Jasmine Marshall is an abstract realist artist based in London. She has been a self-representing artist for four years, selling artwork directly to her collectors across the globe. Dedicated to showcasing the beauty of nature and to inspire others to live beyond societal norms, explore, dream, travel, and create a life worth living. We were delighted to speak to Jasmine about her creative process, artistic journey and finding her creative voice.
Your artist statement mentions the interplay of colours and marks. Can you walk me through your creative process? What inspires the initial idea, and how do you use colour and marks to build your compositions?
My creative journey is often sparked by my travels abroad, each adventure inspiring me to craft artwork that encourages others to embrace adventure and live life to the fullest. With a natural interest for botanical themes, I gravitate towards subjects like tropical plants or flowers. Once I settle on a theme for a collection, I begin by assembling a Pinterest board to gather inspiration. Creating a mood board helps me focus on textures, marks, colour palettes, and the subject matter itself. From there, I meticulously map out the collection, detailing the number and size of pieces, as well as the colours and rough compositions for each artwork.
Next, I prepare the canvas by applying hard molding paste with a palette knife to achieve thick texture, followed by priming with white gesso. Then, I delve into layering heavy-body acrylic paints, focusing on adding depth through texture and combining them with spray paint techniques. This stage allows me to build the foundation of each composition, infusing them with vibrancy and dynamism. Finally, I add intricate details and embellishments, such as 24k gold leaf, to bring the pieces to life and add a touch of luxury.
In constructing my compositions, I utilise colour and marks as vital elements to convey mood, depth, and visual interest. Colour plays a pivotal role in setting the tone and atmosphere of each piece. I carefully select hues that evoke the desired emotions and complement the subject matter, whether it's the vibrant hues of tropical foliage or the soft pastels of delicate flowers. Marks, on the other hand, are employed to add texture, movement, and dimension to the composition. Whether it's bold brushstrokes, delicate lines, or expressive splatters, each mark contributes to the overall visual narrative. Together, colour and marks work in harmony to bring my compositions to life, infusing them with energy, depth, and emotion.
How has your artistic style evolved over time? Have there been any particular artists or movements that have influenced you significantly?
Over time, my artistic style has undergone significant evolution while maintaining a consistent thematic focus of nature. Experimentation with various mediums—from lino and textiles to alcohol inks, oils, and watercolours—has been instrumental in this journey, with acrylic emerging as my preferred medium. Among the diverse influences shaping my artistic development, Tahlia Stanton stands out prominently. As an online artist with a vast following exceeding 2 million across platforms, Stanton's bold and layered approach resonates deeply with me. Her fearless combination of up to 20 different materials per canvas to achieve rich depth has inspired me to explore new textures and materials in my own work, including the incorporation of elements like 24k gold leaf and texture paste.
Your recent collections explore contrasting realism with abstract elements. What led you to experiment with this juxtaposition? What kind of emotions or ideas are you hoping to evoke with this technique?
In my recent collections, I've explored blending contrasting realism with abstract elements to evoke feelings of optimism, positivity, and hope. This fusion goes beyond artistic boundaries; it's a deliberate effort to instil my work with a sense of wonder and potential. By juxtaposing the familiar with the abstract, I seek to ignite curiosity and encourage viewers to embrace a perspective of optimism and hope. Through dynamic compositions that blur reality and imagination, I invite viewers to delve into themes of transformation and the limitless possibilities of the human spirit, nurturing a deeper sense of positivity and resilience.
On the subject of art materials, could you tell us what are your go-to’s?
My preferred art materials are heavy body acrylic paint for its rich texture, which I love applying with a palette knife to create stunning effects. Lately, I've also been incorporating acrylic spray paint to add a softer touch to my work. Additionally, hard molding paste has become a non-negotiable in my artistic process, elevating my pieces with its ability to create beautiful, thick textures.
Does your studio environment influence your creative process? How do you organize your workspace, and are there specific elements that inspire you while you work?
I'm fortunate to have a spacious art studio/office in my home, and I take great care to maintain it, as I find that I work most effectively in an uncluttered environment. When designing my studio, I prioritised brightness, opting for reflective paint on the walls and white floors to maximise light reflection. Additionally, I installed an overhead light with various settings to mimic natural daylight, as working in a bright space is really important to me.
Looking back on your artistic journey, what advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out? What are the most important things you've learned about dedication, perseverance, and finding your artistic voice?
Establishing an art business, or any business for that matter takes resilience and it will not be easy at first. My biggest advice to an artist starting out would be to not add pressure to yourself. It can be so easy to compare your art, your talent and style, however being authentic in today’s society is what makes you stand out. Therefore, my advice would be to experiment with as many different mediums, subject matters and styles until you find something which feels natural, and you enjoy. At the end of the day what you enjoy should be the most important thing.
Lastly, I would suggest that any artist should jump on social media. Social media is growing faster than ever and it’s a great way to reach people across the globe. There is a huge artist community on Instagram where everyone is so supportive, it is a great place to network and build a relationship with collectors.
Many artists struggle to balance their artistic passion with the realities of selling their work. How do you navigate this challenge? Has your approach to marketing or selling your art evolved over time?
Balancing artistic passion with the practicalities of selling artwork is indeed a challenge many artists face. Personally, I've found success by diversifying my revenue streams, including selling originals, fine art prints, collaborations, and leveraging social media. While I haven't invested in ads, I've focused on organically growing my platform to over 40,000 followers. Authentic engagement with my audience is key—I regularly update them on my life, share art updates, and offer glimpses behind the scenes of my business. Emphasizing a genuine connection has definitely been key.
Thanks so much for taking the time to speak to us Jasmine, finally have you any exciting upcoming projects/exhibitions our audience can look out for at all?
It has been great to speak on some great topics with you. I have been working on my new ‘Floral Abstracts’ collection which is now live. This has been a really fun project over the past few months. I definitely have lots of exciting projects and collaborations in the pipeline for the rest of 2024 too!
Be sure to check out more of Jasmine's work on her website and follow her on Instagram @jasminemarshallart