What Are the Most Common Questions People Ask Me as an Artist?

People are genuinely curious about how artists work behind the scenes. It seems to be such a mysterious occupation as we are mostly tucked away in our studios creating works of art away from the public eye. Over the years I have found many common questions that people ask, and I have encountered these at Art Fairs, Open Studios, Gallery Private Views, and even at workshops I teach. I don't mind being asked either because I find that on the whole people are genuinely interested and not just trying to find out if they are getting value for money! I have finally taken the time to write about these questions, as I believe there are people who have wanted to ask but never found the time or felt confident enough to do so.

How long does it take you to do a painting?

The short answer is anything from 6hrs to 100+hrs actual painting time. But, it all depends on many elements of the process, but mostly the size and the subject matter dictate the length of time it takes to complete. There are many things to consider with a painting, from preparing to paint through to getting it ready to hang on a wall.

A typical process starts with preliminary sketches to test out composition and colours. I need to be sure the composition is balanced, and I need to know how the colours are going to work with each other, and how they mix. If I am working in my sketchbook using watercolour and pen, I can get most of this done at the time of working on location. If I am preparing a commission painting I will paint a mini version in acrylic to show the client before I work on the actual painting. This is to make sure I have included all the elements they have requested.

My next job is to prepare the surface (box canvas or cradled birch panel). I mostly work on cradled birch panel and they come as bare wood so I need to apply layers of gesso to add a ground to paint on. I usually add any texture mediums at this point too. That needs to be absolutely dry, and then I can mark out my composition in charcoal. Then I begin painting in the underpainting. From there I work through the painting in stages and layers.

Once I am close to what I consider the painting being complete, I will let the painting rest for a few days where I can see it as I go about my daily routine. This helps me to see it out of the studio and I can often see where it needs any improvements or reductions before I consider it done. When I am working on the piece I get too close and to notice any issues. The brain tend to fill in gaps and glosses over imbalances or mistakes. To conquer this there are a few additional ways I can check the progress, and that is to take a photo and change the orientation, flip it or take saturation down to greyscale. Once I am happy I then need to varnish it, paint the sides or frame it, photograph it for reference, document it, attach hanging wire and then wrap it up safely ready for a gallery or customer.

So, the real answer is it takes a long time, but the result is well worth the effort most of the time!

Did you go to Art School or University?

I did complete further education, but I didn't study Art (although I really wanted to!), instead I studied Adult Health to lay a foundation for a lifelong well paid job. Once I finished my training I took up painting again, and even took on the odd commission and sold some other artworks. Eventually I left that career and concentrated on my creative interests. The turning point came when I took a local college leisure course in watercolour painting that was lead by a professional artist. What I learned over the next 2 years transformed my painting and I took it upon myself to do what I had always wanted to be - a professional artist!

When I was working in the NHS, we were required to keep a professional portfolio that provided evidence of training and development. I continue with this ethos and strive to

keep learning through reading, experimenting and taking workshops. Several years ago I attended artist-led life drawing/painting sessions to improve my observational skills. This proved to be essential practise as drawing and painting the human body is quite a challenge. I like to challenge myself with projects alongside painting for galleries and clients.

Last year I set myself a personal 30 day mark-making challenge. This pushed me a little further to loosen up beyond my usual way of painting. More recently I have been looking at en plein air painting with my acrylics and an easel, which is a move away from just a pocket watercolour palette and a sketchbook! It helps to stay fresh and challenged to stave off routine and stagnation. On the whole my experiments never leave the studio, or they become a side series of artworks that still retain my voice. I believe being an artist is a journey where we have to continually review our progress. I know I haven't learned all I want to. I love my job, and my aspiration is to be the best artist I can be!

How do you come up with ideas for your paintings?

For me there is nothing like capturing a scene first hand, and I do this on location as much as I can. If I am unable to sketch it at the time, I will take photos that I can use later. Back in the studio I can spend time on working on thumbnail sketches for compositions and small test paintings for a colour palette.

There have been many occasions when as a passenger I have had to capture something on my phone from a moving car! This happened earlier this year when we were on a day out whilst staying in Cumbria. We were driving around the roads leading to Lake Buttermere, and with nowhere to stop I had to take some slightly out of focus snaps through the windscreen! But, mostly any photos taken this way are enough to help me remember the scene. If I need to research any details I will look for license free photos online.

Another part of creating ideas for paintings is loosely playing with landscape shapes in my sketchbook. I used to use this method a lot earlier in my career, and it resulted in some bold paintings that actually sold well. These days I like to use a combination of on location observations and artist license. I collect sketches and photos in my sketchbook and then work on cropping for drama, altering positions of objects (like trees) and choose colours that work well in the composition. I enjoy this way of working and find that the results have a finer look to them with a more considered outcome.

Do you listen to music while you work?

I love this question! I know that there are artists out there who require silence to work, but I am not one of them!

In the studio I used to listen to a playlist of guitar based bands that produced a kind of hypnotic rhythm and melody, and I now associate that with my work from a specific period when the colourful imagined landscapes were my main work.

In recent years I have switched to listening to BBC Radio 2, which has a mix of music and some topical articles. I find this works well as I can tune out or listen in as I paint. Also, with the time being announced on the hour, it helps me keep track of how long I've been sitting at the easel and reminds me to get up and move around!

If I am on location, I prefer the sounds of the environment as this adds to the atmosphere and has a impact on the feeling of the experience. This will ultimately be translated into the painting, as the sketches will take me back to the original day and place.

Do you teach?

Yes I do and I love it! I spent many years teaching workshops for Art Clubs in Suffolk and North Essex. Quite often I would be asked to do 2 hour live demonstrations, but I definitely preferred teaching for the interaction. Teaching gives me the opportunity to give back the skills I learned that made such a difference in my career. Over the years it has brought me a lot of joy, confirmation and consolidation. It never hurts to return to the foundation subjects of painting and drawing, and I delight in seeing students have aha! moments and improve their skills. They always seem to enjoy the sessions and ask me back, so I must be doing something right! I also have created some online courses, but to be honest, I do prefer the in-person approach.

These days I mostly teach watercolours as it is a relatively cost effective and versatile medium that is easily portable. It is a special medium to me as I cut my teeth on watercolour, and it has such potential for gorgeous and unexpected results. Learning control of this medium is a challenge and I like to help students harness it for successful results.

I currently only teach at Stoke Bridge Workshops in Ipswich. It is a welcoming and relaxing studio space with nice facilities. The owner, Danielle, is a wonderful host and provides refreshments for breaks and lunches.

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I hope you have enjoyed reading the answers to the frequently asked questions. If you have any you'd like to ask, comment below 🙂

Back next month with some more creative insights around my studio practice.

Keep creative,

Debs