Come along from 6pm on Friday.
Monday, 13 September 2010
Julia Trigg-Next Private View at Castor and Pollux- Friday 17th
Artist of the Week - Luella Martin
Luella Martin works and lives in Brighton. She paints urban and rural landscapes from Sussex, France and further afield. Luella will be showing her work at the Brighton Art Fair this week.
Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I trained in London, where I grew up. First Hornsey, then Byam Shaw and my Post-graduate studies were at Goldsmiths College. I felt at the time that the more I learned, the less I really was sure I knew and that is probably still true. I should have liked more preparation for life after Art School.
When and where did you first want to do what you do?
I was in the Tate Gallery (there was only one in those days) with my mother - I was about 5 I think. I really loved the Mondrians.
One favourite living artist?
Peter Doig because he always surprises and delights me and because he is so generous about sharing his ideas and inspiration.
One favourite historical artist?
Pierre Bonnard - he draws me straight into his luminous world.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
I do love to travel and have done quite a few paintings of France, but I'm just always looking around wherever I am. Recently I've noticed that the sea is often in my work, not surprising because I live on the coast, but I have also got other connections. I've sailed across The Bay of Biscay & I've lived on board a 35 ft steel ketch in Australia. I had a tiny little triangular cabin at the 'pointy end' which was my studio and had to work very small on paper to get over storage problems.
Recently I've had quite a long spell in Brighton and have been concentrating mainly on round where I live - Brighton, the Sussex downs & coastline, piers, gardens and the local allotments.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have had.
I loved lecturing part-time in London. I worked mostly with interior design students helping them design and print fabrics - it was hard work but very rewarding and we had a lot of fun printing the lengths of fabric on a long padded table.
Do you work mostly on your own? Have you had any interesting work related collaborations?
I paint on my own in my studio at Phoenix Brighton. It can be quite isolating so I do make an effort to get together with other painters regularly for a chat or to go to see exhibitions in London. There are around 100 artists who work in the building, so there's usually someone around. I also do quite a bit of printmaking and love that because it is very sociable.
At age 18 who most influenced your style?
At age 18 I was bowled over by Abstract Expressionism, Jack Kerouac and all things American.
How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Not at all really, I think it would be a disaster if I tried, I just make what I want to make.
Who would you say buys your work?
The ones I've met have all been lovely, but I haven't noticed any particular type.
Where and what is your studio?
I have a beautiful studio at Phoenix Brighton - it is a large L- shaped room at the front of the building and overlooks The Level. The light is great for most of the day and I very much enjoy working there. We also have a gallery downstairs and there is generally a very good 'buzz' in the building.
Do you have a good work/life balance?
Probably not quite as good as it should be yet. I tend to either be working or thinking about work most of the time, but that seems to go with being a painter for me. I can't just turn it on and off so sometimes I do miss out on other things. I do try and get as much exercise as I can and love to swim laps - I can work out all sorts of things while I'm doing my mile. I feel very lucky to live in beautiful Brighton with a very understanding husband, my cat and a studio I can walk to, so no complaints.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Absorbing
If you could be doing anything else what would it be?
I don't want to do anything else.
If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world which would it be?
Tate Britain, where it all started.
In the last 12 months I have exhibited in mixed shows at:
Enid Lawson Gallery, London
Saffron Gallery, Battle
Greentree Gallery, Borde Hill
Open House - The Dog House, Hampstead Rd Brighton
Brighton Art Fair 2009 ( with Saffron Gallery)
The Affordable Art Fair, Battersea (with Saffron gallery)
Rye Art Fair 2010
I recently sold some paintings from my 'Allotment' series to Brighton & Sussex NHS Trust.
Friday, 10 September 2010
Lisa Traxler on Grand Designs
Artist Lisa Traxler who is exhibiting at the Brighton Art Fair next week is being featured on Wednesday's Grand Designs.
Here's what Lisa says...
'McCloud blowtorched our home.... Channel 4's new series of Grand Designs kicks of with a forest bungalow on the Isle of Wight, varnished in an unusual way.
