Summer Project – Rana Yolanda

Two Artists That Inspire Me

Linda Seaman

My first artist is Linda Seaman. The beach painting I did was heavily inspired by her. I was born in Suffolk and spent the first 12 years of my life in Southwold, a small seaside town. Linda was a family Friend and had a gallery in the town.

I feel a connections toward Linda’s artwork because it a nice way to look back on where I spent the majority of my childhood. She also paints lovely pictures of blue bell wood which I remember very fondly. Each flower is intricately and individually painted, I think that the detail gives the wood a magical feel.

One of the reasons I find Linda inspiring is because she finished with art after completing her A Level art to start an office job. It wasn’t until after she had her 4 children that she rediscovered her love for painting. She rekindled her hobby whilst on a holiday in Venice, where she bought herself some acrylic paint and strayed painting the beautiful canals and renaissance buildings Venice. When her house became overflowing with her work she opened a gallery where she could paint and display and sell her work. I remember being in Southwold, on the Christmas lights switch on night wondering around her gallery eating of stolen cake and stealing sips of my mother’s Gluevine when a lady and her daughter pranced in asking if Linda could give her daughter art lessons. Linda politely declined, which I respect he for as it would had a negative impact on her painting. When her house became overflowing with her work she opened a gallery where she could paint and display and sell her work. I remember being in Southwold, on the Christmas lights switch on night wondering around her gallery eating of stolen cake and stealing sips of my mother’s Gluevine when a lady and her daughter pranced in asking if Linda could give her daughter art lessons. Linda politely declined, which I respect he for as it would had a negative impact on her painting.

Whilst doing my painting I tried to bear in mind how Linda’s paintings have lots of texture and an almost 3d effect. So I mixed my water colours in to more of a paste consistency to highlight the sea horses and sea on the groynes.

She paints local landscapes and seascapes. Most of her paintings were in oil or acrylic. Some of the pictures were enormous bigger than I was at the time. My dad always want the big six foot picture of a rowing boat to go in the stair well. The way she captured the pebbles glimmering in the sun light was truly ethereal. although I not yet able to replicate Linda’s level of detail I hope soon to be able to.

Sebastien MUA

My second artist is Sebastien a fifteen year old makeup artist (MUA). Sebastien is a Flemish speaking Belgian. Whilst many people would not consider Sebastien to be an artist I disagree. I think he is an artist the uses the medium of makeup rather than paints pastels or chalk and his face as his blank canvas. I first came across Sebastien on Instagram whilst looking for some crazy eye shadow ideas for a party. As anybody who knows me will tell you make up is a bit of a passion for me. I started his using ideas as inspirations for my GCSE art portfolio. I painted my face, took photos then printed out the best ones. I also took pictures of my family and embellished their faces in the style of Sebastien by making a collage using insects. I made the insects by making coils out of colourful wire and filling the inside with hot glue. You can see Sebastien’s influence quite clearly in the finished pieces.

I find Sebastien inspiring because he is a similar age to me and his techniques and overall looks are very creative. As he is a makeup artist his work resonates strongly with me as can be seen from the pictures below.

Sebastian Rana

I expect make up to be part of my life for the foreseeable future and I will be following him on YouTube and Instagram closely to build on my own ideas for future pieces of artwork. To keep a record his ideas and others I find my phone to be indispensable as a means of storing images and I don’t know what I’ll do if it ever breaks down.