Picture Perfect

Abode2 caught up with Australian artist, Olivia Collins, to find out about what inspires her to create beautiful abstract resin designs and her latest commission for the exclusive Crown Sydney development.

With a background in corporate marketing and commercial art gallery management, I established my art and design business soon after starting my young family. In a few short years both have grown from strength to strength, and although it sounds cliché, it doesn’t feel like a job when you do something you love. From humble beginnings taking my paintings to a local arts & craft market, I have gone on to paint a number of popular works; selling originals to collectors from Australia, the US and the UK, as well as securing private and commercial commissions, and established global print licensing arrangements for my designs.

Crown Sydney is a luxury hotel resort at Barangaroo on Sydney Harbour. Set to open in December 2020, Crown Sydney’s striking architecture and effortless sophistication make the world-class venue a pinnacle of modern design. When I found I had secured large scale commissions for this iconic Australian landmark, I set about documenting the process of these works, and over the course of the past year, I am thrilled to have brought these pieces to life.

‘Verve’ – the largest of the commissions, measuring almost 2 x 3 metres boasts a vibrant colour palette and exudes an ethereal beauty and captivating spirit. The inspiration for the piece is our rich and diverse Australian landscape – the vast sense of space, natural beauty, and inherent rhythm and energy. I’m always drawn to the beauty of my natural surroundings, and I often find inspiration for my paintings whilst at one with nature. I am honoured that this piece takes pride of place in the Main Gaming Room – having seen photos of it recently installed within the recessed alcove against a backdrop of sophisticated dark timber panelling, it looks as though the paint is floating beyond the surface of the abstract landscape, like flashes of movement and energy reaching towards the sky. I am glad to have documented the making of ‘Verve’ on film – although only snapshots of the process, it gives a sense of the scale of the work and the story behind it.

The Making of Verve. Credit: Tim Safiullin

The three additional commissions ‘Eos’ (Goddess of the Dawn), ‘Aura’ (Goddess of the Wind) and ‘Artemis’ (Goddess of Wild Nature) are a celebration of my love of nature and the elements and the chosen titles reference of the Greek Goddesses also pay homage to my heritage. Each of the works achieve a glamorous aesthetic through the use of sophisticated and paired back colour schemes and touches of gold and silver. A selective palette is a signature characteristic of my work and I always aim for a balanced composition. My art comes from a ‘happy place’ and I hope that visitors to Crown Sydney experience that same sense of calm and ease when viewing my works.

www.oliviacollins.com.au