Acrylic Painting

Bridgette Ferrier

Bridgette Ferrier is an artist with a focus on paint and has home bases in both Melbourne, and the far south coast of New South Wales.

Artist Profile

Bridgette Ferrier is an artist with a focus on paint and has home bases in both Melbourne, and the far south coast of New South Wales.

In her practice, Bridgette strives to find a harmony between two distinct styles and her body of work is a meeting point between ethereal abstract fields of colour and still life imagery. Both often inspired by lived experiences, nature and her habit of collecting and curating objects.

The common thread in all her pieces is a dreamlike expressiveness that invokes a strong sense of mood and feeling. She creates her works to act as portals to a curious and calmer state of mind.

Artist Interview

What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?

I predominantly work with acrylics as the versatility and quick drying time suit my practice, allowing me to build layers that create depth in my work. I enjoy oscillating between watery, light washes and heavy, dense applications of paint. These often overlap, and using acrylics prevents the colours from becoming muddy.

How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?

Painting concepts usually come to me most easily after spending time in nature and feeling open-minded and unafraid of what might emerge. I also gain inspiration when I’m admiring or holding tangible objects, like shells or items you might find around a home.<br><br> When a concept begins to take shape, I like to sit with it for a moment to sense if it’s the right direction, but not for too long to avoid overthinking. Then, I commit to making marks on the canvas. I try not to over-plan, as I’ve learned that I often change my mind as the work evolves. I also need to trust the process; since I paint with so many layers, things often don’t look right until I add that one final layer. Then, trusting my intuition, the work gains a sense of completeness.

Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?

I am in the midst of a major transition at the moment. This year, I went from having a lovely little studio to painting from home over the last few months as I plan an even bigger move.<br><br> I’ll soon be moving back to my coastal hometown on the far south coast of NSW, where I’ll be renting my childhood home from my mum. One of the biggest inspirations for this move is the opportunity to set up a new studio space. As the downstairs area of the house is a large, open garage/entertainment room that I’ll be converting into my studio. I have some big ideas to build movable walls that I can shift around the space, so we’ll see how that goes. The house is nestled in the bush, up on a hill just out of town, and I’m excited to see how my practice evolves as I transition from living in an apartment in the inner suburbs of Melbourne to a house in the mountains.