5 Questions with Shannon Crees

The 2095 first "discovered" the artist known as Shannon Crees purely by what she (ie. the 2095'er) had deemed at the time to be complete misfortune.

Feeling hideously shivery and shaky, having caught the wrong bus due to watery eyes, the 2095'er fell asleep and awoke to find herself almost at Dawes Point.  Grumpy and annoyed, the 2095'er alighted said bus, bemoaning the fact she would have to walk that extra "mile" to the ferry and even worse, through the busy Rocks Markets.

Somewhere through the cotton-wool-headed haze and desperate for some sun to chill the bones, the 2095 noticed something above her which glistened with such intensity and intricacy she could not but help pull out the camera and capture the image.

Despite (or inspite perhaps) the feeling of blech, all photographers have a little voice within saying "if you don't get it now, it'll be gone", and as such the 2095'er then went on to capture the reverse side of this beauty.

Curiously the 2095'er did sense some folk watching her walking down, around and trying to get the perfect angle, but obviously not enough to prevent them from buying some disgustingly kitsch souvenirs  of which there are plenty, thus leaving the 2095'er blissfully enraptured enough to get two more perfect frames before literally falling on to a ferry seat, inching her way home,  crawling in to the beckoning bed and sleeping like a baby.

Fast track 2011 Outpost where on the 2095'ers maiden voyage, one of the first images she spotted was the singularly most beautiful wall she had laid eyes on. However, to be fair, it was literally within the first 2 minutes that the 2095  chick had stepped foot on soil and hardly any further discovery had been made at that particular stage.

Here are my 5 questions with Shannon Crees.

You have an incredibly distinctive style.  Has this evolved as you have grown both as a person and an artist or did it come in to "being" from doodles or scratchings along the way

I don't actually doodle at all.  I am quite impatient and like to see process.  I drew a lot when I was younger and it was my way of being able to sit still at my desk at school, but now I love the freedom of expression in painting large.

I went to fashion college so it all started from fashion sketches and my first job as a fashion illustrator and developed from there.

How do you choose what you are going to paint?  Is it an overt process (if given a brief) or does it present itself and you take it from there

It is mostly presented to me as a brief.  I do corporate work, private commissions and work to fit in group shows.

What has been your biggest installation to date

The mural for "Wall to Wall" competition at 80m sq.

But the temporary installation for "The Galleries Victoria" on Pitt Street (Sydney), I worked on for a whole lot longer and that was almost as big at 18m x 3m.

Although big can be impressive, I think 3x4m or a little larger is a great size to pain. Not too big, not too small.

For some a piece is never really "finished".  Is this the same for you where you have to draw a line in the sand, or do you meticulously plan and stick to point

Ha ha...sometimes it is just better to never come back and look at it again after completion as you can see bits you just want to add to.

That's why I need deadlines.  I work better that way.

How would you sum up the world of Shannon Crees in 5 words

That's the hardest question ever.....

Colour

Surprises

Inspiration

Freedom

Hardwork (that's one word!)

I mean everything except hard work :)

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From one Northern Beaches chick to another I thank you.  Most especially as Shannon is currently o/s and somehow managed to fit in answering questions for the 2095'er from afar (the wonders of the fibre optics!)