Kate Quinn

Tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I work from my home studio in Brisbane, I'm a mum of three, and I work part time as an artist, and part time as a social worker. I've been painting for about 7 years, but prior to that, have always had some sort of creative hobby on the go.

What is your favourite drink?
Every morning, I start the day very early with a group of friends at our adult swimming squad or take a brisk walk with my little dingo, then we meet for a coffee (I drink skim flat white) at my favourite cafe, Aftermath Speciality Coffee in Red Hill (coffee there is 10/10). After a quick coffee and a few laughs, we all rush home to get ready for school and work.

What inspired you to start painting? 
Laura Jones! I was completely obsessed with her floral still lifes, and wanted to learn how she painted with such glorious use of colour and movement. I did some lessons to get familiar with oils, and have pretty much worked the rest out by myself. I also did a workshop with Sam Michelle (who is a truly lovely person, by the way), and her exquisite and technically brilliant painting is a constant source of inspiration to me. 

What advice would you give other artists/creatives starting out?

Just start. Don't expect to like your first attempts.... all artists start out being rubbish and get better with practice. I keep my first ever still life attempt on my studio wall (it's awful) as a reminder of how far I have come. My key piece of advice, to all creatives, new or established, is to value the process of creation equally with the product you create. Enjoyment of the process of your art is the most important thing, and if you happen to create something lovely at the end, consider it a bonus. 

You can read more about Kate Quinn here.