Permission to play
Artist Lily Ivana taps into her creative flow by freeing herself of expectations and the result is mixed-media magic.
Artist Lily Ivana taps into her creative flow by freeing herself of expectations and the result is mixed-media magic.
Interview Hayley Barnett
Growing up, contemporary mixed media artist Lily Ivana was “never not doodling”. Back in her hometown in Yorkshire, UK, she often sat in front of the TV with a huge wooden board holding wallpaper and drew out masterpieces whilst watching her favourite shows. Now she calls the Bay home and says her artistic inspiration these days comes from the golden sands of the East Coast and wherever her weekend adventures take her.
How did you become an artist?
I come from quite a creative family. One of my earliest memories is sitting for my grandfather whilst he sketched my portrait. My dad is a bespoke joiner and triggered my love of design and ‘the makers mark’. I was lucky to get a place at Leeds College of Art, where I studied Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, specialising in object and spatial design. I also completed the UCA Drawing qualification whilst there. Then headed on to Nottingham to do my BAHons in Decorative Arts, specialising in ceramic sculpture.
Following university, I worked in various community arts projects in the UK and Aotearoa. And it opened my eyes to art as a tool for wellbeing and connection.
How did you discover this medium?
My curiosity to experiment and play with new materials has led me to my current style of creating. Around five years ago, my partner bought me my Adventure Journal. I took it with me on all our travels with an ever-expanding materials’ case and filled it with non-pressured, playful, mixed-media creations. When we got back it was the natural flow for me to start translating what I’d learned into larger scale works. Creating is my mindfulness practice. Removing the pressure of what it’s going to turn out like really helped me to free up and create more.
What do you love about it?
Acrylic paints are so versatile, they can be thickened, thinned, textured and layered. I love working with acrylic and mixed media as anything goes and I don’t feel limited. I play around with materials to learn about them. Sometimes I don’t know how they’re going to interact, but that’s all part of the magic. My outcomes rarely come out like my initial idea. I find it very freeing, allowing myself to just go with the flow and let the materials lead the way.
What are some of the things that inspire you to create your art?
I am super grateful to have an inspiring studio space, full of natural light, attached onto the deck where I live. It’s my happy place and having everything in one spot definitely helps with the momentum of creating.
The majority of my current work is influenced by my early morning coastal walks, weekend adventures and the plants I fill my home with. I create to recharge. The materials I’m drawn to and how the work turns out is always quite in the moment. All my work has brought me happiness.
What is your favourite piece and why?
Currently, my favourite piece is "A Gentle Day". I can imagine it bringing a peaceful, chilled feeling to a room. I like how the soft oil pastel line and block acrylic complement each other. This piece evolved over six months. When I see it I see the layers and the journey I went on when creating it.
Who is your favourite artist?
This changes all the time! At the moment, I can’t get enough of Californian artist Hilary Pecis, especially her landscapes. They feel so inviting with the contrast of solid colour and delicate, intricate shapes. I hope to be able to see her work in person one day.
Creative character: writer and poet Stuart Greenhill and the Fenton Arts Collective
Writer and poet Stuart Greenhill of the Fenton Arts Collective in Stratford talks to UNO.
PHOTOS Andy Jackson and Jane Dove Juneau
UNO: What a beautiful building you are housed in. How did you find it and what was the journey to restoration?
Stuart Greenhill: My partner Jo Stallard was looking for a heritage building to save. In 2016, she offered a ridiculously low amount for the Egmont Chambers building in Stratford, which was earthquake-rated 17%. It was accepted. The building was not listed on Stratford’s District Plan, so no funding was available. Other than that, it was a fantastic journey. We had enough experience from previous projects to ensure the outcome was what we wanted. The renovation won an Architecture Award in 2019 for Renovations and Additions. The building fascinates people, and many come just to see it.
What is the Fenton Arts Collective?
It is a collective of our passions and interests: Art, history, gin and espresso. We are 310 metres up a mountain, so our aspirations are just as high for each of them. The Collective offers people something unique, something intimate, something historical and modern; it offers a genuine experience.
Your partner Jo Stallard is the curator and artist-in-residence. What is Jo's artistic background, and what does she paint?
Jo comes from an art history background and is a portrait artist. She works in the traditional painting technique of “grisaille” or “dead painting” to traverse the landscapes of the human face and body. Looking, seeing and perceiving are the semantics of what a face has to give, share or provoke, and those are the landscapes she loves. So people come to the Collective, grab a coffee or gin from downstairs, and visit Jo’s working studio upstairs -- and maybe even chat about a commission.
Refreshment plays a strong role in your building; we hear gin and espresso coffee flow freely! Tell us more.
To survive in the provinces, businesses require diversity. Coffee, retail, and an art gallery were great, but we needed something more. Making gin is like writing. Botanicals are characters; each brings a different personality, so it was simply a matter of creating fantastic stories. People hear those when they book a gin tasting with me. Our espresso bar uses Proof & Stock coffee, made by our daughter, Adrianna, and offers high-quality healthy options including gluten-free and keto. And Tauranga celebrity Chef Ken Greenhill creates a monthly five-course degustation for us. They are so popular we have a waiting list.
What's your connection to Tauranga?
My brother’s been here since 1997, and Jo and I set up Deckchair on Marine Parade with him in 2007. We sold in 2010, travelled for a bit, and were approached in 2013 to establish Quantum Vis Eatery on Cameron Road. We still have a connection to the Bay, having formed many friendships over those years, and are thrilled that our gin is now carried by Mount Wine Barrel, Maunganui Rd and Fife Lane Restaurant.
And on top of all that, you're a published author! What have you written?
Dante Fog was published by Austin Macauley Publishers in London last year. It is autobiographical fiction (yes, that is a genre). The mother in the novel tells her son, “There are no better observers of life than artists.” I totally agree. Artistic license takes life and makes it art. That’s why I write poetry and prose and make gin and Jo paints. There is a beautiful complexity in discovering and understanding the layers in the mirror looking back at us. Our art attempts to express it so does the character Dante Fog.
What does the future hold for the Fenton Arts Collective?
There’s pressure to grow, but the distillery will remain boutique and so will the Arts Collective. Our gallery is booked for 2021, I am contracted to Austin Macauley Publishers for my next book, and Jo has two exhibitions this year. The future will be busy.