About the Artist
Hello :)
Welcome to my little corner of the web. I hope your visit is enjoyable and that the imaginary house-elves are busy entertaining you with a delicious selection of (equally imaginary) virtual snacks and drinks. Before I get side-tracked and forget the meaning of this page entirely, I will attempt a little introduction of sorts, despite my uncanny habit of procrastinating all worded renditions of ‘what I do’ and ‘who I am’. The old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” might explain the difficulty describing art and the creative process; so visually obvious, yet so ‘right words’ elusive. That aside, if you are now comfortably tended to by house-elves and perhaps more lenient towards the ramblings of an artist, I shall do my best to not bore you to tears …
A home for Creative Projects…
Originally, this site began as a launch-pad for my tarot deck Nine Lives Tarot, self-published back in 2013. Over time, the site has grown to become the home for my illustration/artwork, all created to be used and enjoyed (playing card decks, art prints and handmade art pendants & jewels). Migrating the site to Nine Lives Art in 2020, has provided an opportunity to bring all current and future projects together under one happy umbrella.
Tarot and Playing Cards
A deck of cards is like a portable treasure box, filled with stories …
With a childhood shaped by different cultures, places and people from all walks of life; I’ve always enjoyed how shared stories and a pack of cards brings people together. A long journey of discovery and research, inspired Nine Lives Tarot, Nine Lives Playing Cards and VIZAĜO Playing Cards and the desire to create decks that bring joy, wherever they find a place to call home :)
Art Pendants & Jewels
An amulet with symbolic meaning … a miniature artwork … or both!
I love the hands-on, multi-stage process of creating wearable art jewels – miniature artworks made with imagination, colour and intricate detail. Each piece is handcrafted from drawing, printing and painting, to varnishing and sealing, using a wide variety of materials and mediums. Detail and precision work inspires a space where inspiration and ideas flow, along with the joy of creating usable art that will be shaped by its future bearer.
From there to here…
I have been drawing and painting for as long as I can remember; being a visual thinker with a wild imagination, set me on a path to explore and portray visual stories. I went to art school for lots of years and studied a wide variety of art forms (drawing, painting, screen-printing, print-making, photography, ceramics, design…). Each medium and technique providing valuable inspiration and learning, which I continue to draw on to this day. After graduating from the National Art School (Sydney), I spent a decade teaching art (mostly drawing and ceramics) and working in my studio, before delving into the world of graphic design, digital art and web design (which makes up the ‘other half’ of what I do).
Art mediums and style…
My artistic style is definitely shaped by my love of traditional drawing and painting techniques… I absolutely adore working in ink and use my pen & ink drawings as the foundation for digital painting and illustration work; where delving into the painstaking process of painting depth, colour and detail gives me the freedom to explore ideas, while preserving the original essence of the artwork ‘idea’ through a happy marriage of traditional and digital art techniques.
Portfolio
Visit Abolina Art to see my graphic and web-design portfolio, which also includes exhibition work and semi-regular updates about current projects:
Abolina Art
Discover
Use the ‘Discover’ tab in the top menu to read more about cards, their meanings, the journey of creating a deck of cards and more…
Articles
Random thoughts, semi-regular updates, special offers and more… I don’t always find time to post on a regular basis, though I love connecting with readers and your support and feedback over the years is heartwarming :)