Carefully curated to showcase the richness, diversity and vibrancy of today's Irish art scene, the Fierce Nice summer 2022 collection features exclusive works by Martina Furlong, Derval Freeman, Fiona Si Hui, Emmet Kierans, Jonathan Dickson, Judith McCall, Michael Hales and Karen Hickey.
Every purchase of a print edition from our stunning summer collection directly supports an Irish artist.
Discover and shop the entire collection: The Fierce Nice Summer 22 Collection
]]>Thanks so much for joining me for this interview, Derval. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background?
Hi Ruan, thank you for inviting me. I am a visual artist based in county Wicklow. I grew up in county Tipperary and our family moved to county Clare in 1990 when I was still in secondary school. I graduated from Limerick School of Art and Design in 1996 and in my first few years after Art College I prioritised my time bringing up my son and painted whenever I could. I had been painting on and off over the years and in the last approximately 6 years or more, I have been able to focus on my art almost every day.
How would you describe your art and the intent behind it?
My art is a constant exploration and response to life, the natural world around me and the wonders of the universe. Each new painting has a whole new set of challenges and a whole new set of problems to solve and this is what excites me about painting.
I have been told on a few occasions that my paintings look like you are looking down over something, like maps or that they give the sense of hovering and others describe them as having an underwater effect. I am happy to hear that and it makes sense if I think back to where this body of work began a couple of years ago. Anyone that knows the beautiful surroundings of county Wicklow will know that there is no such thing as a walk here without a hill or two along the trail. So I think it might be from my adventures out in the landscape observing different terrain from the hills and mountains. I have an interest in astronomy too and I love to gaze up at the night skies and that comes into my work too, it’s a view from a different kind of height I suppose.
I would describe my art as abstract that leans more towards abstract expressionism. I enjoy the adventure of colour, shape, movement and the challenge of finding a balanced composition that merges everything together in harmony. I want to be surrounded by colour, especially since COVID began, where I became obsessed with brighter more vibrant colours in my paintings and I’ve been creating a world of a lot more colour through my art over the past year.
I explore how one colour leads onto the next, finding shape and form that emerge from my drawings and scribbles beneath the layers of paint. Some of the under-drawings get lost into blends of paint and where ever the painting demands, these drawings are re-enhanced or further developed during the process.
My finished paintings result in washes of vivid colour that sweep across the canvas, layered upon by thick impasto oils mixed in cold wax. They have a rich matted finish and some give a candy-like sense or like icing on a cake.
Which artists do you most admire? And have they or others influenced your work?
I love the work of so many different artists from past to present. In terms of art movements I would say that abstract expressionism is one of my favourites in history. For many different reasons, the artists I admire vary such as Helen Frankenthaler, Rotraut, Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley, Sean Scully, Maggi Hambling and both Willem and Elaine de Kooning.
I am not sure if I am influenced by other artists. I genuinely don't know and if I am, for me, I think it would be more of a subconscious thing. In an earlier group exhibition I had back in 2019 the curator told me that a mother came into the gallery with her 7 year old daughter and the little girl turned to her mother asking 'is that Picasso?' about one of my paintings and others I am told have seen Kandinsky in them. I was very happy to hear such great feedback and it got me curious enough to look at their work in more depth. Children have a wonderful honesty and innocence about them so I was very intrigued to say the least.
What does your workspace or studio look like?
My art studio is part of a converted wooden shed situated down at the end of the garden where I live. I had the shed partitioned and insulated with interior walls and a ceiling. It has three little windows and the light is best in the summer time which is why I painted all the walls, ceiling, floor and anything I could, in white.
The space consists of easels and storage shelving for my painting supplies and my camera gear. My paintings are all around me on the walls making a vibrant colourful surrounding and good environment to be in. I always have flowers on the window sill too and I love the burst of smell from them together with the oil paints whenever I enter the studio.
I have a computer in the corner where I play my music from and do all my admin work, photo editing and video work. I document all my own paintings and it is good to have them beside me to refer to when making sure the colours are correct in post-production after the photoshoot.
In another corner of the studio I have a small hot plate where I melt beeswax to make my own cold wax medium and I also borrow it to brew my coffee every morning.
Can you talk me through your process and how you go about planning and executing a painting?
I start out with loose gestural drawings and scribbles and from there the colour palette often begins with two or three chosen oil colours. I make loose washes and blend the oils using a squeegee which pushes the colour and I use torn off fabric to take up some of the paint. I build-up layers of colour mixed in cold wax and this allows me to make deep marks where I pull some of the thicker paint up. By pulling up paint and making deep marks in the cold wax, it adds to the composition and can bring through some underlying pencil and colour beneath. I like to cut through straight line edges linking the shapes and seeing where that leads to. I work from the blended colours that emerge from the first layers, for instance where the colour becomes transparent and the whites of the canvas come through, I will mix the actual colour I see and build it up from there. The shapes and composition slowly evolve over a period of time and where some pencil marks get lost to the layering, I mark them back in again where ever the painting demands.
