What inspired you to become an artist, and when did you first realise that you wanted to pursue this career path?
During art school whilst studying fine art something really clicked for me. I had discovered screen printing and applied some of the styles of printmaking into my painting and illustration style and I loved the results. Post university I quickly realised that I was finding it difficult to get into a creative role that was a good fit for me. The only way my creative ideas and freedom would be realised was to go it alone and try to become an artist!
What are some of your favourite materials and mediums to work with, and why do you prefer them?
I love working with colour and shapes, whether I am working digitally, painting or printing I love to see how different colours and shapes respond to one another on paper and on the screen. Working digitally has been a revelation for me in terms of being able to fine tune my style, you are less afraid of mistakes and more willing to experiment and take risks. I love painting because it is relaxing, makes you think about each step and your choices of colour and composition more. I love screen printing because it is a beautiful process, you cannot be as exact as you can be working in digital and painting - but it is the imperfections that make the results special and unique!
How would you describe your artistic style, and how has it evolved over time?
My artistic style is dynamic, stylised and precise. I love using big block colours but I also like to focus on small areas of detail too, It creates an interesting contrast. My background is in painting and screen printing. My work started off as very abstract and minimal in style, I was mostly just working out how to use colour well rather than thinking too much about 'what is it?' exactly. As time passed I started to turn my art into a business and although I adopted a similar style I wanted my work to be more representational. I started drawing places and buildings but still in a very minimal, stylised fashion paying a lot of attention to colour and form.
What themes or ideas do you explore in your artwork, and why are they important to you?
Balance is really important in my work, designs are balanced by using the right harmony of colour, composition and form. I am fairly minimalist, so I only choose details which I think are important, I leave out a lot more than I add in! I try to evoke a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality to my work because often the places featured have significant meanings to others. My work is also very art deco in style, I think this is due to the subject matter and colours that I choose that hark back to that era.
Can you walk us through your creative process, from the initial concept to the finished piece?
I start collecting and researching visual references, often photographs and sketches. I then use these references to finalise a composition in pencil and paper. Once I am happy with that I then use procreate to develop the idea further, adding colour and fine tuning the design. I then use Adobe illustrator to make the finished artwork as this allows me to work precisely. From here I can then print it, convert it for screen printing or use it as reference for a painting.
What challenges have you faced in your artistic career, and how have you overcome them?
I think the three main challenges are creative block, time management and finances. I have learnt to go easy on myself if I am not feeling inspired to create, there are a number of different tasks I can do instead of creating when I am not feeling up to it, mostly admin based, and once I have given myself a bit of a break I soon feel inspired again! Time management is a tough one when you are your own boss. Writing things down, making a weekly or daily plan of tasks to be done definitely helps me with this! Being a self employed artist means income can be erratic and inconsistent. Saving for a rainy day and learning to budget are big and important lessons to learn along the way. Learning not to panic when things go quiet and focusing on the things that I have control of really help me get through the tougher times!
Who are some artists or other creative figures that have influenced your work, and how have they inspired you?
My favourite contemporary Artist is Malika Favre, she creates beautiful vector prints which are crisp and full of colour. A non-contemporary artist who inspires me has to be American realist painter Edward Hopper, I think learning about him as a young artist inspired me to create work that evoked emotion. He also focused on architecture, colour, form and light.
How do you stay motivated and inspired when you hit a creative block or rough patch?
I try to switch up what I am doing, do something completely unrelated to it, admin, packing, tidying etc. Sometimes taking an hour or so off to go for a walk can do wonders. I have learnt that the worst thing you can do is sit and panic - I just try and refocus my mind towards tasks I can do.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting out on their artistic journeys?
Play and experiment with all sorts of different media and processes in the beginning, this will really hone in your skills and understanding of what you can do. Try not to compare yourself to others or worry about what your work is like in comparison to theirs. Every artist's work is deeply individual and it takes time to gather confidence in what you do, but the more you keep creating the more confidence you will gain! I think it is really important to also have fellow creatives to bounce ideas off, join a club or a shared studio and see who you end up meeting along the way!
What are your goals for your art in the future, and where do you see your career going in the next few years?
I hope to gain more commissions, I love creating artwork for small businesses, for branding and for communities. I see it as a way of sharing my work with others in a way that is different from buying a card or a print. Gaining new commissions means I meet plenty of new and interesting people which I really love to do! I would also like to start screen printing regularly again, because it is a process that formed the style I have today and I would like to improve and learn more from it.
What's your favourite piece that you sell on Fy! and why?
It has to be The Negroni Print, the way the orangey-reds pop on the dark blue is so striking - plus it is my favourite cocktail!
Which other artists on the Fy! platform do you love?
I have long been a fan of linescapes, architectural prints and I love Swissty's minimal cocktail prints, they are excellent, especially the negroni! (Can you tell I love negronis?!)
Can you share with us a favourite piece of art from another artist and tell us why you love it?
I love this print, the cool colours and the bridge in the background. It is a very stylish piece of art and of a fantastic place too.
How do you see your art contributing to the wider cultural conversation, and what message or themes do you hope to convey through your work?
I feature a lot of buildings in my work, especially public buildings as so many of these are shared spaces people can access. Many people can have a shared feeling or memory of it. I think there is something special about a building that anyone from any walk of life can have a positive association with. It brings people together. I also hope people find it inspiring that your artwork can provide you with an income and you can make it work, because so often people are discouraged from following creative aspirations.
What advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting out in their careers? Explore your process, talk to lots of people about what you do and why you do it, travel, visit galleries or places that inspire you. I think just gaining as much advice and experience as possible in the beginning phases sets you up in a positive direction.
Our shoppers love to buy multiple pieces to create Gallery walls, can you suggest any other art prints on Fy! which you feel compliment yours?
These Bauhaus Architectural prints would go really well with my prints. Also Vintage Art Deco Travel Posters compliment a lot of my work very well, such as this one
Tell us about the artwork you hang in your own home and how this fits into your interior style?
I am obsessed with orange and blue, so most prints I have will feature those colours a lot! I love cocktail artwork and have a couple of those, as well as older painterly style prints (Vincent Van Gogh especially). I have several Edward Hopper prints too and my favourite illustrator Malika Favre.
