The Voulez-Vous Project: From scribbling on the wall to beautiful artist.

Welcome to Mamamia’s art endeavour, the Voulez-Vous Project. Every week we celebrate emerging artists, designers, illustrators, creators and women who knit using their vaginas. (Kidding. Maybe.)

Our aim: to help the internet become a slightly more beautiful, captivating, or thought-provoking place by making art accessible. To find out more about the Voulez-Vous project, click here. Click here to see all the previous Voulez-Vous posts.

By CAITLIN STOWER

When your kids draw all over the walls and floor, it’s usually an annoyance for parents. But for Ling McGregor, this is how she became interested in art.

The artist is still completing degree at a Sydney university, but her work shows grace and elegance far beyond her years.

The patterns, the attention-to-detail, the rich use of colour – all of these elements are strongly seen in Ling’s work. It’s hard to believe she only began incorporating colour into her work last year.

Every artist draws inspiration from different things, and Ling credits compliments.

“I am inspired by the little comments that people leave, beautiful photography, and by knowing that my grandparents will invite their postman in to look at my new drawings pinned up on the walls.”

Her talent is undeniable, and it is all her: “I have never had any formal lessons in art, but my family and friends are incredibly creative. I grew up surrounded by the most talented and supportive people who have definitely had an immense impact on my love for art.” 

Artwork by Ling McGregor.

She painted faces, novels and paper towels as a child. These scribbles turned into flowers, dragons and even microscopic images of viruses.

“I even won a ribbon in a competition for my drawing of the SARS virus when I was eight.”

Before Ling begins a piece, be it a commissioned piece or a drawing for a friend, she looks to many artists for inspiration.

“For hyper-realism I look to artists like Diego Koi, for impressionism to Monet and Robert Hagan, for watercolour to Agnes Cecile, for graphite to Ileana Hunter and Kei Meguro, for oils to Gentileschi and Xia Xing, for installations to Yayoi Kusama, and for paintings for ants to Lorraine Loots. These are some of the people that I constantly revisit to look at their works, but I am always inspired by new works and new artists, and actually just get a lot of advice on the go from my dad, who paints.”

Her artwork reminds people of a Claire de Lune song, because it is patient, delicate and light, Ling says.

“I am still amazed when people buy my art. It makes me immeasurably happy knowing that something I have created in hanging in people’s homes, being shared as gifts, or used to celebrate and remember special occasions.”

Check out Ling’s artwork in the gallery below:

To see more of Ling’s artwork, click here.

Do you know an artist (or are YOU an artist) who creates beautiful or thought-provoking work and whom you think should be featured on Mamamia’s Voulez-Vous Project? Send an email to info@mamamia.com.au.