Hello, I'm Philippa G.
I am Melbourne based and have lived here for 18 years now. I am self taught and have never been to art school, nor wanted to! Art is the only thing I’ve ever wanted to really ‘do’ as a profession. I started painting when I was 17, back in 1991! It has been the best form of therapy for me and this is where I originally started as a way to express my inner world, which lead me towards a path of study for becoming an art therapist. Every painting is an expression of where I was at emotionally at the time when I gave it birth in the form of art. Currently I am working towards creating online courses in art therapy for kids who live on the autistic spectrum, as a way for them to also express their inner worlds which often go unexpressed. I also aim to create techniques in art for people to learn from as an online course. I march to the beat of my Misfit drum and very much enjoy being experimental and aim to see exactly what I can do! I like to expand on styles so I don’t just stick to one style and medium. I started out doodling whilst talking to friends after school on the phone and this opened me up to what happens when you paint without intention and only do it for the fun and joy of it, like we all used to as children. My favourite way to paint is just by allowing the subconscious to reveal itself, without any concept in mind. I often find many interesting faces and scenarios in my paintings, that I love to sit back and observe later and marvel at. I tend to see these things in all kinds of household fixtures such as bathroom tiles and carpets so I guess to say I have an eye for detail is an understatement. I cherish my time learning in informal workshops and retreats in Ubud, to refine the skills I’ve earned over time, with Master’s apprentices such as Wolfgang Widmoser, who was an apprentice to Salvador Dali, and Daniel Mirante, who trained under the late Great Ernst Fuchs, who recently passed a few years ago. They are prolific artists in their own right and I am blessed to have received their tutorials, and hear their stories of working under such Masters. With their help I learned specific techniques to add to my skill set, such as the Mischtechnique, which was used by Masters back in the Renaissance period, and is such a powerful method for doing shadow work with. I learned to mix egg tempura, as well as learning little tricks like how to make a universe of stars in just a single tap of a paintbrush, or jewelled dew drops and tears. Generally, I just love to play with the brush and paint to see what it can do. Decalcomania for instance, is currently my favourite technique in terms of visual effects. I have moved from starting out as an abstract artist to feeling the need to challenge myself towards more conceptual art and even politically motivated art for things like the Stop Adani Campaign back in 2016 in Australia. I get bored if I stick to just one style…even if I excel in it. I want to see exactly what I can do and this is the primary motivation that drives me as an artist. Surrealism has been one style I have and still do enjoy very much exploring, and although I have recently turned back to my roots of doodling and abstract art, I know surrealism will be a style I can get lost in for many years ahead.