We have been converting our home on the Isle of Wight for the past year and along with this re-build we have been followed every step of the way with the tv crew from Grand Designs! We have moved back in to our home now, build complete - exhausted but happy & the project will be shown on Wednesday, 15th September on Channel 4 at 9pm when the new series of Grand Designs airs - gulp!!!! Just thought we would share that with you if you fancy a giggle as we embarrass ourselves on national tv!'
Photo Credit: Sunday Times Newspaper
The Sunday Times Newspaper ran a piece with the project on Sunday 5th September in the Home section and Grand Designs Magazine will be running a piece on the project in the November issue (out October 2010)
www.treehouseisleofwight.co.uk (website goes live from 15th September 2010)
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Brighton Art Fair Banners.
The erection of the Brighton Art Fair banners along the seafront, by the Pavilion and down from the Station marks the official start of panic amongst the artists (and organisers) of Brighton Art Fair. Across Brighton framers are working overtime to clear the backlog in time for the BAF Private View next Thursday and artists are painting their last pictures hoping that the warm weather keeps up and the paint will dry in time.
We think it could be the best Art Fair yet - we have some fantastic artists coming from around the country and we think you'll find lots to buy or want to buy.
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Artist of the Week - Natalie Martin
Born in 1972, Natalie Martin grew up in an environment dominated by art and literature. Graduating with a degree in sculpture, she continued to work in conceptual installation until discovering a talent and love for painting. Focusing primarily on depictions of urban architecture, her painting has developed into a highly detailed, representational style that still retains painterly qualities.
Where did you train?
People are often quite surprised to find out that I studied sculpture rather than painting. I went back to university as a mature student and managed to get a place at Brighton. It was quite a big step coming to a place where I didn’t know anyone and dragging my eight-year-old son with me seems crazy now. It’s still one of the best decisions I ever made.
What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
The course at Brighton was more about conceptual art rather than carving wood or chipping marble so it was great to be in an environment where people were doing so many different disciplines; photography, sound installation, performance, everything. I think there were two main benefits for me. Firstly, learning the language of art, learning how to talk about art in an academic way and to not be afraid of doing that. It’s not something I would do everyday but it can be daunting expressing your feelings about something visual in words and it’s nice to have the confidence to do it when I need to. And secondly, learning how to work with other artists. We’re not necessarily the easiest bunch of people to organize, so learning how to hang a show, get the work straight and working together, and for everyone to get the maximum out of it was invaluable.
They didn’t give us much guidance on making a living though, but I guess any subject in the academic world is removed from real life to a certain extent but it made it pretty hard to figure out how to survive financially as a practicing artist.
When and where did you first want to do what you do?
After leaving university, I tried various disciplines but concentrated mainly on making conceptual installation and sculpture. About three years later, I made an abandoned dollshouse, all moldy and disgusting. I had thought several times about doing a project about staircases and making the stairs for the dollshouse reignited that idea again. I had also picked up a couple of canvases along the way and thought, “Well, lets try a bit of painting and see how that goes.” I knew the basic principles of painting, just got on with it and really loved it. The feedback I got was incredible and managed to get a place at Brighton Art Fair on the strength of the first three paintings I had ever made. That’s when I knew painting was definitely the thing I was supposed to be doing. The dollshouse was part of the Selector’s Choice “House” exhibition as part of Brighton Open Houses in May 2009.
One favourite living artist?
This might be a bit odd but I quite admire Damien Hirst. I quite like his work but I love the fact that he’s so successful. There are plenty of really talented artists out there but you really have to combine that with luck, tenacity, a good business head and a hell of a lot of cheek to get what he’s managed to achieve. I don’t know if it’s a route that I want to take but knowing that he’s achieved what he has makes me smile and want to keep on keeping on.
One favourite historical artist?
