There’s no big secret to artist Robyn Kittelty-Redman’s art – she paints or draws what she wants in whatever artistic medium she chooses, and she creates art for herself, no one else.
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While many artists take commissions or create artworks for sale, Ms Kittelty-Redman’s creations are purely personal.
But it turns out that many people share her passions and many of her works are quickly snapped up when they go on sale.
At the opening night of Ms Kittelty-Redman’s new exhibition at The Mercure on Saturday, her first solo exhibition in eight years, 16 of the 56 artworks on display were purchased.
It is Ms Kittelty-Redman’s 41st exhibition and the works have all been completed over the past three years.
“It’s all just stuff that I love,” she said. “I love painting things that are beautiful – flowers, landscapes, ladies, and the only way I can paint anything decent is to have emotion and feeling.
“I don’t paint for anyone else or for commission: I paint for me and if someone likes it that’s great.”
Unlike most artists who specialise in one or two mediums, Ms Kittelty-Redman works in five or six including oils, watercolours, collage, acrylics and pastels. “I absolutely love all of them. Sometimes people ask how I do so many mediums, but I teach so many mediums and I’ve got to have handle on them.
“Each medium provides a different thing: oils are a delight and talk to you, acrylic is fun, watercolours are so gentle and you’re in the lap of the gods what happens, collage is pure imagination and pastels are so able to be controlled – they can match the mood of anything you want to do,” she said.
“Sometimes I think to myself I’m a jack of all trades and master of none, or a bit good at all but never excellent because I can’t choose, but I love them all.”
Ms Kittelty-Redman’s whole life has been about creating and teaching art. During her career she has taught more than 40,000 people in 47 towns in Victoria, and 72 towns across Australia as well as overseas.
She isn’t sure why it’s been so long between solo exhibitions, but a combination of a rapidly changing art-world, a tougher time selling art, expensive galleries and the slog of being on the road have all contributed.
“But really mostly I’ve been teaching, teaching is my life and it really does take a lot of time out to pull a show together but all the stuff I’ve done that I thought was reasonable I’ve put aside for the past three years.”
Ms Kittelty-Redman will also have works in another exhibition at The Mercure in May, alongside 11 other Ballarat artists in a group exhibition. Her current exhibition runs until March 12.
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