We are back for our Tuesday Chats feature! This week we have caught up with Rochelle Fullarton from RochelleCreative. Talking about her paintings and digital illustrations which explore themes of individuality, friendship, love and healing. Rochelle centralises her practise around women of colour, sisterhood and self-care, her work is both powerful and memorable.
How was RochelleCreative born?
I studied art all through school and then went on to get a diploma and a degree in Fine Art. Both incredible experiences. However, throughout my whole 8 years of studying, researching artists and finding inspiration, I often found a lot of the art that I was studying unrelatable. Beautiful, yes, but not relatable, at least for me. I was never given artists to study that looked like me or lived similar experiences to mine. And whilst I could always appreciate the work, I’ve always believed that art should spark something inside you, make you feel something. And so on a quest to create art that resonated deeply with me, RochelleCreative was born.
Where do you find inspiration?
My work is inspired by and for women. So everywhere really. Family, friends, public figures, historical figures. All the women who paved the way for me.
What do you like about working with digital in comparison to oils?
I honestly prefer oils. Oil painting will always hold a special place in my heart. I turned to digital purely to learn a new skill and to be able to have a quicker turnover between pieces. But I’ve found that my oil paintings always get a much better reception so I’ll always switch between the two.
Do you have any tips for painting portraits?
Other than learning the basics of drawing facial features, structure and proportion. I would say, look for what others don’t see and layers are everything.
Which digital platforms and programmes have helped shape your business?
Instagram has been a great platform that has allowed me to not only share my work and reach a wider audience, but it has connected me with so many artists that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about.
Will you be doing any more online classes?
If there is a demand for it then definitely, but it’s not a priority right now.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own creative business?
Just start. I always found myself procrastinating and making excuses about not having all the tools I needed. But the truth is, you can start with whatever tools you have available to you in this moment. With a little determination you can make anything work.
Secondly I would say, search for a gap in the market that you could fill. The world doesn’t need thousands of variations of the same thing. Find what’s missing, and create it.
Any exciting plans for the future?
There’s a lot of things in the pipeline yes, all I can say at the moment is that I will be expanding my accessory range!
Thank you Rochelle. Head to Rochelle's Etsy page - RochelleCreativeShop and use code: RCREATIVE10 to receive 10% off.
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