Christopher Vine was always destined for a career as an artist. Born in Adelaide, Christopher was still in kindergarten when he discovered a passion for creating. He painted his way through high school, and it wasn’t long after he finished that he began to gather work for exhibitions and was able to fine-tune his creative process.
Deeply inspired by colour and the natural world around him, Christopher considers his ability to relax and tap into his uniqueness to be among the most important keys to his success. His figurative and abstract works have drawn a global following, and he’s since branched out into homewares, linen and stationery. From his serene studio on the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, the artist talks about his creative process, favourite tools of the trade and shares tips for creatives keen to leave their own colourful stamp on the world.
Where It All Began
I started making things when I was about five. I was crazy about making cards; birthday cards and Christmas cards and things like that. It was a real buzz for me when I was a kid, which is quite crazy because my biggest product is selling cards all over the world. I started very early. I think I probably had a very artistic school life for most of school. I learnt a lot of craft and different skills. I was always going to be an artist. It’s been there for a long time, I was always going to carry it through and do something with it.
Straight after school I went to work in an advertising agency and I also went to art school at night time. I was doing paintings along the way and I bumped into a friend’s mother who had been to the Victorian College of Arts and she told me, “This is crazy, you should be just painting.” So, I put together exhibitions and went out finding places that I could exhibit. Sometimes it was in a gallery, sometimes it was in a department store, lovely places, but not necessarily conventional ones.
I was interviewed for television and for magazines, one thing led to another and I just kept this snowball effect going of continuing to exhibit, and then eventually I went into products as well.
An Affinity for Colour
I’m really inspired by colour. Particularly natural colours; birds and flowers and the things that are outside around us, the colour of the sky and beautiful parrots. Colour generates in me a want to paint something in particular, or to use that colour. I jump from doing abstracts to figurative work, so it's never just one thing, but it’s a great big arty world out there and if you’ve got a lust for that sort of thing, you find things inspiring all the time.
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Where the Magic Happens
I’ve got a studio space and a gallery space. In my studio, I’ve got four or so different working spots. I’ve got a wet area, where I can mess around with acrylics and then I’ve got a very clean area where I do watercolours and drawing and sketching. It’s a nice environment, I play music and it’s a nice place to be. Painting is a very shut off from the world type of thing to do. You’re in a meditative kind of space where you can drift off and not get too worried about things, so it’s very relaxing.
A Day in the Life of Christopher Vine
I have to meditate before I can do anything, that rule can’t be broken and I think that’s a really good starting point. It clears your head and gets you into a good space for what you’re wanting to do. Then I decide on what project I’m going to work on. Then I might get the paints out. Sometimes, I might do a warm up thing, and get a fresh canvas and paint something crazy on it. If I don’t paint anything I like, it doesn’t matter, I’ll just paint something else straight over the top of it. That sort of loosens you up a bit too, because you’ve got to be relaxed when you paint. If you want a lucid effect, you’ve got to be in that sort of state.
I might prepare to paint and set everything up at 9 o’clock in the morning, or 8 o’clock in the morning and start at 5 o’clock at night and then paint until midnight. It’s funny. You just don’t want to force it. If you’re in a weird mood, you’re going to do a weird painting. You’ve got to take it as it comes.
Obviously things have to get done, but if you’re not feeling inspired then it’s a good thing to go for a walk or do something that will inspire you. Listen to some great music, look at some images in magazines or Pinterest, or something. Then, suddenly the endorphins are in there or the dopamine hits... and off we go.
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Tools of the Trade
I work with watercolours and acrylics. [My favourite tools are] big, thick blending brushes, I love them, palette knives, and then of course the acrylic paints and the watercolours. [I also use] beautiful pencils and marker pens. You never get tired of a new set of paints, it’s that wonderful childlike feeling of getting a new box of textas or pencils and it’s always a thrill even when you’re older. I love those great big thick bristly blending brushes and paddle brushes are great too. You can do a million fabulous techniques with those.
Choose a Job You Love
I’ve got myself to a position now where I am doing what I want to do, rather than what I felt I had to do. And I think if you take on too much, it’s a real mistake, no matter what sort of work you do. I’ve always said, “Don’t put a gun to a creative’s head”, because you just freeze. [What I do] doesn’t feel like work, it’s very enjoyable work and I feel very lucky that it is my work, and that I can make a living from it.
Free to Create
[Creativity] means to just relax and do whatever comes into your mind and whatever you feel like doing, rather than what you feel you have to do or you’ve been told to do, or even taught to do. Just experimenting with cooking or with paint or whatever, it’s just being purely you and letting that come out. And, learning through things. Learning to use different tools, that’s a great thing. Be a bit free-spirited about it.
Christopher Vine’s Advice for Budding Artists
You’ve got to be very true to yourself and know what it is that you want to paint. As much as you admire people’s work, you need to form your own style that you absolutely love, and if you love doing it, that will show in your work. If you’re proud of it, and you display it and you love it, it’s going to sell. It’s very good to learn skills and techniques, but get in touch with your own creativity and turn that into something unique. We’ve all got something unique to offer and I think that’s important.
