Wildlife artist/illustrator living and working in Staffordshire, recently started her business in September 2011.
When did you first become interested in this field of study?
I have always wanted a career involving art and had always liked the idea of working for myself. It was whilst studying my Foundation Degree in Illustration that I decided I wanted to work for myself as an artist, instead of becoming a freelance illustrator or working for someone else. I also explored the idea of becoming a Natural History illustrator but soon realised it was not the type of work I
wanted to do.
wanted to do.
Where did you study/ graduate?
I studied at Stafford College for two years and graduated in
2010 with a Foundation Degree in Creative & Cultural Industries: Illustration.
I then continued to study for a further year with Staffordshire University to
gain my BA Hons Degree in Entrepreneurship for the Creative and Cultural
Industries.
How would you define
yourself as an artist?
I am a wildlife artist/illustrator and work in a loose style
using pen & ink with watercolour.
Which other
practitioners/ artists inspire you or do you admire?
There are many artists whom I admire but there are a few in
particular who have inspired the way in which I now work.
John Busby – I love his sketchbook work and the way
he manages to capture his subject with just a few lines, sometimes in fleeting
moments. It’s this that I try to capture in my work - a sense of the moment.
Madeleine Floyd - I was taken with her work the
moment I first saw it, particularly her
technique of using loose ink lines with washes of watercolour to represent her
subject without painting every detail. I gave this method of working a try at
University and instantly knew it was right for me and what I wanted to create
in my work.
Sheila Gill – I shadowed Sheila during one of her
workshops (for one of my modules at University) and was so inspired I booked
myself onto one immediately after. The way Shelia uses and sees colour in her
artworks is wonderful and enabled me to become freer with my use of colour and
not to be restricted or exact, as is the style of my artwork.
What range of
products do you sell?
I currently have a range of greetings cards and giftware,
all of which are printed in my studio in Stoke-on-Trent. My giftware range
consists of: aprons, tea towels, cushion covers, shopper bags and shoulder
bags, all of which are printed using a heat press. I also sell mounted giclée
prints of my artworks.
How do you promote
your business? Is there any technique you’ve found works well?
I have found Twitter to be my best marketing tool and many
opportunities have arisen through it, such as an article written in Staffs
Newsletter, a commission and my work featured and sold through ‘Make the Most
Of UK’, a website supporting artisans & their work.
What is the process
you take to create your work?
I start by taking photographs whenever or wherever I can and
have built up a good reference bank of images. I then use my photographs to
sketch my chosen subject and once happy, I outline with a dipping pen and fixed
ink. When dry I start adding watercolour. Although my work looks loose and done
in just a few minutes, I do take time to build layers of colour.
What motivates you to
do what you do?
I love what I do – it’s as simple as that. It’s what I’ve
always dreamed of doing and I’m very lucky to be able to fulfil my dream –
though it requires a lot of hard work!
Do you photograph
your own subjects?
Yes and I only use photographs taken by myself to produce my
artwork. I’m fortunate to live in the countryside so have wildlife on my
doorstep. I don’t usually have a plan of what I want to photograph before I go
out with my camera, I just photograph whatever I see and over the years I have
built up a good bank of reference material. I often take trips out to wildlife
parks or rescue centres to expand my reference bank.
Where do you get the
inspiration for your work?
From my photographs and from requests/comments from
customers, who often ask “Have you got…?”!
How did you go about
starting your career?
Shortly after graduating from Staffordshire University, I
applied for a business scheme run by the university and was awarded a place on
the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme (EFS) in September 2011. The scheme was a 6
month programme consisting of mentoring, training and funding to help start-up
businesses. The scheme helped me to develop all of the necessary skills to run
my business and the funding enabled me to rent a studio space in the Creative
Village, based at the Stoke campus of the university, and purchase all of the
equipment needed to produce my greetings cards and giftware. Being on the
scheme really helped jump start my business and put me a few years ahead of
where I would be, had I just started out on my own – though I’m sure I would
still have achieved what I wanted eventually.
How beneficial did
you find your degree in pursuing a prospective career?
Without my degree I would never have had the opportunity to
apply for the Enterprise Fellowship Scheme which has been of such great benefit
to me and my business. Nor would I have gained the vital experience, knowledge,
skills and development needed to start my own business and have confidence in
my work. My university tutors have also been pivotal in my decision making and
gave me confidence and support when deciding what I wanted to do.
Is there any advice
you’d give to a newly graduated practitioner?
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