Say hello to Gold Coast artist, Cassidy Salomon (@my.saltystudio). In this interview, we asked her stacks of questions about her method of creating, fave mediums, inspiration, and more. Her take on art is inspiring so read on to find out more!
How did you discover your inner artist? Was it a gradual process or a surprise discovery?
From a young age, I have always loved being creative. When I was 8, my brother built me an art table with a lift-up lid to store things in, a roll of paper attached to the side so I could just pull more paper across, and paint holders on the other side. So, I have always been encouraged and supported to create.
When I was 11, I started art lessons from a lady in our local community in the spare room of her house. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was exactly what I needed. She had every medium and hundreds of art books and magazines to flip through and find inspiration from.
Throughout school, I did many art projects and loved them, but it wasn’t until years later that I decided to try something totally different. I was in my final year of uni when I started playing with “textured art”. I started posting videos to TikTok and Instagram and things grew from there. I have now recently branched into a new avenue of art that I am calling “engraving art”. I am not sure if there is already a term for it, but I haven’t seen anyone do what I am doing with the mediums that I am using.
The discovery of my inner artist has definitely been a gradual process, and I am sure it will be ever-growing as I experiment and explore new concepts.
What art mediums are your faves?
This is hard because I love so many different art forms, I just want to play with them all and be good at them all. I really love watercolour art, and I wish I could spend more time practising it as there’s so much to learn about it. Lately, I have been spending most of my time with light modelling paste, plasters, acrylic paints, and engraving tools while I have been creating my Midnight Marine collection.
How do you tackle art block?
There are a few things I do to overcome art block:
1. I don’t push it. If I don’t feel like creating, I just take a little break. I step back and get some space, do some things that I love like surfing or spending time with my family.
2. I talk to my creative friends. Sometimes I might have the start of an idea, but I hit a wall with it. Talking it out with my friends helps me to make sense of it and creates a space for them to offer some ideas and suggestions for it.
3. I use my brainstorming sketch pages that I made to doodle ideas. Sketching ideas can help me generate ideas over time
Who inspires you the most?
Cliché I know, but my mum. In her spare time, she is an amazing watercolour artist. But she also is an extremely successful business owner, mother, and grandmother. She has always been so driven and hardworking – I have never seen anyone work as hard as my mum does – yet still has so much time for her family and volunteering at church. I’m inspired and driven to build up my art career the way my mum has always approached the things in her life.
What colour palette do you lean to and why?
My favourite colours are pink and orange but at the moment, I am drawn to ocean blues ranging from deep blues to light teals and baby blues. This colour palette is calming and reflects one of the most beautiful yet powerful things on earth.
What’s something that you’re proud of, that you don’t often get to talk about?
I finished and graduated uni with a Degree in Education, and it would have been the safe and secure option to get a full-time job working in a school. However, I choose to pursue my art and do a few causal teaching days on the side. This has allowed me to prioritise the things I actually enjoy, living a lifestyle that makes me really happy. I might go into teaching full-time one day but for now, I am loving this balance between the two.
What would your dream creative space look like?
In a world where I could have anything, I would want a big art studio with floor-to-ceiling windows to let in all the natural light. From one side it would look onto the beach while the other side would have trees and plants. I’d have big storage/drying racks to keep my artwork out of the way when they’re drying, and I would have hooks all along the walls so I could display different artworks as I finish them.
What’s a Friday night look like for you? Takeout, night out, games, early night… what’s the best end to the week?
Friday night is always a rest period, where it’s time to slow down after a big week. If I am back visiting my family (I have a big extended family!), then we will all get together for dinner and a cuppa afterwards. Sometimes my mum, myself, my sister-in-law, and my cousin will do some watercolour painting to wind down and relax. If I’m not back visiting family, then I’m usually watching the sunset at the beach with my closest friends, and having a quiet night in.
When it comes to art, are you into creative planning or do you just jump right in?
I definitely am a planner. and I have to be able to visualise what the product is going to look like. I’ve always admired people who can sit down with a blank canvas having no end goal in mind and just create something amazing.
I definitely plan it out. I either create a mock-up design with Procreate on my iPad or sketch it out with annotations in my brainstorming sketch pages.
Whether you’re a planner like Cassidy or just love to dive in, we hope you feel inspired to get creating! We love Cassie’s approach to discovering her inner artist, finding balance in her life, and exploring different techniques.
Learn more about @my.saltystudio by checking out our gallery, where her art journey is featured! Stock up on texture art supplies by diving into Dimension Acrylics, Modelling Paste, and Palette Knives. If you feel ready to make something, #montmarteart or tag us @montmarteart on Instagram or Facebook. We’d love to see what you come up with!
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