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What do the words “a picture speaks a thousand words” mean to you in terms of art and design?
everything. i love pictures... am not so good with words.
How would you describe the aesthetic behind your work?
I am interested in memories, childhood objects, folk art and the unexpected, so these things often come up in my work. aesthetically my work has been described as "feminine and dream-like with a darker edge"
Where and when do you find most of your ideas?
I work best when I am really busy... if there is a lot going on and i am working on a few different projects it tends to generate lots of ideas. Also if I am thinking about something just before I go to sleep, seem to come up with good ideas then. I am always thinking about my work, I never stop. It can be annoying.
What is your favourite thing to do in your precious spare time?
Precious is right! adventures with my kids, bake, garden, look in thrifts stores and 2nd hand bookshops, swim in the ocean, go out for dinner, travel.
As an artist and a woman what aspects of femininity and women have inspired you in your life and career?
My mum has been an amazing inspiration to me. She left school at 15 and didn't get her HSC until after my sister and I were born. She was single mum (although my dad was around and was a great help too), and managed to bring us up whilst getting a degree and then going on to work. Now she is one of the top people in her field (women's services/domestic violence), is a media star and is respected and admired by many people. She has strong feminist and equality values which she instilled in me, but not in an overly political way - more that she made me feel that the fact I was female shouldn’t make any difference in the world. it was a great thing to have, especially as the field i initially chose to work in (street wear in 90's) was very male-dominated. I never thought about being a female in that field, I was just working in an area I was interested in, and I think that one of the reasons was able to have some degree of success.
I also have some very inspirational female friends who I have worked with for a long time, in particular shauna toohey of PAM. we went to uni together and shared a studio together afterwards. She works really hard, and the work she does is amazing. She was one of the only people I could relate to in terms of running your own business, and has always been a great support and advice-giver to me.
What are the five most important things in creating a work of art/design?
1. be original
2. Develop your own style
3. Don’t under estimate the power of drawing - learn draw before you even touch a computer
4. Write your ideas down. Ideas are precious things and if you lose them you won’t have anything to work with
5. Never stop looking
What is the most valuable piece of advice you have been given?
Again from my mum... she always told me "never be boring" and I think that made me look outside the circle and find what it was that I really loved doing
What’s next?
After 8 years I actually have just finished my clothing line princess Tina. I am going to do a line of more accessory/home wears/l'objet d'art/stationary type things under my own name. I am continuing with my kids line (tiny mammoth) and also launching a new website in mid-November. Other than that hopefully some more art shows, continue with my freelance work etc. and a big family holiday somewhere.
What does being an “artist” mean to you?
That’s a hard one - I always feel conflicted calling myself an artist. I feel like my work is not cerebral enough to be called an art, so hard for me to answer this question - sorry!
What is your favourite time of the year?
Anytime! I love weather and watching the changing of seasons, so I love all parts of the year. i do particularly like April and October when its good picnic weather though.
Find out more about Beci- http://www.yenmag.net/ywya/finalists_profile.php?name_id=2
Interview By Rhiannon Bulley
