By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
Silvan ‘accidental artist’ Tania Chanter has had her artwork displayed at the Affordable Art Fair Melbourne last week – an exhibition which democratises the art world and makes art accessible to all.
Ms Chanter has been a professional artist for only the past five years; prior to that, she worked in the media industry.
She worked for The Age newspaper for 11-years as a voice-over artist and media presenter, and as a director of a Graphic Design company.
Despite her diverse career, painting became a surprisingly deep passion for Ms Chanter.
This newfound interest sparked when her sons started watching Bob Ross’s YouTube videos, leading the family to purchase some paint supplies and try painting on their own.
“I discovered how much I actually loved painting and from then on there hasn’t been a day gone by where I haven’t put paintbrush to Canvas – it’s quite a turnaround from an administrative type of field,” the 55-year-old artist said.
“It is incredible how much time can elapse as you focus on a painting because for me, the colours and the mood of a piece all happens in my mind, and so once I get into that little zone, hours can pass and that side of it is really enjoyable, and especially if the painting comes together, it can be very rewarding.”
“Unfortunately, not all paintings come together straight away – all the time, sometimes I end up having to leave it and just come back a few hours or a few days later to see what I need to do to correct it but the beauty of my type of art is I can just keep adding layers, layers until I’m happy with the piece.”
During her exhibition at the Affordable Art Fair Melbourne, she said she was touched by people’s reaction to her paintings.
“It’s incredible how someone can have an emotional connection with your piece, there are thousands of paintings that you feel it doesn’t connect with you, but then they just find one of your pieces they instantly have a connection with, I think that makes it all worthwhile,” Ms Chanter said.
“The pleasurable thing about art fair is meeting people that appreciate your art, then also being the added bonus of being able to make a living out of it.”
She has a profound appreciation for colours, and a obsession with patterns, currently, her artistic focus lies on capturing the essence of landscapes inspired by the natural world, as well as exploring the ever-changing effects of elemental forces on the environment.
“My paintings are driven by my mood, and that can be dictated by the time of year and the time of the day – if it’s in winter, I may paint more moody skies and paint with colours that are more reminiscent of winter, and if I pain in the morning, I focus more on the sunrise colours and go from there,” she said.
Since a young age, Ms Chanter has had a natural inclination to express the profound emotions she experiences through the beauty of nature.
Her canvas becomes a conduit for these feelings, allowing them to flow freely in an uninterrupted, intuitive manner – layers, textures, and colours blend and transform until a sense of inner satisfaction is achieved.
It quickly became an outlet that perfectly aligned with her creative impulses, providing boundless inspiration and fulfillment.
The Yarra Valley artist’s work is included in both private and corporate collections throughout Australia and abroad, reflecting the broad appeal and emotional impact of her art.
“Being an artist has given me a great sense of freedom, I can work my own hours, and my husband and I paint together,” she said.
“My husband is also a painter, we both work on the same piece at the same time, this gives us more time with each other, and we’re closer, we are building each other up and we’re supportive of one another – of course we have some days where we disagree over a painting, but we quickly get past that.”
The beauty of nature is not just in the scenery, but in the emotions, it stirs within us and Ms Chanter is excited to what emotions the duo can create with their paint brushes.
“I want to keep my paintings fresh, and keep adding new components as I go,” she said.
