Wildly Colourful Practical Art

Talina Danuser has always loved messing around with paint. But it wasn’t until a house sitting opportunity left her with plenty of time on her hands that she embarked on a paint-in-fused experiment, which would eventually develop into a flourishing sideline business.

The full-time nursing student uses a mixture of acrylic paint and PVA glue to create a wildly coloured range of unique homewares, which she sells at the Olive Tree Market under the banner of Overflow Designs.

“I have loved using paint since I can remember, but always preferred using it in non-traditional ways with other materials because I’m not very good with a brush,” Talina said.

“Once I hit high school and started working I basically stopped drawing and painting, unfortunately, and it took a few weeks of house sitting at Seal Rocks during the August 2017 uni holidays to spark my love for creating again!

“After my morning surf the wind would pick up, and I’d be wandering around looking for things to do. I’d heard of resin art before, but from my experience with working in a surf shop, I knew resin was expensive, tricky to clean and required extra safety precautions compared to other mediums. So, I started to experiment with cheap acrylic paints and other mediums to get a similar look.

“At first I just made a few canvases, but it’s growing every day because I realised how much better my life is with the creative outlet that I never knew I missed.

“I’m a full-time nursing student at the University of Newcastle, so I love having this creative outlet to keep me calm and offer a break from studying.”

Each design is 100 per cent unique, with the “long and messy” process making it impossible to create two artworks that are exactly the same.

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“The exciting part is the ‘pour'. For this I use a combination of acrylic paints, PVA glue, water and silicone spray,” Talina said.

“There are no strict rules; I will pour the paint on in whatever way I feel like. Sometimes it’ll be a perfect pour, other times I’ll need to hand paint and move colours around while the paint is still wet to get the desired pattern.

“Lastly, all my products are finished with a clear, glossy enamel coat so they can be washed in the sink with the rest of your dishes and still look brand new!

“I love that it is impossible to make the same product twice and that the colours can be customised to suit its new home.”

While Talina mostly applies her amazing acrylic designs to wooden cheese and chopping boards, the Stockton woman loves to create her art on other surfaces to satisfy a variety of custom orders.

“At the moment the various shaped cheese/chopping boards are the main feature of my brand. However, I’ve started painting drink coasters, bedside tables and various other customer orders recently and hope to bring more of these products to future markets,” she said.

“It’s great working with clients that want specific colours to suit their kitchen or living space.

“I also have plans to start digitalising the patterns so they can be printed onto products such as pillowcases and phone cases.”

While most artists are inspired by the world around them, Talina has a more practical motivation driving her creative pursuits.

“My inspiration for new products is practicality - weird, I know! For me, and many others, drilling holes everywhere in your house to hang artworks isn’t an option. For this reason, I am always looking for creative ways to add art and colour to a home that isn’t just there to look pretty” she said.

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“My main aim is for each board to be unique. Fortunately, it is impossible to create the same board twice with the technique I use!”

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With so many gorgeous designs to her name, picking a favourite was never going to be easy for Talina – although practicality and longevity once again seemed to have a hand in her decision.

“Ahh this is a tough one!” she said.

“The chopping boards would have to be my favourite. I love how unique and colourful each one is, but also so practical.

“The first one I made in August 2017 I have used every day since and she’s still going strong.”

You can check out Talina’s Overflow Designs stall at the Olive Tree Market, which will be held at Newcastle Civic Park on Saturday, September 1 from 9am to 3pm!