New Affiliate Member

How would you describe your creative practice? 

I am a multidisciplinary artist based in Derby who has a keen interest in painting, drawing and animation with a focus on the disturbed and surreal, ranging from intricate fine liner works to dynamic, realistic paintings. 

Tell us your experience, what’s the story behind why you started your practice, journey to where you are today, what inspired, helped you? 

I have always had an interest in anything creative, I did Art at A-Level and then went on to do Fine Art at University. During University, I took a risk and decided to teach myself stop-motion animation, creating two atmospheric charcoal short films. Despite this being ambitious, I had full support from the technical team at my University and they helped me any way they could, despite them being busy with lecturing. I think their helpfulness and encouragement really solidified that I could do any of the creative ideas if I put my mind to it and believed in myself. I think this was evident when I did my third-year exhibition where I displayed one of my animated works on a big screen in an atmospheric dark room space. 

What University did you graduate from? What course did you study? 

I studied at Loughborough University and graduated with a BA in Fine Art. 

How will being part of the Banks Mill community help your practice? 

Being a part of a community is something that I think is essential as an artist, I think part of the artistic process is bouncing ideas off of each other which ultimately leads to improving one’s own art. Because of this I am looking forward to being part of an artistic group again since leaving education. I am hoping Banks Mill will aid me in getting my name out there as an artist so my work can be possibly sold and recognised, and I am excited about the possibility of being a part of any exhibitions. 

 

What other work experience/support/ training have you gained relevant to what you’re doing now? 

I have experience setting up my third-year exhibition singlehandedly. This included me being responsible for prepping the space, risk assessments, lighting, etc. I was there every day for the exhibition to make sure everything was working smoothly. I exhibited at the Melbourne Festival 2024 as part of the ‘Emerging Artist Award’ so I am experienced in creating art under a time constraint. 

What are you working on at the moment? 

Currently I am working on a surrealist painting that doesn’t particularly have a solid theme. Surrealism inspires me a lot as it relies on the subconscious and dreamlike imagery, and this encourages me to create bizarre artwork and to push myself out of my comfort zone. 

Tell us a bit about your work/techniques/how long a piece takes to complete etc 

Personally, I prefer not to plan my ideas too much as this takes me out of the creative mindset and sometimes demotivates me. I like to create a rough sketch of an idea at first, and then I dive right in. In the past, a piece of artwork would always come out different to I expected, even if I planned it out thoroughly. I like the surprises that come along with making art. The time it takes to finish a piece of art depends on what I am doing. My paintings take around 10-15 hours, my drawings take a lot longer since they are so detailed. And then my animated works took an entire semester at university each. 

What are your plans for your business/practice for the next 12 months 

I would really like to create a brand for myself, I have struggled with this in the past so I would be more than happy for Banks Mill to help me in this field. I think selling my work and being more consistent with advertising my work on social media and through exhibitions are big goals of mine this year.