Monique Tyacke

Bright For the past 15 years, contemporary hard edge painter Monique Tyacke has been honing her skills from her big bright studio in Brookvale which she shares with fellow artist Jessica Watts. Beaches COVERED. sat down with PopCOLOURS Monique to chat about what makes her bright colours pop.

Hi Monique, where did you grow up, and has this infl uenced your artistic style? I grew up on the Central Coast of NSW in the 70’s and 80’s which was very laid back back then. Moving to Sydney to attend Sydney College of the Arts, I felt like a fi sh out of water, I was a very naive 18 year old. I think living in New York for almost a decade after Art School defi nitely opened my eyes and infl uenced my artistic style and my approach to art making. At the start, I wasn’t allowed to work in the US, so I spent a lot of my time learning art techniques, visiting galleries and making art, both good and really awful. I experimented A LOT! I was immersed in one of the most vibrant cities in the world where inspiration and infl uence was around every corner and it was an amazing time!

Tell us a little about your style; how would you describe it? I work primarily in acrylic paint on canvas or board. I tend to lean towards bold colours mixed with pops of unusual or unexpected colours. My style is sometimes referred to as a “cutout” style or “hard edge” painting, where all the colours are painted without blending into the colour next to it. My work explores tone and colour, usually drawing inspiration from my own photographs.

Did you study Art at school or are you self-taught? Art was my favourite subject in high school. I spent many a lunchtime in the art rooms drinking black instant coffee, eating avocados drawing and painting on anything I could get my hands on. Later on, I received my Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) degree from Sydney University - Sydney College of the Arts. After moving to NYC, I also participated in Summer Residencies at both New York Academy of Art (NYAA) and the School of Visual Arts (SVA).

What’s your happy place? I absolutely love my painting studio. I could spend days on end in there with all the windows open and the music playing really loudly! I also really love travelling; it is defi nitely the number one inspiration behind my paintings. @helenbeardart @guy_yanai @esergundz and @fabian_treiber. They are a fun and colourful bunch that inspire me.

On a Sunday, I’d prefer to be…? Lying on a hammock reading a book with a coffee from one of my local Collaroy cafes. I’m all about lazy Sundays.

Who are your top 3 followings on Instagram? I don’t think I can stop at 3! The top 6 on my list right now are @celestebarber @ashleylonshoreart What do you want people to feel when they look at your work? Probably a sense of nostalgia or familiarity. A place they have been, seen somewhere or want to travel to. I guess my paintings are an escape from everyday life, even if only for a second. I like to create vibrant, happy pieces.

Top tips for young starting out artists? Constantly experiment to fi nd your style, something that you are going to continue for a long while; something you will be recognised by if someone sees your work. It took me a long time to fi nd my style and now I have been painting this way for 15 years. Also for me, organisation and planning is also key. Keep in mind that there are a lot of things happening behind the scenes - website, bookkeeping, social media - which all take time away from painting. I wouldn’t change it for the world though because it’s defi nitely my dream job! •

MONIQUE TYACKE // 4/275 HARBORD ROAD, BROOKVALE // 0432 310 100 MON@MONIQUETYACKE.COM // INSTA: @MONIQUETYACKEARTIST // www.moniquetyacke.com