Vilhem Hammershoi. He was a turn of the century (not the last one the one before that) Danish painter who did a lot of architectural interiors and exteriors, as well as portraits. The quality of the light in his work is astounding and his brushwork brings dynamism to the most mundane of scenes. I went to see an exhibition of his work at The Royal Academy and I had a tear in my eye going round as it just seemed impossible to ever achieve anything like that myself. Now I keep several postcards of his work on my easel to remind myself that I too could make something that beautiful if I put my mind to it and keep working hard. I also have to mention Norman Rockwell, as I love his illustrations and when I found out that he used photographs to paint from, I didn’t feel so bad about not painting en plein air.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
I think its light that actually inspires me. Sometimes I’ll walk past a building or place that I’ve walked past a hundred times before but the light hits it in such a way that I’ll notice it and really see it for the first time. And architecture is such a great thing to paint, there are just so many different flavours available, I never get bored of painting it.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Boring, but being a mum is the most fun and interesting job ever. Having kids really keeps you focused on what’s important and what’s ridiculous about life at the same time. Whatever’s going on, kids will bring a perspective to it that blows your mind. My son’s speciality would be walking in on me when I was at the point of tearing my hair out over a particularly tricky creative point, take a quick look at what I was doing, blandly come up with an outstanding, yet simple solution and then walk off again, leaving me open mouthed. I’m so lucky that I got the opportunity to be at home with him through his childhood and now that he’s a grown man, I’m so lucky that we continue to have a good relationship and spend time together. He still drives me crazy.
Do you work mostly on your own? Have you had any interesting work related collaborations?
I don’t think I’d do very well at collaboration. I find it hard to paint with someone else in the room and I find it very hard to take suggestions. Criticism yes, suggestion no. I guess I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to my work. I do like to contribute to group shows with a theme though. It’s quite liberating to step out from your safety zone and try something different and I find that kind of exhibition a good excuse to try new things. The last show like that was “Outpost”, a small exhibition organized by Cat Ingrams of Blue Monkey Studio as part of the Eastbourne Festival. She managed to collect a fantastic selection of small works on the theme of ‘outpost’ to compliment the “Archipelago” theme of the open studio work. I made some questionable lino-cut prints which she managed to hang and look lovely. The whole thing was really good fun.
At age 18 who most influenced your style?
I don’t think I had any style at 18. I find it bizarre to think of myself at that age. Life seemed so overwhelming that it was too hard to not be influenced by anything and everything. I think it took at least another decade before I even began to figure out who I was and what was important to me.
How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Before I started painting I tried that but as soon as you start trying to second-guess the “market” you lose something in your work that makes it saleable. Trying to emulate what someone else is doing just because they’re successful is never going to work because it won’t be authentically you. I have found that the paintings that people like the most are the ones that I’ve most enjoyed painting so I just try and stick to doing what I love and loving what I do.
Who would you say buys your work?
I’m not sure. Quite a few of the people who buy my work seem to be collectors and very often come back and buy more work later. I think my paintings are contemporary but they have a bit of a traditional feel to them, which can make them more accessible to people who like different kinds of art.
Where and what is your studio?
My studio is in the corner of my bedroom. Not very glamorous but it works well for me. I don’t need that much space and I like that I can get to work early in the morning, still in my PJ’s if need be, plus there’s an enormous window so the light is just brilliant (in my bedroom not my PJ’s). I have a couple of shelves for small canvases and tools, a great big box full of canvases, a table for my paints and brushes and a standard easel. All the rest of my art stuff (and there’s quite a bit) is squirreled away in drawers and cupboards in the rest of the flat. I’m pretty lucky that I don’t have to trudge to work in a studio and my musical taste means that none else would want to share with me anyhow.
Do you have a good work/life balance?
I try really hard to but it’s difficult when one of the things you love doing most is actually your job. I try and make sure that I work set hours during the week and take the weekends off unless I have a really urgent deadline or an event but I always end up sketching or sorting through images when I’m not supposed to. I try and console myself with the fact that being self-employed means I can take the day off to sit on the beach whenever I like which offsets the midnight emails. I can’t remember the last time I actually did that though.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
I can’t decide whether it’s “Contentment” or “Anxiety”. I guess a combination of the two would be “Excitement”. I love the process, preparing the images, laying out the composition, actually putting the paint on the brush and smearing it on the canvas, it’s very gratifying but it’s nerve-wracking sometimes, not knowing how it’s going to turn out, whether you’re doing the right thing or knowing this stroke could ruin all your hard work and you’d have to start over. But “Satisfaction” sounds right too, as whether I’m planning which painting to do next or washing my brushes at the end of the day, that’s the feeling that underlies everything.
