What was the creative process behind it, from the beginning until it was finished?
I knew from the start my Madam would be large from the beginning, so I started with meticulous preparation. My miniature study version focused on composition, proportions, rhythms and relationships between the colours. Then I achieved a satisfying result, I started to transfer my study to a large format. Firstly, I worked with a brush only and with a process developed, I introduced a painting knife. In this artwork, everything was essential for me, colours, textures and the size of the brush or painting knife strokes. Most importantly, I worked in stages (layers) and on each step, I tried to get to the point where I could stop at any moment, and my work still looked finished.

“During the covid-19 lockdown in 2020, Madam de Pompadour became a finalist of the Bluethumb Art Prize, the Australian largest online art gallery.”

What did you enjoy the most about the process?
Working in impasto technique is immensely satisfying. It is something between painting and sculpture, I enjoyed the playfulness of the process.

What were your references, influences or inspirations during your creative process?
My memories of living in a small village at the foot of the Mountain were my inspiration.

What was the hardest thing for you?
The hardest thing was working on that large format in the small space. This technique and layout of the painting often require checking the progress from the distance. To solve this problem, I used my cellphone simply by taking photos and checking my work in a smaller format.

Valeriia Sedlak

Ukrainian born Australian Artist and Art Tutor, based in Sydney. Passionate about painting, drawing and printmaking.

www.instagram.com/vs.instagallery

La entrada Madame de Pompadour se publicó primero en ERRR MAGAZINE.