Suchi Vasuki (@vasuchii) is an Australian artist with a strong passion for creating. Sticking true to her motto that knowledge is most valuable when shared, she decided to start teaching growing artists to pass on her experience. We asked her some questions about creating and exploring art – read on to discover more and get inspired!
What’s a medium that you love and one that is more of a challenge?
I used to be a crazy mandala artist (mandala art is the new age meditation), who enjoyed creating intricate, circular patterns using a simple black pen! But over the last few years, I’ve become extremely fond of working with acrylics on canvas! Working with acrylics feels like home! The fact that acrylics dry quickly and mix easily with water makes it the go-to medium for me! I’ve tried oils a few times and have found it a bit tricky! While I’m having fun with acrylics now, I’ve saved oil for one fine day :-)
What’s an art project you were nervous about starting, that turned out amazing?
A colleague entrusted me with creating a photorealistic painting of his wedding bouquet as a gift for his wife. Considering how special that bouquet might have been on their special day, I was quite nervous to start the project. But good planning and not rushing helped! It ended up being quite realistic! I surprised myself with what I could create, by just believing in “I can”!
If you had no time frame, what would you be inspired to create?
Sunsets, seascapes, landscapes…nature in general has been a great inspiration for me! If I had no time frame, a large, plein air painting of the beautiful meadows at Maleny in Queensland would be top on my bucket list!
What would you tell your younger self?
I would tell my younger self to make time to include art in my everyday life! It has an incredible way of creating a sense of calm and can be an amazing tool for self-care and mental health.
What was the trickiest part of starting your art business and teaching others to create?
The trickiest part was understanding that selling art is an art, and it doesn’t always come easy. And selling may not be for all. But because I always believed in ‘knowledge has no value unless you use and share it’, I started workshops at home during school holidays for kids just to share what I had learnt! It started off as once-every-school-holidays, but now I run art classes, under the name ‘Arty Party Brisbane’, every weekend in my humble little abode! I love watching kids get creative and express joy!
What’s your favourite time of day?
I’m the founding member of my “5am Club”! I work best early in the morning, when it's peaceful and quiet, where I can have some ‘me-time’ and express my creative self!
How do you overcome art block?
I haven’t really faced an art block yet, because my passion for art is at a crazy level! When I am inspired to create, I can go on for hours! But, if I did face an art block, I would take a break, not think about it for a few hours and start off afresh!
Do you have any tips for how to improve at art?
We’re lucky to be in the age of Google, YouTube, etc! I would say start with watching videos/ tutorials. Watching experts paint can be very inspirational and can subconsciously help with learning paint strokes and the art of mixing paints to create shades! Start small, appreciate your work and then go big!
What does a Sunday afternoon look like for you?
Since my “me-time” is mostly in the mornings, my Sunday afternoons are mostly spent with my clan!
Do you have a fave Mont Marte product?
The Satin Acrylic paint tubes are my favourite Mont Marte product! I’ve tried many others, but nothing comes close to these!
Now you know a little more about Suchi and her experience as an art teacher, we hope you feel inspired to start your own art journey. We’ve learned that jumping online to discover more about techniques and styles is all part of the learning process – even for the pros!
We’ll help out and keep posting stacks of how-tos, lessons, and tips on our Create blog, where you can find the answers to loads of art questions.
Find out more about @vasuchii by checking out our gallery, where her art journey is featured! Why not have a look at some of our other featured artists for more ideas on getting creative?
Our Satin Acrylic Paints (Suchi’s fave) are available in store or online, as well as our Dimension Acrylic, and Acrylic Colour ranges. If you feel inspired to pick up some paints and create something at home, #montmarteart or tag us @montmarteart on Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to see what you come up with!
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