If you could be doing anything else what would it be?
If I could be doing anything else…swimming…on a tropical island or just somewhere hot, in a private pool just before lunch. I love swimming, I hate being cold and I like eating so this would be perfect. If I could be doing anything else for a job…I wouldn’t. I don’t expect to do this forever but at the moment I’m so glad to have the life I live I wouldn’t want to give it up right now.
If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world, which would it be?
I think it was Picasso that replied to the question of which of his paintings was his favourite with the answer, “The next one” and I think that applies to this too. The next thing you’re doing is always the most exciting. It doesn’t matter if it’s a regional show in a village hall (Art and Soul in Falmer Village is next on the calender) or the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy (it was really very cool) whatever is coming next is and should be the focus of 90% of your attention.
If I could have one thing that I’d really want and aspire to, I wouldn’t care which gallery it was in but to have a piece of my work hang next to a Hammershoi, that would be my absolute moment of perfection.
Exhibitions in the past 12 months.
• Cambridge Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery
• Life In the Cotswolds: Iona House Gallery, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
• Trinity: Bath
• Bristol Affordable Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery, Bristol
• The Claremont, Artist Open Houses: Hove
• Outpost: Eastbourne Festival
• Blue Monkey Open Studio, Eastbourne Festival
• Glasgow Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery
• Art at The Claremont, Hove
• Blue Monkey Christmas Open Studio, Eastbourne
• Windsor Contemporary Art Fair, Windsor Racecourse
• The London Group Open Exhibition, The Menier Gallery, London
• Brighton Art Fair, Corn Exchange, Brighton
Natalie will be exhibiting at the Brighton Art Fair and the Palace Art Fair.
Where did you train?
People are often quite surprised to find out that I studied sculpture rather than painting. I went back to university as a mature student and managed to get a place at Brighton. It was quite a big step coming to a place where I didn’t know anyone and dragging my eight-year-old son with me seems crazy now. It’s still one of the best decisions I ever made.
What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
The course at Brighton was more about conceptual art rather than carving wood or chipping marble so it was great to be in an environment where people were doing so many different disciplines; photography, sound installation, performance, everything. I think there were two main benefits for me. Firstly, learning the language of art, learning how to talk about art in an academic way and to not be afraid of doing that. It’s not something I would do everyday but it can be daunting expressing your feelings about something visual in words and it’s nice to have the confidence to do it when I need to. And secondly, learning how to work with other artists. We’re not necessarily the easiest bunch of people to organize, so learning how to hang a show, get the work straight and working together, and for everyone to get the maximum out of it was invaluable.
They didn’t give us much guidance on making a living though, but I guess any subject in the academic world is removed from real life to a certain extent but it made it pretty hard to figure out how to survive financially as a practicing artist.
When and where did you first want to do what you do?
After leaving university, I tried various disciplines but concentrated mainly on making conceptual installation and sculpture. About three years later, I made an abandoned dollshouse, all moldy and disgusting. I had thought several times about doing a project about staircases and making the stairs for the dollshouse reignited that idea again. I had also picked up a couple of canvases along the way and thought, “Well, lets try a bit of painting and see how that goes.” I knew the basic principles of painting, just got on with it and really loved it. The feedback I got was incredible and managed to get a place at Brighton Art Fair on the strength of the first three paintings I had ever made. That’s when I knew painting was definitely the thing I was supposed to be doing. The dollshouse was part of the Selector’s Choice “House” exhibition as part of Brighton Open Houses in May 2009.
One favourite living artist?
This might be a bit odd but I quite admire Damien Hirst. I quite like his work but I love the fact that he’s so successful. There are plenty of really talented artists out there but you really have to combine that with luck, tenacity, a good business head and a hell of a lot of cheek to get what he’s managed to achieve. I don’t know if it’s a route that I want to take but knowing that he’s achieved what he has makes me smile and want to keep on keeping on.
One favourite historical artist?
