April 2022 Coffee for the People Roasting Co. Featured Artist
On viewing for the month of April
Free Entry
Open daily Mon – Fri: 6:00AM – 2:00PM
Sat – Sun: 7:30 AM – 2:00PM
“Creating art has been my life long bestie. It’s been my identity as long as I can remember.”
Coffee for the People Roasting Co. is excited to welcome the artwork of Sarah Migliaccio to exhibit in the gallery space. Migliaccio lives on the Mornington Peninsula where she enjoys hanging out with her handy husband, cheeky Australian Shepherd and elderly but classy Russian Blue.
Her favourite mediums are watercolours and acrylics. Her favourite subject matter are birds and animals.
We are super excited to be able to showcase her amazing work, and have some bright animal friends hanging in the cafe for the month.
Tell us a little about your Art making background.
Art making has been a huge part of my identity since I was a child. Art is the thing that makes me feel like me and provides a true space for creative freedom and mindfulness. When the world gets busy, art making slows time down. Visual Arts was always my favourite subject going through school and I went on to complete a diploma of Illustration and Fine Arts degree, where I majored in painting.
I was very focused on drawing through my childhood and started exploring painting in my teenage years. Watercolour paints and acrylics became my mediums of choice, but I also created many paintings using oils. I love to dabble in other art practices just for fun, including ceramics and drawing with different mediums.
“I find absolute joy in applying colour. I love watching the creatures I paint come to life and take on a personality of their own.”
How do you make your Art? Tell us a bit about the process.
There are 2 different thought processes I tend to follow when starting a painting. One is where I am very focused on colour play and envision the colour palette I would like to use before deciding on the subject. The other is where I envision the subject/composition first and then select colours as I go. I usually begin with painting a background and then drawing my subject with a soft pastel.
I use the drawing as a guide but usually it changes as I progress. I tend to use lots of thin layers of paint rather than thicker ones. I like to build up depth of colour bit by bit and challenge myself to include interesting combinations of colours. I spend many, many hours applying and adjusting colours.
Where are you from, and how does that affect your work?
I am lucky to live in a part of Frankston surrounded by trees and parkland. I hear the sounds of the kookaburras at dusk and the lorikeets and cockatoos during the afternoon. A walk around my neighbourhood allows me to see a wide variety of natives and always take sneaky photos of my favourite plants. Especially if I find a Silver Princess Eucalyptus!
I have been lucky to visit lots of beautiful locations in Australia and love camping. Nature inspires me and we live in an amazing country with exceptional fauna and flora.
“My Dad’s favourite thing to say about me is that ‘I was born with a pencil in my hand’.”
How do you develop your art skills?
My art skills develop with each painting that I do. I feel that art making is an eternal learning experience, there’s always something new to experience and learn! When I look back at older paintings and at newer ones I can see where I have changed and developed.
Why do you make this type of Art? What does Your Artwork Represent?
There’s no deeper meaning behind making this art, inspired by vibrant Australia, other than it makes me really happy. In my eyes, that’s all the reasoning I need to create it. I love the connection people have to my work when they recognise everything in it and connect to their own memories about that bird, animal or plant. My work represents the vibrant beauty and character of Australia’s fauna and flora.
What Inspires you and your Art? What does your Art mean to you? What’s the purpose or goal of your artwork?
I am inspired by the colours, forms and characters of Australian fauna and flora. I like the cheeky expression on a cockatoo or the sharp eye of a kookaburra. I love the softness in the eyes of a mammal and the unique forms and patterns of our native plants. All of these unique features catch my eye and inspire me to capture them in my fun, colourful style. Creating my artwork brings me happiness and allows me to connect with new people through viewing and discussing art. I really enjoy that aspect of it. My personal goal with my artwork is to explore and develop my skills in painting, whilst painting subjects I love in colours of my free choice. I hope to engage people with my vibrant subjects and bring smiles to faces as they view characters and symbols of Australia.
Sarah Migliaccio’s artwork will be featured in the month of April at Coffee for the People Roasting Company. Pop by for a coffee whist taking in her amazing paintings.
To learn more about Sarah’s work, check out her Instagram and Facebook
