Beyond colour there’s a zone that everyday perception doesn’t normally access- a space of hidden associations, beneath the surface appearance and magical thinking. Colour is used as an invitation to explore imagination and the depth of the unknown.

Olivia Newman is a mixed media artist with a love of colour and creating texture through mark making and differing materials.

A closeup section of the artwork Dream Portal: Sun Stars showing oil paint and beads in yellow and pink

Throughout university, she has been exploring using a range of materials in her artwork and in her final year found a love for the use of beads. Beads have become an interesting material to explore in her practice as both an emotional and sensory domain. She explores merging the intricate process of beadwork with painting to create colourful and textured artworks.

Two mixed media paintings, one blue and yellow, one yellow and pink
A range of colourful beads sewn into an old artwork made of colour acrylic and black ink
A variety of pink and yellow beads layered onto a square of yellow painted canvas
A small sculpture made of a variety of blue beads pinned in a cube shape piece of styrofoam