Abstract Artist Josh Windram has travelled a long road to now be happily standing in his shoes today. After many years suffering a destructive substance addiction, Josh found the strength to change, and turned to art as a form of therapy for this healing process.

Josh’s personal transformation through art therapy was monumental, and at the same time he discovered that the art he was creating was being warmly embraced by the public. His journey as an artist has well and truly begun.

Enjoy Getting to Know… Josh Windram

When did you first feel the desire to be artistic and realise you had talent?

At the start of my recovery after rehab I had an uncontrollable urge to express myself through painting. Art distracted me from being drawn back to my old life and I was able to put all my frustrations and negatives onto canvas. It was a natural high that relieved me from my boredoms and replaced my previous behaviour. This led me to study Art Therapy, however, my studies restricted the amount of time that I was spending on my art and it was at that point that I realised where my time needed to go. And that was in the studio, painting.

Where did you learn your art?

I’ve been around art my whole life but lucky enough to have a mother as a professional artist to teach me techniques. I also studied various artists, researched different applications and experimented with a number of mediums and methods until I found my style.

What inspires you most?

Life itself and the colours in it are my inspiration – everything from the negative darkness of my past to the beautiful landscape I see now. Every day I see a shape, colour or place that I want to put onto canvas. I am fascinated by colour and how certain colours or colour combinations can evoke a particular feeling or emotion. I experiment with these along with memories or feelings, both from my past and present, and use them in my paintings.

What message are you sending to the viewer of your art?

That I’m turning pain and hardship into something beautiful. Life is a series of moments. I try to capture those moments on canvas, whether they are from a dark time where I was surrounded by disorder and chaos or from more recent times where I am surrounded by love and positivity.

Describe your studio…

I am currently sharing a studio with fellow artist and mother, Ingrid Windram. It’s a large barn-style studio in Vasse. It is spacious with high ceilings and a large roller door to let lots of natural light in. I have enough room to spread out and step back from my work.

Describe your typical day of creating art…

I arrive at the studio and ensure my workstation is clean; paints and brushes are put away and my palette is clean. I make a coffee and look at the pieces that I am currently working on to gauge where I’m at with each one. I find fresh-eyes in the morning is the best time to see whether I am going in the right direction with my work. I put some music on – starting with cruisey beats or something that will trigger inspiration. As the day goes on, the music becomes more full on and rowdy. I find that whatever music is on will determine how I am going to perform with my art. If the music is intense, that is usually when I am more daring and bold but when I’m doing super intricate stuff, I tend to have mellow tunes playing in the background.

What mediums do you use and why?

Acrylic paint on canvas. I find it nice to work with and it’s fast drying. I generally use a thicker structured paint as I work a lot with pallet knives and I find it moves nicely over the canvas.

What are you working on now?

I have a number of pieces on the go at present. In particular, I am doing one in collaboration with Ingrid Windram for our December 2019 JahRoc exhibition, Metamorphosis.

View “Metamorphosis” exhibition here

What are your recent career achievements you feel proud of?

Being awarded People’s Choice at Bunbury Catholic College Art Extraordinaire 2019.

What do you love most about what you do?

I love the satisfaction of creating something beautiful. It’s a place that I can turn negative energy into a positive.

Where can you see yourself in 10 years time?

Hopefully not in a hospital or institution! Front cover of Art Collector with my works all over the world would be nice and I’d like to be in a position to give back or donate more to the organisations that helped me get through my tough times.

I’d also like to be an inspiration to individuals and families that have been through similar troubles.