Vilhem Hammershoi. He was a turn of the century (not the last one the one before that) Danish painter who did a lot of architectural interiors and exteriors, as well as portraits. The quality of the light in his work is astounding and his brushwork brings dynamism to the most mundane of scenes. I went to see an exhibition of his work at The Royal Academy and I had a tear in my eye going round as it just seemed impossible to ever achieve anything like that myself. Now I keep several postcards of his work on my easel to remind myself that I too could make something that beautiful if I put my mind to it and keep working hard. I also have to mention Norman Rockwell, as I love his illustrations and when I found out that he used photographs to paint from, I didn’t feel so bad about not painting en plein air.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
I think its light that actually inspires me. Sometimes I’ll walk past a building or place that I’ve walked past a hundred times before but the light hits it in such a way that I’ll notice it and really see it for the first time. And architecture is such a great thing to paint, there are just so many different flavours available, I never get bored of painting it.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Boring, but being a mum is the most fun and interesting job ever. Having kids really keeps you focused on what’s important and what’s ridiculous about life at the same time. Whatever’s going on, kids will bring a perspective to it that blows your mind. My son’s speciality would be walking in on me when I was at the point of tearing my hair out over a particularly tricky creative point, take a quick look at what I was doing, blandly come up with an outstanding, yet simple solution and then walk off again, leaving me open mouthed. I’m so lucky that I got the opportunity to be at home with him through his childhood and now that he’s a grown man, I’m so lucky that we continue to have a good relationship and spend time together. He still drives me crazy.
Do you work mostly on your own? Have you had any interesting work related collaborations?
I don’t think I’d do very well at collaboration. I find it hard to paint with someone else in the room and I find it very hard to take suggestions. Criticism yes, suggestion no. I guess I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to my work. I do like to contribute to group shows with a theme though. It’s quite liberating to step out from your safety zone and try something different and I find that kind of exhibition a good excuse to try new things. The last show like that was “Outpost”, a small exhibition organized by Cat Ingrams of Blue Monkey Studio as part of the Eastbourne Festival. She managed to collect a fantastic selection of small works on the theme of ‘outpost’ to compliment the “Archipelago” theme of the open studio work. I made some questionable lino-cut prints which she managed to hang and look lovely. The whole thing was really good fun.
At age 18 who most influenced your style?
I don’t think I had any style at 18. I find it bizarre to think of myself at that age. Life seemed so overwhelming that it was too hard to not be influenced by anything and everything. I think it took at least another decade before I even began to figure out who I was and what was important to me.
How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Before I started painting I tried that but as soon as you start trying to second-guess the “market” you lose something in your work that makes it saleable. Trying to emulate what someone else is doing just because they’re successful is never going to work because it won’t be authentically you. I have found that the paintings that people like the most are the ones that I’ve most enjoyed painting so I just try and stick to doing what I love and loving what I do.
Who would you say buys your work?
I’m not sure. Quite a few of the people who buy my work seem to be collectors and very often come back and buy more work later. I think my paintings are contemporary but they have a bit of a traditional feel to them, which can make them more accessible to people who like different kinds of art.
Where and what is your studio?
My studio is in the corner of my bedroom. Not very glamorous but it works well for me. I don’t need that much space and I like that I can get to work early in the morning, still in my PJ’s if need be, plus there’s an enormous window so the light is just brilliant (in my bedroom not my PJ’s). I have a couple of shelves for small canvases and tools, a great big box full of canvases, a table for my paints and brushes and a standard easel. All the rest of my art stuff (and there’s quite a bit) is squirreled away in drawers and cupboards in the rest of the flat. I’m pretty lucky that I don’t have to trudge to work in a studio and my musical taste means that none else would want to share with me anyhow.
Do you have a good work/life balance?
I try really hard to but it’s difficult when one of the things you love doing most is actually your job. I try and make sure that I work set hours during the week and take the weekends off unless I have a really urgent deadline or an event but I always end up sketching or sorting through images when I’m not supposed to. I try and console myself with the fact that being self-employed means I can take the day off to sit on the beach whenever I like which offsets the midnight emails. I can’t remember the last time I actually did that though.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
I can’t decide whether it’s “Contentment” or “Anxiety”. I guess a combination of the two would be “Excitement”. I love the process, preparing the images, laying out the composition, actually putting the paint on the brush and smearing it on the canvas, it’s very gratifying but it’s nerve-wracking sometimes, not knowing how it’s going to turn out, whether you’re doing the right thing or knowing this stroke could ruin all your hard work and you’d have to start over. But “Satisfaction” sounds right too, as whether I’m planning which painting to do next or washing my brushes at the end of the day, that’s the feeling that underlies everything.
