Chris Vidal is an Australian contemporary realist artist who lives and works in Sydney, Australia. His interest in arts started from very young. At the age of 13 he attended and studied classical drawing at the School of Arts, Palazzo de LaSalle, Valletta, Malta.
His initial work was inspired by artists from the Renaissance and Baroque eras such as Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Life took Chris in a different direction and he pursued a career as a medical scientist and researcher, working for government, universities and private institutions in Malta and Australia.
His interest in the art of painting remained alive along the years and although time was limited he was trying to find the opportunity to experiment with various media. His interest and curiosity in oil painting pushed him to buy a simple set of oil paints and a book to teach himself how to paint in oils. From that time onward he never looked back and the regular practice of the art improved his skills dramatically. After a number of years he was ready to take the decision to leave his life long career in science to become a professional artist. His current body of work consists of various representations of the Australian landscape inspired by places he visits. His style of work is influenced by the American landscape painters of the Hudson River School and Australian impressionists of the Heidelberg movement as well as master artists such as Rembrandt, John Singer Sargent and contemporary American and Australian artists. His works were published and featured in books and magazines such as The Australian Artist.
From his home studio in Sydney he produces a continuous stream of new works and commissioned paintings. His works are now found in private and corporate collections in Australia and Internationally.
Another article about my artistic life published in the Artist Palette Magazine July 2014
This Demonstration article was published in the Artist Palette Magazine July 2014
Christopher Vidal is an artist living in Sydney, Australia. As an artist he expresses himself in his paintings, especially when painting landscapes. His inspiration comes from nature and what is around him. His works are found in private and corporate collections in Australia and Internationally.
My Story
Born in Malta and migrated to Australia in 2009, currently living in Sydney. My love for arts started from when I was very young. For two years I attended The School of Arts at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta, Malta. After finishing my academic studies I worked as a medical researcher in Malta and Australia. However my innate love for painting remained in me and I used to experiment with various media and techniques, while developing my style. More then ten years ago I started painting in oils and I fell in love with this versatile and dynamic medium.
Moving to Australia and traveling around this beautiful country gave me more inspiration and motivated me to start painting more regularly. Since 2012, I've been painting almost every day and exhibiting my work in various art shows in Sydney and surroundings.
Artist Statement
The creative process starts with a spark of inspiration about a subject which could be a physical object or else driven by an emotional feeling. My love for the environment and nature through what I see around, inspires me. Trees, mountains and light especially the warm afternoon lights and sunsets are among the most inspiring. The same applies for the sounds of the wind on the oceans and singing birds as well as by the continuous changing in light and weather.
My current work mostly consists of Australian landscapes in oils and acrylics. As a style I tend to shift more towards realism however I love to include an element of impressionism in my work. The common perception is that science and art are so different, however from my experience I found out that in reality they have a lot in common. Both share the basic steps of first getting inspired, making a creative plan and finally executing it. For myself painting landscapes bridged my love for science and arts. I find peace in my inner self while immersing myself in the painting process. It is the same kind of feeling I get when I will be visiting remote places and I immerse myself in nature.
With my artwork I want to give a message that life in beautiful and we should appreciate every moment. Every second that passes should be precious as we cannot get it back. Unfortunately there is a lot of negativity around us being mostly spread through the media. However in reality a lot more positive things happen in everyday life. People living in cities are so detached from the natural environment and are too busy with everyday life that unfortunately leaves no time for them to think about a deeper meaning of life. I wish that through my artwork people find the opportunity to stop and think while appreciating nature through art.
