ILONA ABOU-ZOLOF

DON’T BE AFRAID

FAMILY GATHERING

DEAD END BUS STOP III

DEAD END BUS STOP IV

DEAD END BUS STOP V

SWEEPING BEAUTY

PURPLE DAHLIA

GROUND HORN BILL

LEOPARD CONVERSATION

RIDING THE BLACK PANTHER

WHAT’S UP

Meet your artist Ilona Abou-Zolof

Sydney, NSW Australia

Website : www.zolof.net

https://artistsdownunder.com.au/artist-2/ilona-abou-zolof/

My name is Ilona, I am proud grandmother of eight grandchildren. I seriously got into photography in 2005, 2006 I joined my first Camera Club and joined others over the years. After a few years learning the basics of photography I wanted to learn and practise methods of photography and digital art that doesn’t fit into a box. I believe you must think outside the box to get noticed.

How did you become interested/get started in Photo Artistry?

About six or seven years ago my friend Christina Brunton said, “NEXT YEAR I WANT TO GET CREATIVE.” So, she did, she joined a few FB groups and signed up with Sebastian Michaels. When the Photo Artistic Life group opened for new members to join, I joined. Since then, I joined AWAKE and KAIZEN. I am loving my artistic journey. Here I am learning the tools to make my photography and digital art stand out.

What inspires you or gives you inspiration to create your art?

I get inspired by fellow artists in our groups and on other FB pages. If I get an idea, I look at images on the web to get more ideas. Christina Brunton and I collaborate with our models and come up with photo shoots. We love to work on projects. I am interested in painterly images and fantasy images. It pleases me to see how I can make my own reality. I will watch lots of tutorials to learn new skills and then make sure to practise, practise and practise.

Do you have a certain approach to creating your art?

I believe creativity doesn’t come to you, I believe you have to work on it and do so every day. It doesn’t matter how busy I get during the day, I love to get to my computer and start working on an image with a couple of layers or a lot of layers. My work starts with an idea (at least 90% of the time). I try to work with my own images, but I will used purchased images if I can’t find what I need.

What does your art mean to you?

My art or creating my art means sanity to me. In our days with COVID and everything else going on I can travel in my mind. Often, I get asked how long I spend on one piece. I don’t notice time; it is like meditation. It relaxes me.

Do you think since starting in Photo Artistry it has changed you and if so, how?

Most definitely, my art has changed how I approach every day. I learned to say no to things I don’t want to do. My priorities have changed. I still love spending time with my family, the next favourite of mine is my art and sharing it with my family and friends. I decluttered my life, my emails and my social media activities.

Is there anyone that you draw inspiration from?

Christina Brunton, friends on Photoshop Artistry, AWAKE and Kaizen are always inspiring me. I also enjoy our monthly Zoom meetings with the Artists Down Under group. I get inspiration from our Artists Down Under Magazine, from the Living the Photo Artistic Life Magazine, from online galleries and other friends that are into photography or digital art.

I hope I will never stop learning new skills or creating digital art. I believe keeping your brain busy will hopefully prevent or slow down any kind of sicknesses. I love the digital world and enjoy working on my images or create any digital art from scratch.

I am working this year on about 7 or 8 different exhibitions, I am sure it will keep me busy and maybe even out of mischief.

BROKEN