If you could be doing anything else what would it be?
If I could be doing anything else…swimming…on a tropical island or just somewhere hot, in a private pool just before lunch. I love swimming, I hate being cold and I like eating so this would be perfect. If I could be doing anything else for a job…I wouldn’t. I don’t expect to do this forever but at the moment I’m so glad to have the life I live I wouldn’t want to give it up right now.
If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world, which would it be?
I think it was Picasso that replied to the question of which of his paintings was his favourite with the answer, “The next one” and I think that applies to this too. The next thing you’re doing is always the most exciting. It doesn’t matter if it’s a regional show in a village hall (Art and Soul in Falmer Village is next on the calender) or the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy (it was really very cool) whatever is coming next is and should be the focus of 90% of your attention.
If I could have one thing that I’d really want and aspire to, I wouldn’t care which gallery it was in but to have a piece of my work hang next to a Hammershoi, that would be my absolute moment of perfection.
Exhibitions in the past 12 months.
• Cambridge Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery
• Life In the Cotswolds: Iona House Gallery, Woodstock, Oxfordshire
• Trinity: Bath
• Bristol Affordable Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery, Bristol
• The Claremont, Artist Open Houses: Hove
• Outpost: Eastbourne Festival
• Blue Monkey Open Studio, Eastbourne Festival
• Glasgow Art Fair with The Liberty Gallery
• Art at The Claremont, Hove
• Blue Monkey Christmas Open Studio, Eastbourne
• Windsor Contemporary Art Fair, Windsor Racecourse
• The London Group Open Exhibition, The Menier Gallery, London
• Brighton Art Fair, Corn Exchange, Brighton
Natalie will be exhibiting at the Brighton Art Fair and the Palace Art Fair.
Friday, 3 September 2010
Artist of the Week - Janie Ranger
Janie Ranger originally trained in fashion and textiles and worked for Mary Quant as a designer for five years in the early seventies. Her husband was in the RAF and so Janie spent the next thirty odd years as a camp follower. She went back to art school in 2004 and did a degree in Fine Art. Janie works from an interesting studio in Cheltenham where she livse in an 1830's house. She has just completed a commission of 15 drawings for the Coda Restaurant at the Royal Albert Hall, is involved in Am Dram, travels quite a bit and is a 61 year old fat but energetic granny!!!
Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I've trained twice! Firstly back in the late 60's I did Fashion and Textile Design at Ealing School of Art (Freddie Mercury was a student there then!) In the noughties I went back to Uni and studied at the University of Gloucestershire for a BA in Fine Art.
Apart from practical and academic stuff I learnt never to pass up either an opportunity or a glass of something bubbly. I wish I had learnt how to make more money - to pay for the bubbles of course.
When and where did you first want to do what you do?
From the age of around 6 I spent hours making clothes for paper dollies and never wanted to do anything else but design or paint.
One favourite living artist?
Difficult to chose. Probably Cy Twombley because whenever I see his work I always wish I had made it.
One favourite historical artist?
Vermeer. Because he could paint quite well and Colin Firth played him in a film.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
A lot of inspiration comes from my collection of animal and human bones, dead insects and other detritius.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
Click Here to Read More..
Where did you train? What did training teach you and what do you wish it had taught you?
I've trained twice! Firstly back in the late 60's I did Fashion and Textile Design at Ealing School of Art (Freddie Mercury was a student there then!) In the noughties I went back to Uni and studied at the University of Gloucestershire for a BA in Fine Art.
Apart from practical and academic stuff I learnt never to pass up either an opportunity or a glass of something bubbly. I wish I had learnt how to make more money - to pay for the bubbles of course.
When and where did you first want to do what you do?
From the age of around 6 I spent hours making clothes for paper dollies and never wanted to do anything else but design or paint.
One favourite living artist?
