Oil Painting
Toni Vallance
Born in Aotearoa New Zealand, and currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Toni is an artist specialising in layered, abstract mixed-media pieces.
Artist Profile
Born in Aotearoa New Zealand, and currently based in Naarm/Melbourne, Toni is an artist specialising in layered, abstract mixed-media pieces.
Drawing inspiration from nature, design, architecture, and the human experience, Toni instinctively manipulates raw line drawings with acrylics and oils to create pieces that, in their purest form, play with dimensions, colour and texture, through an elaborate play of layered mark-making.
Toni’s journey to creative expression has not been a straightforward one. With degrees in both Business and Health Science, Toni has worked professionally in advertising and design, and as a naturopath, before following a long-held, intuitive calling and taking the leap into making art. In 2017 Toni completed a drawing course, and lived and worked in New York, which ultimately inspired her art practice. Toni has since created and sold works in New York, London, New Zealand and Australia. She is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Fine Art (painting) at RMIT University.
Artist Interview
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
I mostly work with acrylic under painting and then oil paint or oil sticks over top. Oil sticks feature heavily because I find the ability to draw a very direct and fulfilling experience, while still achieving a painting finish.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
I often start with blind drawings (drawing without looking at the paper) of nature or source imagery because I love how it abstracts the image, and also makes me deeply observe what I'm looking at. For my first solo show coming up in June 2024, I created many small studies with acrylics and oil sticks. These initial drawings or studies inform the paintings but they often change significantly in the process.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I'm currently studying Fine Art at RMIT University in the city and we are lucky to get our own small studio space. It's an amazing supportive environment to create in. I tend to spread out and work on the floor. It can get pretty messy!
Career Highlights
- Being selected by the National Emerging Art Prize (NEAP) curator, Amber Creswell Bell, to feature in the 2023 'ACB Selects' online exhibition – dubbed "ones to watch".
- Being offered a solo exhibition with Michael Reid Northern Beaches gallery (29 May – 9 June, 2024).
- Being accepted into the prestigious Fine Art program at RMIT University.
