CREATIVE PROCESS
A little glimpse into my creative process
IDEATION PROCESS
...that lightbulb moment
I have always said that inspiration is everywhere. It can come from the simplest things such as the way the sunlight creates shadows through a window, the way the leaves rustle in the wind, particularly in Autumn where nature's colour palette is at its most spectacular...to a walk outdoors or inside a gallery where wall to wall art is in abundance.
Research is a very important part of my practice and I will often spend several hours or often days researching into a topic before I even pick up a brush.
Random fact: I hate writing in biros and always favour roller balls, especially the ones from Muji.
MY TOOLS
...only a small selection of the mass of tools
Being a mixed media artist, I have accumulated and experimented with a vast range of materials over my creative journey as an artist; everything from graphite, charcoal, pastels to watercolour, inks, acrylic, oils, collaging and mono printing to name a few. If I had to pick just one, then it would have to be watercolour. I love the organic feel of the watercolour as it glides over the paper and the anticipation waiting for the unpredictable end result.
I love using watercolour in tube form so that I can mix pigments together to create my own unique palette.
P.S I never wash my palette (can you tell?) as I love the organic journey it is taking with me in all the artworks I create.
DAGGER STRIPER
...it's the name of the brush
I bought this dagger striper brush on my last visit to New York and I have to say it has to be THE favourite of my hundreds (ok well maybe not quite that many) brushes that I own. This is hands down my favourite brush and I can happily say that I have used it every single day ever since I bought it on a snowy January afternoon in New York City.
I will normally use around 5-6 different brushes at any one time, even for quick watercolour sketches as different brushes allow for varied mark making.
More often than not I am working on several pieces of artwork at any one time. Time is of the essence and I use paint drying time to sketch or research my next piece.
TRAINING
books, books, books
I studied Fashion Illustration at London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins. Aside the fashion art training, I have also been classically trained in classical portraiture techniques in oils. This deepened my drawing and painting discipline enabling me to practice patience and approach my work from a different angle.
Most recently I completed several illustration courses at The House of Illustration, London. Currently I am completing an Editorial and Conceptual Illustration course. It's so important for me to be on a continual evolving journey and embrace new skills and challenges.
I love collecting Art, Fashion, Design, Poster design books; anything that contains visual stimulus, I will collect. I am a traditionalist and much prefer flicking through a book over scrolling the internet.