One of the things I love most about my job is getting to scroll Instagram looking for mind-blowing art and getting to call it “work”!

Last week, as I was scrolling, I came across a video of someone pouring rose into a glass against a striped blue and white fabric. The video cut to the same scene, only this time it was a painting. I could hardly tell the difference! The accuracy with which the artist captured the light, color and detail of the glass and folds of the fabric was stunning! It was definitely worth investigation. Who was this artist?

Chilu is an up-and-coming artist from Cammeraygal Country, Australia. Chilu has worn many hats as a web designer, graphic designer, illustrator, freelancer and even business owner. In addition to creating these magnificent canvases, she is raising her two children.

Searching through her Instagram, what I found was that all of Chilu’s canvases are similarly detailed. Her canvases feature glistening grapes, crumpled foil balloons bloated with air, and the soft delicate petals of peonies rendered in almost high definition. This is an extremely impressive result for a self-taught artist!

Teaching herself how to work with acrylics and through a time-consuming process of layering paint, Chilu creates these charming paintings. Perhaps they are so charming because behind each one of them is the emotionally driven narrative that there is always a silver lining.

As all of her titles relay, she sees her life and her art through rose-coloured lenses and her art can help remind us all to enjoy the little things in life.

Over the past two years, Chilu has begun to hone her craft. Last year, she began receiving prizes and recognition for her artworks! She was 7^th in the state in visual arts in New South Wales. In 2022, she was a finalist for the Frankie Magazine’s “Good stuff awards,” a finalist for the National Capital Art Prize, a finalist for the TACIT Still Life Prize, and a finalist for the Kangaroo Valley Art Prize. Finally, her works were featured in the 2022 “Sounds of Spring” at Floriade.

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I was so intrigued by her work, I had to find out more! I got the chance to ask her some of my burning questions! Read on to find out what Chilu had to say about her art and process.

How did you get started painting?

I’ve always been creative since I was a child, and my creative journey has been wide ranging and diverse. I first started painting a few years ago as a way to get my son to talk. He would tell me what to paint, then he’d go to preschool and then return home to see if I’d listened and responded. To this day both my kids now come to check what I’ve painted, and we have a chat about it – it’s one of the parts of my life that I really cherish. 

How long does it take you to paint one of your still life paintings like: Swimming in Dappled Sunlight?

Oh, I’m slow like a turtle! It’s difficult to measure timing as my life is constantly interrupted and interspersed with children, family, cooking, cleaning – domesticity essentially! I started “Swimming in Dappled Sunlight” at the end of 2022, then stopped midway to paint Christmas presents, then completed at the end of January. So – a wildly inaccurate guess is possibly a month (?)… I do know that the peonies from this painting took me around four days. I paint with acrylics and haven’t been formally trained with them – but through trial and error, I’ve worked out that to get the effect I want I need to do at least 5-6 layers before I’m able to achieve the strength of colour, blending and detail that I want. So, it’s a lengthy process.

What does your studio space look like?

My studio space is a part of the family home which I actually love because when I need cheering up all I have to do is glance over and remind myself that I’ll be painting again soon. It’s also brilliant because I paint when everyone is asleep! Morning and night!

I’m so impressed by the detail in your images. It looks like a photograph! How do you create accuracy like this when you are painting?

There was a turning point in my life that very specifically prescribes my method. I signed up for a 3-hour watercolour class with an amazing watercolorist called Josefia Lemon and it was the first time I learned to do a still life. In that lesson I painted a mushroom and learnt that it was okay to use a reference photo. For some reason I had this crazy notion that everything had to come from my imagination! That changed everything for me. So, the start of my creative process is thinking of the concept and then I get a kick out of creating my reference photos. Then depending on the composition – if it’s really complicated, I will sketch on paper first to familiarize myself with the object or do a small canvas to test out getting the colours right. Then to transfer the reference photo – if it’s complicated, I’ll use a grid to get the proportions right. Other times I’ll sketch it onto the canvas. It really depends on the complexity.

In Stay Afloat, Still Afloat and There is a Light in Trying, nylon balloons are set against a surrealistic sky of pink and purple clouds, where does the inspiration for this background come from?

Oh, I’m so glad you asked this question because nobody has asked this before! The sky in every painting is a reflection of life or my approach to it. To me life is changeable like the weather. In “Stay Afloat” for instance, the sky is pink because despite how bleak life gets – I often try to make the choice to see the world through rose-coloured glasses. “Still Afloat” is a bit more turbulent but the pink clouds are an attempt to keep reaching for the light. With “There is Light in Trying”, the bottom of the piece the clouds are turbulent but as the balloon rises the sky opens – an expression of how failure is only defined by inaction – that trying means you are still continuing to rise even as you feel stagnant. 

I find your paintings so full of hope and love for the little things in life! What new projects or paintings are you working on for 2023?

That’s so kind – thank you so much. It’s completely intentional – after almost losing my son a few times and having my family go through months in hospital and knowing that this journey isn’t done has completely and utterly changed me. I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore. During those months in hospital, my only dream was to be able to take my baby to the fruit and vegetable shop. When things got really hard, I would visualize the simple joy of doing this with him. That’s it. The first time I finally did this with him I cried. So, I gained a significant appreciation for the little things in life as you say. I try make sure to stop and enjoy the simple things, a crispy grape, a juicy peach, my children laughing – those things are very precious to me now.

As for what’s ahead – to be honest – foremost in my mind this year is about being around for my children in case they get sick. My youngest is at preschool for three days a week so my painting time is sadly limited. Having said that – there are a few exciting projects which I can’t talk about yet. I also have many paintings in my head that I’ve planned, it’s just about getting them out of my imagination and onto the canvas.

On a fun note: If you had to give up one color of paint and never use it again, which would you choose?

I would definitely give up black because you can mix a multitude of colours to make it – my favourite mix is ultramarine blue and burnt umber. Ha! I sound like such a nerd!

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Prints of her canvases are available for purchase on her website: www.chilu.com

15% of the proceeds from any purchases are donate the Heart Centre for Children at Westmead Children’s Hospital in Sydney.

Follow her on Instagram Chilu (@hellochilu) • Instagram photos and videos

Chilu acknowledges the Cammeraygal people of the Eora Nation who are the Traditional Custodians of this land on which I work. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. I recognize their continuous relationship to the land and pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging.