Joanna Touma
Tell us a little bit about you?
I’m an 43 year old abstract artist based in Sydney, specialising in large textural pieces. I work with all kinds of mixed media including resin, texture pastes, plaster, concrete, alcohol inks, gold leaf just to name a few. Having 3 teens, a husband and Frenchie at home that need me, I love working from my studio at home, having the flexibility to stop and start work when needed.
What is your favourite drink?
Tottis margaritas, and a glass of rose when I’m painting on the weekends.
What inspired you to start painting?
I have always loved to take painting workshops here and there but it wasn’t until my 40th birthday when my best friend bought me a voucher for a full day one on one painting class to create an oversized artwork for my lounge room that I was hooked! As soon as that day was over, I knew I needed to do it again and again. I felt alive in a way I had never felt before and I knew,
That at the ripe old age of 43, it was the beginning of me finally finding what I wanted to do with my life.
I started practising with everything I could get my hands on at home and because it was the beginning of covid, I had all the time in the world! I painted night and day for months at the beginning and basically haven’t stopped. I began painting artworks for friends and it just snowballed. Fast forward 3 years and I have now renovated my garage and spare room into an art studio, and am now painting huge artworks of 2-3 metres high for well know function centres and usually always have 2-3 mths of commissions booked in advance. I’m incredibly humbled and grateful for what covid gave me the opportunity to find. It was the silver lining for me in what was a terrible time for most.
What advice would you give other artists/creatives starting out?
My advice would be that it’s never too late to find what you love.
I had alot of artists on Insta give me great advice at the beginning of my journey which I am forever grateful for. I have found now that I have artists reaching out to me and I’m paying it forward with anything I can help them with to follow their dreams.
Another thing is to just keep painting.
Every piece isn’t going to be a masterpiece, but there are lessons to be learned with every piece you paint.
‘Hard work will always beat talent when talent doesn’t work hard’.
You can see more of Joanna Touma’s work here.