With regard to scale, I like to work on different size canvases as I find it challenges me in many different ways. I often work on something smaller when I am stuck on a larger painting and sometimes I will have three to four works on the go. Working small in between the larger pieces help to bring me back to the larger paintings with new discoveries found. I like when that happens.
Where do you draw inspiration from for the various narrative and figurative elements that are so deftly incorporated into your abstract paintings?
My inspiration is drawn from wonders of existence in a universe so vast and infinite and by so many things under that umbrella. I would say that sometimes I am inspired by the very need to 'just paint'. It is something to fix, to solve and to organise, through the realms of self-exploration in a different language. Painting is my purpose in the world and a tool I use to celebrate my passion for life, nature and the universe beyond all existence. I have as much a need to go out walking in the landscape surrounded by nature, as much as I have the need to stargaze at night, which is a different kind of nature by which our planet is surrounded.
My drawings used to begin out in the landscape with quick expressive gestural drawings of rocks and the different terrain of the open hills and places I frequented and still do. The drawings were abstracted gestures of what I saw and I focused on the rounded uneven element in the landscape and from the divided lands and its boundaries.
I see the landscape as a continuous circular organic thing and I see a lot of the feminine figure in it. For example when I stand on the hill at the back of the Djouce woods in county Wicklow and look on out towards Maulin mountain, I see the shape of the female figure lying down as if it were a sleeping giant in a silent surrounding. There is a cycle in nature that resembles humanity and I see everything as circular from outside our solar system, down to the telling of their age in the rings of a tree stump.
There's a thrilling sense of exploration and journey to your work. Are you often surprised by the direction(s) a painting takes while working on it, and do you ever struggle with knowing when a piece is, for want of a better word, "finished"?
There are constant surprises, either out of mistakes I cover over or on occasion after a day in the studio where I feel a painting is not working out, when spending time away from it and by coming back to it again, there are lots of new possibilities found. The work becomes unfamiliar to me at times and that is where the small surprises pop into my awareness. During times like these I grow a fondness to the work in progress and sometimes enough to make the decision it is finished. Of course there are other times I change it completely and it turns into something I never intended. Other times though with some of my 'finished' paintings, I often re-work them again. It all depends on what the work demands and when it demands it. My paintings are in constant flux and so far I am enjoying the journey they are taking me on.
Your style has evolved considerably over the years that you've been painting, growing increasingly bold, colourful and abstract. Did this happen organically, or did you - and do you continue to - make a conscious effort to experiment and push forwards stylistically?
I would say that from my earlier work there has been a definite change between each of my series of works. Mostly that had to do with my personal life and what I had to prioritise as a mother, and willingly it dictated when I could paint or otherwise. I had been painting on and off since graduating from Art College and art has always been my passion so whether I went through years or months to weeks of finding moments to re-connect myself with my art, I knew I would always pick up between those gaps. The thing I discovered was that the wider those gaps the further apart my style became.
In these past few years I have only really found my feet in my painting and the direction I want to go. That for the very simple reason being life allowing me to do so and to paint almost every day now. In the past 6 years or more, my work has organically been evolving in a more consistent way. The music and soundscapes I play when painting often inform the work. So I consider music to play an important role in the process of making a work. When I first came up from county Clare to live in Wicklow with my now husband who I married almost 2 years ago, I indulged greatly in the forests of my surrounding landscape. I was completely taken up and overwhelmed by the woodlands of Wicklow and I wanted to bring that environment back into my studio by surrounding myself with trees and foliage through my paintings and to a point where I brought big branches and all kinds of forest treasures into the studio. Eventually I started to focus on the dead trees and it made me quite depressed for whatever reason, so I just stopped overnight practically.
I wanted to bring more colour and expression into my art and build an environment of brightness. My work became non-objective in ways for a while, it was free, fearless and expressive and I just let myself go with a new discovery into abstraction. I began to look at painters of abstract expressionism and I became obsessed for a small while, before finding my feet in the work I have been making the past two or three years.
Right now my work is organically evolving in a more consistent way more than ever and I am excited to see where it takes me. I feel very grounded and content with my current direction and there is always something new learned each day as the journey evolves.
Your paintings practically dance with passion, energy and rhythmic exuberance. Which got me wondering: Do you often listen to music while working? If so, what's on your playlist and why?
Yes, I paint continuously with music on in the background. I find it hard to paint without it, in fact I don’t think I have ever painted without music of some kind in the background. The music and soundscapes I play when painting often inform the work. So I consider music to play an important role in the process of painting. I have an eclectic taste in music and depending on my mood or what I am working on in the studio, the music I put on plays a part in that.
If I want to be energetic in how I paint I would put on a playlist that includes Chemical Brothers, M83, Aphex Twin, The Knife, Revival Consoles and lots more. Or on another occasion I’d put on my alternative playlist of bands such as The Cure, God is an Astronaut, Nirvana, Kolibrí, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and lots lots more. If I want more ambience and cosmic atmospheric surroundings as I paint, I would play stuff like Biosphere, Stars of the Lid, Hakobune, How to Disappear Completely and lots more musicians mostly whose names I usually can’t pronounce.
