:Cheryl Playne: 'Founding ArterNet Art Member' Featured 'FAM' Artist - ArterNet Art
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| 'Twilight's Gentle Kiss' Art By Cheryl Playne. 30.5 x 40.5cm |
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| Cheryl Playne 'Founding ArterNet Art Member' |
Today we're very excited to introduce you to 'FAM' member artist Cheryl Playne.
Cheryl describes herself as an abstract painter working in mixed media.
She creates colourful, dynamic abstract paintings filled with a deep perception of special places and meaningful moments.Cheryl lives in a house on a hill on Auckland’s beautiful North Shore, where she has expansive views of the valley and the ocean.
Having always loved the ocean, lakes, rivers, even streams, they often feature in her work.
As Cheryl herself says, she feels very blessed to live where she does.
ArterNet Art: Hi Cheryl, it's great to chat with you today. Can you share with our readers what was your route to becoming an artist?
Cheryl: I always loved art, even as a child, and it was my favourite subject at school. I would spend most of my lunchtimes in the art room working on projects.
ArterNet Art: Hi Cheryl, it's great to chat with you today. Can you share with our readers what was your route to becoming an artist?
Cheryl: I always loved art, even as a child, and it was my favourite subject at school. I would spend most of my lunchtimes in the art room working on projects.
I really wanted to go to art school, but thought I couldn’t make a living doing it. Instead, I went into an administrative career, spending many lunch hours in the art gallery though!
In 1975 I left England and came to New Zealand on my own to start a new life. I loved the outdoor life here, the sense of space and laid-back lifestyle, especially coming from the suburbs of Liverpool. I stayed, got married, had children and life was busy for many years as I home-schooled my two boys.
Once they went to university I went back to work for a few years.
Then we were invited to a party at a friend’s house and the theme was to dress up as someone you always wanted to be.
I was stumped! I never wanted to be a superhero, or go into space, or be a princess. I realised that, after all the years of seeing to the needs of my family, I had no idea what I really wanted to be.
Then suddenly I knew! I had always regretted not going to art school. I wanted to be an artist. So I bought myself some canvases and paints, watched lots of tutorials and just threw myself into it.
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| Memories 30.5 x 30.5cm |
ArterNet Art: Coming to art later in life, is such a common theme. And what a gutsy move coming to NZ, back then.
How has your life/upbringing influenced your work?
Cheryl: I have always been considered to be extremely sensitive and feel things very deeply but can’t always put into words what those feelings are.
Painting allows me to express those things and I don’t always know what they are until the painting is almost finished. I think that is why making art brings me peace and joy.
I also think that moving from England to New Zealand has had an influence. My impressions of England and New Zealand have become somewhat blended together in my work.
It is also influenced by my other travels over the years.
ArterNet Art: What or who were your early influences?
Cheryl: When I was a child, I admired my auntie’s art - but my biggest influence came when I went to secondary school and had the most amazing art teacher.
ArterNet Art: What or who were your early influences?
Cheryl: When I was a child, I admired my auntie’s art - but my biggest influence came when I went to secondary school and had the most amazing art teacher.
I was shy and nervous and he encouraged me to express myself through art.
Cheryl: I had a good ability to draw well and was a perfectionist so spent hours on the details, but my art teacher introduced me to abstract art and taught me to loosen up and enjoy playing with paint.
I have loved abstract art ever since.
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| Patched Together 45.5 x 45.5cm |
ArterNet Art: What was it about the medium you've chosen, that attracted you?
Cheryl: I love working with acrylics because of the speed with which I can work and the spontaneity they allow. I enjoy creating layers in my work.
I don’t have the patience to wait for oil paint to dry and would lose my momentum if I had to.
Having said that, I do also like to work with oil and cold wax and find the process very calming and soothing.
ArterNet Art: Can you explain to us a bit about your chosen techniques and how you use them
Cheryl: I like to work in layers using mark-making, collage, stencilling and glazing.
ArterNet Art: Can you explain to us a bit about your chosen techniques and how you use them
Cheryl: I like to work in layers using mark-making, collage, stencilling and glazing.
I am excited to see what textures and shapes appear.
ArterNet Art: Can you add some detail about your process from conception to creation.
Cheryl: I don’t start off with a concept of what I want the painting to be about. I have tried that approach but it didn’t work for me.
I usually start with some bold, spontaneous marks in a loose way, with a variety of materials. I choose whatever leftover paint is on my palette or select a colour palette I want to try out.
It really doesn’t matter at this stage as much of it will get covered up anyway.
As shapes and textures appear I respond by adding colours or marks that I feel would look good next to them, but at this stage I am still playing and not thinking or planning.
I often add collage at this stage and maybe some stencilling. It’s really difficult to describe my process as it’s intuitive and depends on what is happening on the canvas or board.
Then, gradually, the painting starts to take shape and I switch into thinking mode.
- How is the composition looking?
