A Life in Colour

Grace sits in a charming blue weatherboard cottage, painting her masterpieces while taking in the surrounding country landscape of the place she has called home since birth.

Home and family are deeply important to the 20-year-old artist, and the writing is on the wall (or, more accurately, the paintings are on the wall).

A beautiful yellow portrait of Grace and her brother as children with their grandfather hangs above her desk and easel. Another painting of her siblings hangs behind her, with one of her parents beside it.

‘The painting of my grandfather is pretty special,’ she tells me. ‘We lost him last year.’

A bright painting of her sister holding her cousin’s child rests on her easel, a sign of a work in progress; though to the untrained eye, it appears perfectly complete.

Grace admits it has taken her a long time to understand when a painting is finished.

‘I have ruined many works by overpainting them and trying to make them look as close to the reference as possible. You can paint for days if you adopt that mindset. Letting go of perfectionism and pausing when I paint has helped me determine when it is time to stop,’ she said. ‘I have also learnt to embrace the little imperfections and wobbly lines because they usually add more character. Before finishing a piece, I typically choose one colour to carry across the painting to tie it together.’

Grace’s personal paintings can take anywhere from one to five hours in a single sitting, or up to three days. Commissions, however, usually take her at least a month, as they require more detail and attention.

The creative outlet does not feel like ‘work’ to Grace, who is currently juggling a job at an aged care home while studying a Nutrition Science degree.

‘Painting is extremely rewarding and relaxing for me. Your mind is so busy making small decisions, such as how much paint to use, which colours will mix best, or which brush will give the right effect, that it has no choice but to focus and be silent,’ she says. ‘It is a great ‘off-switch’ during overwhelming times. This also removes pressure from the outcome, because if the piece does not turn out how I expected, I still enjoyed the process.

‘Painting helps me be more present and observational during the day-to-day. If I have been painting consistently, I find myself picking out colours when I’m on walks or appreciating natural compositions more.’

Grace’s creative journey began after she was captivated by oil paintings at an Impressionist Exhibition in Melbourne.

‘I remember feeling amazed by how striking the colours were to see in person, especially the cobalt blue and whites. The opacity and sharpness of the paint were unlike anything I’d seen before,’ she says.

‘I’ve always been involved with art, but honestly, I never really understood the differences between paint types. In 2020, I ordered a cheap set of oil paints from eBay and gave them a go.

‘I quickly learnt that oil paints cannot mix with water, which sent me down a rabbit hole of researching solvents, mediums, and techniques. I could not understand how artists got the paint to move at all!

‘Since then, I became so fascinated by how versatile oil paints are. You can thin them down with solvent or thicken them with wax mediums. You can manipulate the paint to work for you; there is a lot of opportunity for play.’

Grace’s family were incredibly supportive of the budding artist, encouraging her to follow her passion and trust in her talent.

That family bond is evident in her portraits, and she hopes to capture the essence of other families and their individual personalities through her work.

‘Family portraits are important to me as so much of our personalities are shaped by the people around us. I hope that my paintings can serve as a reminder to feel grateful for these relationships,’ Grace says. ‘During family portraits, I try to pay close attention to subtle facial expressions to capture one’s character. When the piece is shown to families, these key details are often acknowledged and appreciated by them, which is a fulfilling feeling as an artist.’

Grace takes inspiration from artists Mary Cassatt, Salman Toor, Mary Tonkin, and Tomo Campbell. But when it comes to pushing colour, Matisse’s Collioure paintings (1904–1906) stand out for their bold palette and simplistic composition,  a balance she too hopes to achieve.

While Grace loves painting portraits and abstracts, she plans to focus on more landscapes this year.

‘There are so many beautiful compositions and landscapes in Gippsland that I would love to look at in more detail. Landscapes are also a fantastic way to spend more time outdoors and work from life,’ she says. ‘My family and I often spend time on the boat around Metung, where there are idealistic views of yachts and scenery to take inspiration from. With these scenes, I would love to create a collection for an art market.’

Alongside this, Grace will continue taking on commissions. Anyone wanting to learn more about her work or inquire about commissions can contact her via email, website, or Instagram.

Instagram: @gracerubycreative
Email: gracerubycreative@gmail.com
Website: www.gracerubycreative.com