Grace Huffer
Grace Huffer (@Gracehuff_studio) is a gouache painter who grew up in Albany and is now based in Perth. When travelling between Perth and Albany, there is a noticeable change in light from the intensity of the sunlight in Perth, to the softer light of the often-overcast climate in Albany. For the subject matter of her paintings, Grace places everyday objects outside in the sun to capture how they interact with light. Grace is influenced by colour theory, so focuses on mixing paint to achieve desired colours, and only uses four tubes of gouache (red, yellow, blue, and black), mixed with white ink. Grace uses gouache because it dries matte, with a poster-like appearance, so light and shadows can be depicted through colour, rather than through the texture of the paint itself.
Grace has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Western Australia, with a major in Art History. After graduating, she moved to Sydney and worked in a museum for a few years. Grace recently returned to Perth, where she is now pursuing her own artistic practice.
Who are you? My name is Grace Huffer, a gouache painter based in Perth.
Tell us a bit about your work. I make gouache paintings of everyday objects, with a focus on their interaction with sunlight.
How long have you identified as being an artist? Making art is something I have always loved, but the first time I labelled myself as an artist was last year, when I began to dedicate more time to my art.
How does where you live affect your artworks? The amount of sunlight available affects my art, as I often place the objects I paint outside to capture patches of bright light and crisp shadows. The sunlight in Perth is great for this.
How did you come across this medium / your style? I enjoy using household objects for subject matter in order to focus on the detail in the everyday. I came across gouache a few years ago, after using other water-based paints for several years before. Gouache dries matte with a poster-like appearance, which influences my style as I like to make paintings that represent dimension through flat colours.
Best advice for new artists? Based on my own experience as a new artist, I’ve found having a second job while getting established can be helpful to give you time to experiment and be creative without financial pressure.
What motivates you to create? There is always a pull towards creativity for me. I paint because I find it meditative to focus on the colours and details in everyday objects.
Who or what are your biggest influences artistically? I love the focus on light and use of complementary colours in Impressionism, although I don’t think my style is visually very similar. In that regard, I am more so influenced by contemporary artists such as Leah Gardner.
How have you developed your career? I grew up drawing and painting, and studied Art History at university before working in museums in Sydney and Perth. It was only last year that I began selling my art, by creating an Instagram page. I’m hoping to create a website for my art soon too!
Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration in everyday objects and colour combinations I see in everyday life. One of my favourite colour combinations currently is red and pink.
When are you at your most creative? In the morning with a coffee!
How has your style changed over time? Over time, I have narrowed down my paint palette, and now use only primary red, blue and yellow, mixed together with one other and with white and black. Over the past few years, my focus has been on mixing colour to create dimension, light and shadows.