combining fun techniques.

 

 

Recently, I have been on a mad watercolour craze. I have completely and wholeheartedly embraced the medium, one that I had actually snubbed for years maybe because the drying time annoyed me, and the fact that watercolours are so darn unruly. (Fun tips I have learnt along the way: a heat gun can help out with the drying time, and just jump onboard the unruly watercolour train–go with it.)

 

 

Watercolour is a medium that continues to surprise and delight me, and I’ve found if you embrace “happy mistakes,” then watercolours can be your best friend!

 

 

Letting go of control and working hand in hand with watercolours rather than trying to control them (as you do with acrylics) was for me, let’s say “A bit of a challenge!” Once that breakthrough happened and I learnt to embrace the overall flow and blotchy awesomeness that is watercolour, I found a lively, fun, colourful and dramatic style emerge.

 

 

To really kick this up a notch I set myself a “30 Days of Watercolour Challenge” at the end of last year. This saw me rise at four a.m. daily to bring to life a series of whimsical birds, flowers, animals and ethereal girls. I posted my paintings on my Sillier Than Sally Facebook page daily at eight a.m. My eagerly awaiting friends, collectors and fans went absolutely mental over them (to my absolute delight) and snapped them up them in seconds!

 

 

Having a crew of awesome and supportive online friends (new and old) to cheer me on really kept me going, especially through the sleep deprived days. The response to my art was so lovely, it made my heart glow. Also, starting your day off painting just makes the soul sing!

 

 

Over the years, I’ve noticed certain inspirations shine through my art, no matter what the medium–a love of nature, a crazy insane love of animals, the fantastic female form in all its glorious ways (and let’s face it ladies–we are awesome!), dramatic, bold colours and collaged vintage papers and memorabilia.

 

 

As my love for mixed media is still as strong as ever, I am thinking my next “30 Days Challenge” will be a mixed media one. I am sure it will make for some interesting mornings and certainly some interesting art works. I wonder what new breakthroughs are in store for me….

 

Artist Sally Walsh invites you to follow her on Facebook.