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An art collection, whether it is what is hanging on your walls right now or storage full of artwork, tells a lot about you as an art lover and consumer, of your personality, your taste and preferences and about your life experiences, past and present.
Fern Siebler is a professional artist and an art collector. Her collection tells stories of her life experiences, the elements and preferences her personality is drawn to and about the artist and the person she is. Her art collection is like a companion that has derived from her moods and thoughts and reflects and reacts to her emotions.
Fern Siebler
“My collection consists of 20 plus artworks at the moment. It is a mix of big and small canvasses; prints, photographs and paintings,” she says. “All of the artwork in my collection tends to be more abstract than anything else, I guess. I consider myself to be an abstract artist, and perhaps that is why I am attracted to abstract art in my collection as well.”
When I look at you | 121.5 x 40.5cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
“The first painting I received was a gift from my mum and dad. I definitely got the ‘collecting’ side from my mum. She paints and draws, and the house was always full of art,” Fern says. “It was about seven years ago when she gave me prints by my favourite artist, Agnes Cecile. A few years later, she gave me some indigenous paintings, and I fell in love.”
While Fern had been painting her whole life, it had always been a hobby, nothing to be taken too seriously. Collecting art, increasingly surrounding herself with art and other artists and taking painting more seriously all seemed to have happened around the same time. Creativity creates creativity, and it is hard not to be affected by what surrounds you.
Here comes the sun | 50 x 50cm, Mixed media on canvas
Fern is passionate about colour in her own art, and the passion has extended to her art collection as well. “When I look at my collection, I guess the colours are fairly cohesive. I am drawn to certain colours; pink, which is my favourite, purple, black and grey are dominant colours. I like strong colours.”
Beauty runs deep | 60 x 60cm, Mixed media on canvas
It is important for Fern to feel a connection to the artwork. “I tend to buy art based on how I feel when I see the artwork. There needs to be a connection. The connection might change from day to day, mood to mood, but it is always there,” Fern describes. “Sometimes, I have made purchases at specific times of my life that resonated with me at that point. Marking occasions or specific periods, good or bad. Sometimes then again, it has been less deliberate.”
Symphony of the sea | 120 x 90cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
“When it comes down to my own art, I paint intuitively, and that is how I relate to others artwork as well,” Fern elaborates. “When I paint myself, I am emotionally connected to the painting. I am infusing my own emotions into my work. In a way, you can always feel the other artist’s emotions and thoughts through their work.”
Pocketful of sunshine | 182 x 92cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
Displaying the artwork is as intuitive for Fern as buying it. The display depends on the moment, the connection to the artwork, the current mood and the situation in life. “I tend to move [art] around all the time to keep everything fresh. I enjoy the presence of art in my home, the memories, the emotions and the events they represent. It is all about that warm feeling created by the art that surrounds me. That has been especially important during the periods when I have lived alone.”
Oh look how you’ve grown | 76 x 76cm, Mixed media on canvas
Like any other reflections of someone’s personality and creativity, an art collection evolves and develops consciously, organically and sometimes intuitively. For Fern, next on her wish list is more photographic art. “I love Kellie North’s work and would love to buy some of her photography. I don’t only feel a connection to her work, but I also have a connection to her.”
Possibilities by KELLIE NORTH
“The first [painting] I bought myself was a small painting by a local artist. I immediately knew that it was perfect for me. If you are drawn to artwork, you know it is for you. For me, that is the only secret in collecting art!”
Hopelessly devoted | 150 x 100cm, Mixed media on stretched canvas
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