- Do I have any glaring problems that need to be addressed?
- Do I have enough contrasts and areas of interest?
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| Step 1 |
Step 2. As I work through this stage I have to be careful not to overthink and lose the freshness and spontaneity. This is the difficult part for me so I often stop, hang the painting and look at for a while before continuing.
Once I am sure there is nothing more needed, I do the finishing and varnishing coats.
It is often at this point that I see what the work is about and why I painted it.
It always amazes me to see how much I am affected by things from deep within.
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| Final |
ArterNet Art: Where does your inspiration come from mainly?
Cheryl: My work is inspired by the deeper emotions we experience as human beings - those times in life when we experience a profound sense of connection with something much bigger than ourselves– the “deeper magic” that Aslan spoke of in Narnia.
I mean those times when you stand in a particular place and feel an overwhelming peace and sense of awe – like standing on holy ground when the history of the place becomes almost visible and tangible.
You feel you never want to move from that spot but discover that later, even thinking about it takes you back to the feeling.
Or those times when you meet someone for the first time but instinctively know that they will become an important part of your life.
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"In the Secret Place” oil/cold wax painting 20 x 30 cm on board |
How has your work developed since you began and how do you see it evolving in the future?
Cheryl: When I began painting seriously again, I was fascinated by texture and used a lot of texture gels and pastes so the work was physically very textured.
Cheryl: When I began painting seriously again, I was fascinated by texture and used a lot of texture gels and pastes so the work was physically very textured.
I still love texture, but am now far more interested in implied textures that I get from layering and glazing so my work is more subtle.
I am also far more confident these days. When I look at my early work I can see how tentative I was about putting the paint on and how scared I was of ruining a painting.
ArterNet Art: Yes, I think we can all relate to that.
Can you give us an overview about a piece of your work that holds particularly fond memories and why?
Cheryl: The very first painting that I ever sold was one of a pathway leading to a door. The path was cracked and broken, but it led straight to the door which dominated the painting.
Cheryl: The very first painting that I ever sold was one of a pathway leading to a door. The path was cracked and broken, but it led straight to the door which dominated the painting.
At that stage of my life I felt I was being invited to step through a door and start a new phase of my life as an artist.
The lady that bought it said it really moved her emotionally when she saw it and she knew she had to buy it.
I always hope that by sharing my own deep, moving experiences through my art it will move my viewer emotionally and inspire that same sense of wonder so it was amazing to get confirmation that it was possible so early on in my journey.
I always hope that by sharing my own deep, moving experiences through my art it will move my viewer emotionally and inspire that same sense of wonder so it was amazing to get confirmation that it was possible so early on in my journey.
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| Sedona Skies 51 x 51cm |
ArterNet Art: Is there anything in particular that inspires you to create art?
Cheryl: I often find it hard to express myself in words and feel that I am being heard, so painting for me is a way of expressing myself without being misunderstood.
Cheryl: I had a painting I was really proud of in a friend’s pop-up gallery a few years ago. At that stage it was the largest I had ever done.
Apparently a lady walked in to the gallery, walked straight to my painting and said “Oh my goodness, I love it, I want it, please wrap it for me right away”.
She didn’t even ask the price. I was delighted to have a sale, but even more delighted that she loved it so much.
ArterNet Art: I love stories like that.
ArterNet Art: I love stories like that.
Marketing your artwork: do you have any tips? Do you struggle with marketing and what areas could you use some guidance.
Cheryl: I struggle with social media, marketing and technology and definitely could use some guidance regarding selling my work.
ArterNet Art: How has Covid-19 impacted you and your art business/career over the past year or so?
Cheryl: It’s been difficult to get my work out there when the art gallery that represents me has been closed during lockdowns and many of the local exhibitions were cancelled.
Cheryl: I struggle with social media, marketing and technology and definitely could use some guidance regarding selling my work.
ArterNet Art: How has Covid-19 impacted you and your art business/career over the past year or so?
Cheryl: It’s been difficult to get my work out there when the art gallery that represents me has been closed during lockdowns and many of the local exhibitions were cancelled.
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| Windsong 30 x 40cm |
ArterNet Art: What advice would you give to an aspiring new artist?
Cheryl: Learn as much as you can about your materials and techniques. Admire other people’s art, but don’t measure your work against theirs.
Find out what you really love to do and do that – don’t try to paint things because you think they will sell.
People respond to originality, so let the real you shine through.
Most of all – give yourself time!
You cannot expect to be good right from the beginning.
ArterNet Art: Do you have any quotes you live by?
Cheryl: The deeper the well, the sweeter the water.
That's excellent Cheryl. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk with us today and we wish you all the success in the future.
Though you are unable to buy art on ArterNet Art, until we launch stage three. To purchase any of Cheryl's art you can contact her through the links below:
You can find more about Cheryl on her website here:
And follow her on Instagram here:
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| “Moonlight Sonata” 40 x 40 on cradled board |
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