Bridgette Ferrier (b. 1994) is a Melbourne, Australia-based artist with a focus on painting. Bridgette grew up in a small coastal town on the New South Wales South Coast and moved to Melbourne in 2013, where she developed a career in graphic design. She has since shifted her creative focus to align with her strong connection to art. Much of her work is influenced by how the external world and her lived experiences interact with her inner workings. She paints ethereal portals for a dreamy and curious state of mine.
How did you get into art?
My curiosity for art started at a young age. My immediate family were all musicians and I remember trying to persuade myself to also play music as my main creative outlet, but my brain could never catch onto the flow and joy of playing music as much as creating art did for me. So, I eventually put down my selected instruments and picked up the pencil more often, which inevitably turned into a paintbrush.
When I moved to Melbourne, I built a career in graphic design and didn’t pick up a paintbrush for a very long time. However, about five years ago, I did a stint living back in my hometown to care for an ill family member. It was during this time that painting drifted back into my consciousness as something that brought me calmness and served as a healing tool for myself. I then slowly built my practice to where it is now, gaining momentum over the last two years and allowing myself to really explore and dive in.
How would you describe your style? What makes your work special?
A lot of my current abstract work has an ethereal energy about it, with many layers and textures. From a distance, they feel cloudy, but up close, there are many little details that bring focus and narrative. I want my canvases to act as portals to a curious and calmer state of mind.
I have also started merging my still life and abstract painting styles through experimental placements of layered imagery. This has been the push I needed to move away from the limiting belief that I should focus on one style. Also that good things can come to fruition when you follow the path of your personal creative journey.
How do you go about developing your work?
I let my work develop in a very intuitive way. I have moved away from overplanning a piece and let the process itself influence the next mark or colour on the canvas. My work is often a reflection of self or connected to a lived experience or feeling, so I do my best to let these things influence my choices in the development process.
Who or what influences you?
Aside from my own experiences and engaging with the world around me, I’m a bit of a collector of found things. For example, I love combing the beach for organic objects that feel sculptural. Maybe it’s cliche, but I think shells and rock pools are very cool.
Make us curious. What are you planning to do next?
I’ll be having a solo show mid-next year, which I am very eager to dive into the creative process for. I have also recently moved into a new studio space where I plan on being open and receptive to new explorative ideas that emerge within my mind.
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