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Diving Deep into Colour & Texture with Kristyna Dostalova

Art Lovers | 10 September 2020

Sydney based abstract artist Kristyna Dostalova spoke with Art Lovers Australia about her inspiration and path as an artist. Creating art for her is an expression of her thoughts, emotions, desires, as well as sharing the way she experiences the world.

Kristyna’s artworks have been featured on both The Block 2019 and 2020.

“I love to express myself and speak to people through my art. I try to evoke emotions and make them feel as I feel, when I create the artwork.”

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Kristyna Dostalova

How and why did you become an artist?

“I’m entirely self-taught. I grew up in a small mining town in the Czech Republic, just near the border of Poland. It’s a pretty depressing and drab city with repetitive grey buildings. And so, since I was young, I always painted colourful pieces to “escape” the dreariness of the city. My mum saw that I had some talent and encouraged me to continue by signing me up to junior art school.”

“I kept up painting for recreation as a teenager, but I never thought that I could ever pursue it as a professional artist. When I moved to Australia in 2013, I began painting almost non-stop. It was only after I sold a few pieces that I started to pursue it more professionally.”

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Never Surrender | 124 x 63cm | Oil on stretched cotton canvas

What is the history of your career?

“The main influence on my artist journey is definitely moving to Australia in 2013. The Australian flora, fauna and landscape is so incredibly inspiring, and I began to pour out this inspiration onto canvases almost as soon as I arrived. It’s like Australia awoke the part of me that used to paint when I was a child in the Czech Republic.”

“As a result I began to do more commissioned work for people in my life, and from there it’s just grown organically. I’ve had the opportunity now to display at several art shows (Camberwell, Box Hill, Albert Park, Brunswick) which has also opened up my eyes at how many extraordinary artists Melbourne, Sydney and Australia has, and how lucky I have been to be able to pursue this.”

“I am also lucky that I have been motivated and inspired by those around me which has started to bring my dream of becoming a professional artist to life.”

Mona Vale

Mona Vale | 121.9 x 91.4cm | Mixed media on canvas

What medium/mediums do you work with?

“My most used and favourite media is acrylic on canvas. I just love the textures and visceral nature of the paint, and I find it’s very effective to get my feelings out onto the canvas. A few years ago I started experimenting with alcohol ink in combination with resin and acrylic, and I’ve completed quite a few paintings combining those onto various surfaces, like yupo paper and wooden panels. I’m never satisfied with just one technique so I’m always looking for new things to try!”

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Aurum | 116.8 x 116.8cm | Acrylic on canvas

How would you describe your art style? 

“My style is likely described as abstract, but I hesitate to define myself only as an abstract artist since I love to paint anything that inspires me. I also love to try new styles and techniques, so I really find painting pop art so enjoyable.Pop art pieces usually take me back to when I was a child, being playful and careless.”

“When I’m painting an abstract piece, I find myself diving deep into the colours and textures without any regard to what I’m ‘meant’ to do. There is no right and no wrong; it’s freedom and I just follow my hand and what it does next. I don’t overthink it and just enjoy the ride. In case you can’t tell, art is very therapeutic for me.”

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What do you love about being an artist? 

“I love to express myself and speak to people through my art. I try to evoke emotions and make them feel as I feel, when I create the artwork. One of the biggest rewards and satisfaction for me is when somebody picks my piece to hang in their special place. That gives me more drive to create because I know the art is resonating with someone. Art that speaks to people and connect them together is usually successful, and that’s why I love trying to achieve that.”

After The Rain

After The Rain | 27.5 x 22.4cm | Oil on canvas

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

“I love being around nature when I’m feeling creative, so often I just sit in my backyard with a cup of tea or take a walk around the local park to be present and to jog the inspiration. I find often the most effective way is to just sit still and simply watch things around me.”

“However, the muse is fickle sometimes but for me inspiration can come while doing the most basic, routine things, from making a morning coffee to working on my garden or simply just do the weekly shopping. You have to be ready to paint as soon as you get an idea because that’s the most effective time to.”

Elevation | 152 x 76cm | Oil on canvas

What are some of your most popular works? Tell us a bit about some of your works and what you love about them. What’s your favourite and why?

“This is a hard question, because I’m connected to everything I create in some way, and I feel the passion and energy I put in each one of them makes them unique to each other. When you create a piece, you sort of pour out a part of your soul onto it and it’s there forever. When you look at a piece I created, I can feel how I felt at the time when I was painting it. The advantage of painting abstract works is that you can really express those feelings through the interplay of colour and texture.”

“If I had to pick one artwork that would be my favourite, it would probably be the series titled “Alone At Sea/Lost At Sea”. The series represents how powerful nature can be and how lost one can feel when you’re at the middle of it – it’s just you, the boat and there’s nowhere to escape. I was in Fiji in 2015 when a category five cyclone hit, and it was the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced. I was lucky to get out alive. The relationship between humans and nature is so fragile and we forget that we are at its mercy sometimes.”

“I have created more than four versions of this piece as it’s proven very popular with art collectors. It’s in some private homes as well as commercial builds, and of course has found its way to The Block! Lost At Sea is one of the artworks are available exclusively on Art Lovers Australia as a print.”

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Lost at Sea | Limited Edition Print

What is your philosophy on art and life?  

“My personal life philosophy is to always be yourself and, no matter what, follow your intuition.”

What are your professional dreams/goals? 

“Being able to produce as much art as I can and make people feel emotions with it. My journey has already been amazing and I have grown so much as an artist in past five years. I have painted pieces that I’m incredibly proud of. Honestly one of my first goals was just to sell a single piece and I’ve achieved that. My ultimate artistic goal is to be independent and self-sustaining by being able to paint full time – I think that’s the dream of every artist.”

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Infinite | 121.9 x 151.4cm | Oil on stretched cotton canvas

Describe yourself or your art in 3 words.

“Passionate, dramatic, organic.”

Anything else you would like to say about your art?

“I hope that everyone enjoys my works as much as I enjoyed creating them!”27dc9883 41fc 48df B531 Cfc9168115d7

Kristyna is available for commissions so please contact our Art Lovers team to organise a special artwork just for you.

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Watch our Artist Studios series video as Kristyna discusses her art in depth.

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