As a realism artist for more than 30 years Sallie-Anne says she felt nervous about attempting an abstract painting, “it went against everything I had ever been taught” she says. It wasn’t until the artist moved from Australia to the USA in 2008, that she decided to be brave and try an abstract painting. Initially she struggled with the freedom of her brush, her strokes had always been very confined and controlled and she was constantly reminding herself to “leave it alone”, as she puts it. She found working on larger canvases and using the biggest, widest brushes she could find, gave her no choice but to “free-up” and it wasn’t long before she was producing finished pieces that she felt happy with. “Doing realism was a little stressful, I was worried about every stroke, now I have this new found freedom with my brush, paint and canvas and it is exhilarating, I’ve never looked back or enjoyed my art as much as I do now!” she says.
