Author // Georgina Auton, Place Graceville
Ilse Buttien is an artist based in Toowong and she has just celebrated her second solo Brisbane exhibition.
“I grew up in Belgium and that’s where I started my formal training as an artist,” she says.
“Then when we moved to Australia 19 years ago. I went to Brisbane Institute of Art for a number of courses until I felt I could start developing my own signature painting style.”
Ilse says she hopes others will feel an emotional response when viewing her paintings.
“I guess my paintings are an expression of my own emotional response to a place,” Ilse says.
“I like to work with soft blues and greys and some of my work is quite monochromatic”
She says often there are no recognisable features in the landscapes she paints so people can relate to it on any level.
We chatted with Ilse about her artistic processes.
What do you love about painting?
For me, painting is my expression and my voice in the world.
I find it relaxing because the painting process is quite intense, but while I paint it’s almost like I reach a certain higher level of concentration.
It allows me to completely forget about everything else and I’m just in the zone.
In the end, when you can stand back and be proud of your work, it is the most wonderful feeling to have created something that comes out of you and reflects who you are.
People will often say they can see me in the work and that’s the best compliment I can get.
How do you know when a painting is finished?
For me, I feel a sense of stillness.
It’s like I’ve reached the point where it just feels finished and there’s nothing else to add that would make it better than it is.