Difficult to chose. Probably Cy Twombley because whenever I see his work I always wish I had made it.
One favourite historical artist?
Vermeer. Because he could paint quite well and Colin Firth played him in a film.
Where do you get most of your inspiration from?
A lot of inspiration comes from my collection of animal and human bones, dead insects and other detritius.
What is the most interesting / fun job you have had?
I worked as a designer for Mary Quant in the early seventies. Breakfast Press Shows were enormous fun. I used to help dress the models and got one (still well known) model's pubes caught in a trouser zip. No I won't tell who it was.
Do you work mostly on your own? Have you had any interesting work related collaborations?
Work on my own. I'm quite a private worker although I would like to take a leap and do a huge collaborative drawing somewhere.
At age 18 who most influenced your style?
I was quite individual and think I influenced a few others.
How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Usually not at all with my fine art practise. But I do design as well and that is often working within a brief. I enjoy both.
Who would you say buys your work?
Not enough people
Where and what is your studio?
In Cheltenham in a lovely old quirky building that was once a sail makers loft.
Do you have a good work/life balance?
Very much so. I can work quite quickly under pressure if necessary. I like to travel, spend time with family and friends as well as participating in AM Dram.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Necessity
If you could be doing anything else what would it be?
Forensic pathology or an undertaker
If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world which would it be?
Tate Modern. The Turbine Hall.
Please list any exhibitions you have had in the past 12 months.
Nov 2009 ING Discerning Eye at Mall Galleries
March 2010 Cheltenham Art Gallerly and Museum Cafe
August 2010 Ludlow Summer Exhibition
Do you work mostly on your own? Have you had any interesting work related collaborations?
Work on my own. I'm quite a private worker although I would like to take a leap and do a huge collaborative drawing somewhere.
At age 18 who most influenced your style?
I was quite individual and think I influenced a few others.
How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?
Usually not at all with my fine art practise. But I do design as well and that is often working within a brief. I enjoy both.
Who would you say buys your work?
Not enough people
Where and what is your studio?
In Cheltenham in a lovely old quirky building that was once a sail makers loft.
Do you have a good work/life balance?
Very much so. I can work quite quickly under pressure if necessary. I like to travel, spend time with family and friends as well as participating in AM Dram.
What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Necessity
If you could be doing anything else what would it be?
Forensic pathology or an undertaker
If you could exhibit in any gallery in the world which would it be?
Tate Modern. The Turbine Hall.
Please list any exhibitions you have had in the past 12 months.
Nov 2009 ING Discerning Eye at Mall Galleries
March 2010 Cheltenham Art Gallerly and Museum Cafe
August 2010 Ludlow Summer Exhibition
Janie will be showing her work at the Brighton Art Fair.
Susan Laughton - Solo Exhibiton
Thought provoking solo exhibition ‘Measured Space’ by painter Susan Laughton, at new contemporary gallery Duckett and Jeffreys, explores elements of land and sky and the marks we make upon them.
Susan says;
“The landscape is my starting point, not as a picturesque static view, but as a space travelled through and experienced often on the edges of the urban and the rural. It is a source of man made and natural structures, surfaces and colour that allow me to construct my own pared down responses to capture memories of land and sky and the marks we make upon them.
I make drawings of remembered details seen from the corner of my eye, fleeting juxtapositions elusive to photography or more studied compositions. These feel like a search for my own language of marks, signs and symbols to bring order, balance and control to an often chaotic visual world. Man made structures, in particular, impose their presence on the sky: power lines, telegraph poles, fences, bridges, cut hedges, an isolated building.”
Opened in 2010, Duckett and Jeffreys Gallery presents an exciting rolling programme of solo shows from national and international artists. Artists are chosen for their confident aesthetic and an imaginative application of concepts and materials.
Measure Space runs from Thursday 9th September - Saturday 16th October 2010.
Private View: Thursday 9th September 7 - 9pm.
Duckett & Jeffreys, 2 Old Maltongate, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7EG
Mobile: 07772 993759 Tel: 01377 236008
Open
Wednesday - Saturday, 10am - 6pm; Or by appointment
Susan will be exhibiting her work at the Palace Art Fair in October.
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