HELPING OUT YOUNG ARTISTS

I don't teach or do demonstrations and I don't give talks to groups about my work.

I'll talk to people who come to my shows and studio, I'm happy with that.

I regularly receive requests from young artists still at school or college who are using me as an artist for their project work, which is quite flattering really.

I'm pleased to help them out with their questions, plus it helps me evaluate my progress, think about my 'raison d'etre' and look at what I've been up to in a fresh light. 

Here are the answers I gave to a student who wrote to me last week:



 Hi, here are my answers to your questions. Hope they are some use.

1) what has influenced or motivated you to produce the work you have done?

 

The work I am doing now is the result of being influenced by the landscape around me.
I moved to Sheffield 12 years ago to a high place on the edge of the Peak District which overlooked the distant city centre. I saw amazing sunrises, sunsets and storm skies which dwarfed the city.
So I would say the ever changing sky and light have the most influence on my work; morning and evening light.


2) Are you influenced by other artists, if so how and who?

 I have always been influenced by other artists and still am.
When I was younger, I loved Pop Art but was probably more influenced by Van Gogh, Gauguin and Cezanne (Post-Impressionism).
I never tire of looking at the paintings of Turner and Constable, especially their sketchbook paintings which are small and quickly made and have such a freshness and spontaneity. I prefer a lot of these to their bigger paintings.
I also like the work of John Piper, Howard Hodgkin and Edward Hopper.
If I had to choose just one favourite painter it would be Turner.

3) Do you belong to any art movements for example cubism?

 I don't consider myself as part of any art movement. I'm influenced the work of other artists from all fields, abstract, landscape, expressionist and take on board what I see to incorporate into my own 'style' (horrible word). As Picasso said: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal'.
If I had to pigeonhole myself, I would say I belong to a long line of English landscape painters.


4) Is there any other relevant information you could give me that is to do
with your development of your work?

All the paintings on my website are acrylics. It’s the medium that I use the most. I like it because it’s so versatile. It can be used diluted in a watercolour type of way or built up thickly with lots of texture. It also dries quickly which suits me as I like to paint quickly to try and capture a freshness in the work. I tend to find that my best paintings are done quickly and not overworked.  
                                                 
I’ve been painting a long time now since I was about twelve. I won a competition painting RAF planes when I was thirteen or fourteen. Art was my best subject and all I wanted to do really so I went to Art College during the punk rock era, which was a great time, and I’m still painting, hopefully getting better. That’s what keeps me going, always wanting to get better.

My mottoes are: 
1. Keep painting and the magic will come.
2. If you don't change your direction, you may end up where you were heading


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Finally, here is a new painting which has got the most views on my website this week: 

Black Nab 2 by Mark H Wilson
Acrylic on Board
Image Size: 48cm x 20cm 


This is my first post in while, I'll be back soon.