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I attended North Warwickshire School of Art in Nuneaton, aiming to be a graphic designer and photographer. Graphics were done by hand in those days - not on computers! I worked in commercial design /photography based in the Midlands after college but took a break during the mid-80's while my children were pre-school. Just sitting at home painting pretty pictures was never going to make me a living! Original Art by Maxine (OABM) began in 1991 and this was my serious attempt to have a career in art. I was fortunate to be able to work in almost any media and what I didn't know, I was willing to learn. I figured the best chances for survival were to be as diverse as possible so that if one area of work dried up for a while I always had other options to tackle - and it worked! I took several classes / workshops per week and worked on freelance art & design projects the rest of the time. I gathered up as many new skills as I could - learning from other craftsmen as well as returning to college where I studied and qualified in additional crafts, including:
Some of the most rewarding work at this time were restoration projects. Church windows (usually vandalised) and stained glass features (Domed ceiling fixtures etc) were common. Having to match colours, designs and sometimes having to re-create the whole thing from scratch was a real challenge. Glass is a wonderful medium with which to work. Sandblast etched artwork on sheets of laminate glass became window or door panels in corporate offices or sometimes private homes. These could be airbrush painted with glass paint to add a different dimension to the work as the light play altered colours and depth through the facets of the image. I returned to college in the mid 90's to learn CGI skills. Training is always ongoing as software keeps getting better and graphics get flashier! So every now and then its back on another course to keep up! Computers have completely revolutionised the graphics world, but they will never replace the need for a real artist who always has the "human" touch a machine can never quite master. Most of my graphic work has been logos layouts and web pages, but I have also enjoyed creating a few CD packages / promotion material for up and coming Midland bands. As for fine art, portraiture is one of my favourite subjects because faces fascinate me and capturing likeness and character is a real challenge. I rarely get the chance to paint or draw for myself, but when I do its usually to do with the sea, a portrait or a piece of fantasy art like my "Dragonslayer" painting.
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Materials? Tradition and purism is fine, but never goes anywhere different. I will use whatever works to create the effects that I want. Some works are truly mixed-media. I encourage all my students to explore and experiment with media and technique and they are often surprised what new possibilities open up as a result of being curious - and daring! Teaching art to others has brought satisfaction that money cannot buy. I always try to teach without destroying an individuals' style and expression and hopefully inspire people to develop and discover their own creativity. It is rewarding to see people achieve - especially when they were convinced they could not. I'm always being told "Oh, I'm not very good...I just dabble" I try to show them that a little guidance and a lot of confidence building can make a real difference. |
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People I meet often ask what I believe makes a good artist. I feel that observation is the attribute you need most. It is not a question of looking but seeing the world around you and understanding how everything interacts and works as a whole. Our brains are not normally geared to look in great detail at anything - which is precisely what you need in order to paint or draw. The things you fail to see, will not end up on your canvas and so this is the key skill I always try to bring on in my students. A good eye for composition also helps because a badly composed picture can fail miserably no matter how well its painted. Technique takes time, dedication and patience to master and its advisable to try all of the available media to discover what suits your style.
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