INTERVIEWING CREATIVE FOLK / ALISON MOONEY

Such a pleasure to have Alison Mooney on the blog today! Alison is a full-time artist represented both nationally and internationally, with a cv full of amazing public works.

Her colourful abstract paintings hold a lovely balance of gestural mark-making refined with blocks of negative (but still colourful!) space which invite curiosity through their open-ended narrative. I’m lucky to live in Nambour where our public library got the Alison revamp. I remember dropping off my library books and gasping at the transformation of its previous drab (uninviting!) facade.

Thanks Alison, for making beautiful art, beauty-fying spaces and for taking the time to chat today 🙂

Alison Mooney – Image Source

/ Do you plan out your paintings?

No – about halfway through I start making plans based on what’s happened but they’re usually just one or two steps ahead of where I’m at.

Mural for Stockland Living, Bokarina, Photo by Warwick Gow – Image Source

/ Favourite stage of painting beginning, middle, or end (or all three!) and why?

Middle to end – when I get a vibe for what’s potentially coming

Studio View – Image Source

/ Ratio of trashed work, to kept work, to shown work?

Great question! It’s hard to say – I think a lot of my works are something like three paintings before they see light outside the studio so while most head out, many works that could head out, tend to get worked into again and again if I don’t have a deadline.

Apricot Lovin – Image Source

/ The biggest creative/business risk you’ve taken?

There’s two: the first time I showed my little paintings publicly and then stepping into my practice full time. A lot of my murals bring risks that always throw me – until I’ve done them 🙂

Mural Work – Image Source

/ If not a career in fine art where would you be?

If I wasn’t an artist I’d be a performer! I’ve been a journalist and an arts facilitator- love telling peoples stories and swapping ideas. Maybe a writer – but I never enjoyed all the sitting time … a travel writer!