I couldn't begin to list them all even though I mention some above but I have several different playlists and each one was made to suit a mood or space in time. The types of music I’ve made playlists of are titled, Desert Dust, Art Studio-Cosmic Meditation, Abstract, Art Studio-Energy, Art Studio-Piano, Art Studio-Ambient Sounds, Art Studio-GIAA (God is an Astronaut), Electronic Ambient, Electronic Slinkey, Electronic Song, Acoustic Song, Alternative Rock and Electronic Rock, just to name a few! I am constantly finding new music to add to each playlist and you could say they too are a growing work in progress.
I love ambient soundscapes and I often mix and play music from my music collection alongside YouTube videos with sound recordings of nature or NASA recordings of planets and other sounds captured in space. I adjust the volumes to a balance I want to hear between YouTube and my music playing.
Fierce Nice's readers and customers will probably know you best as a fine art painter, but you're also a keen and very talented night sky photographer. How and when did you get into astrophotography, and does it scratch a different kind of creative itch for you than painting?
Ever since I was a child as far back as I can remember I have always been a stargazer. I used to gaze out my bedroom window most nights before going to sleep, making out shapes in the stars and constellations and watching the moon drift position over certain periods of time in the night. One of my fondest visual memories as a child was when I travelled home with my family in the car at night after visiting relatives, I would watch the moon from the car window as it seemed to follow us flickering its silver light through the trees. That really fascinated me and my love of stargazing and astronomy has always stayed with me.
About 13 years after graduating from art college, I decided to go back to study photography full time and it was there where I learned all aspects of photography both analogue including the darkroom and digital SLR photography. At the time I touched on a small bit of astrophotography but not much. I went back to painting almost straight after finishing the 2 year course and it was only in the last year when COVID hit that I started experimenting and photographing the night skies.
I wouldn't say I am an astrophotographer per se. I just got the itch when lockdown started to really affect me and because of the restrictions and not being able to venture too far, in a funny way you could say I decided to venture ‘up’ to the nature above and beyond our planet instead! The more the pictures started working out the more I became obsessed with capturing the night skies. In my painting I like to mark cosmic events and I managed to capture some of them that took place in 2020 such as the great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. I didn’t have the correct zoom lens so they look more like lone stars just above the horizon than planets but some day when I can afford it I will invest in the right lens and then maybe capture the planets and nebula even.
After a night shoot, I could spend hours afterwards zooming into my raw photo files on my computer screen looking for details and finding things that weren’t visible when taking them. I will definitely keep it up because there is such joy in both photographing the night skies and in the editing after where many treats and surprises are discovered.
I love the time-lapse process videos that you post to your blog. They're a mesmerizing pleasure to watch and provide a fascinatingly insightful glimpse into how your paintings come together. What's your thinking behind creating and sharing this kind of content with your audience?
Making videos of my art is my way of inviting the viewer into my studio and closer to the work. So much detail is lost in photos online and on websites and social media. With video you are getting a closer look at detail and seeing the work in its own environment and in an almost three dimensional way. I think when people see how a work is formed in time-lapse, it helps them understand the process a little more and where certain marks and colours may have come from. I often like to watch them over again myself because there is always something new to be learned while looking back on them. The music I choose to accompany the work are soundscapes and they can be quite meditative, empathising with the slow flow of the camera as it pans across the paintings with the soft in and out of focusing I do with the lens as I video the paintings close up details. I am experimenting with creating my own soundscapes at the moment and it is very enjoyable too. I want to bring the viewer closer into the work in the way you would if you were studying a painting in a gallery by taking the viewer up closer to the textural surfaces, before taking a step back to take it in and observe it in its entirety.
You're very active on social media, particularly on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. How useful do you find these online platforms in terms of promoting yourself and your work, floating new ideas, networking with other artists/galleries, etc.?
I think social media is a great way to reach a wider audience both nationally and internationally. It goes without saying, there is no better way to truly experience art other than in the flesh, standing in front of the work in its environment, be it the artist’s studio, the art gallery or in the collectors home itself.
For me, I have mixed emotions about social media. I feel it is important to go to the galleries and spend real time with art, weather you are the artist or the viewer. Finding solace in a gallery with art all around you can often be the only outlet you need, similar to how solace is found on a walk by the sea, climbing a mountain or simply exploring a forest. With social media, time away from it is a good thing as an artist and not overly relying on the responses you may or may not get from your online audience. It is a great tool for marketing which is very important and without it I wouldn’t have reached a lot of the curators and buyers I have met to date. The great thing about that is, if you are lucky, the work will eventually reach the walls of a gallery or person’s home and I have some of my social media to thank for that. It is also a great opportunity to see what other artists are doing and to interact with each other with different thoughts, ideas and feedback. As solitary as the art studio is in all its bliss, it is nice to have the small door of social media you can open or close in your own time.
We're currently in the midst of another COVID-19 induced lockdown here in Ireland. What sort of impact has the pandemic had on you professionally and personally over the past year?
Working in the studio hasn't really changed or affected me too much, apart from not being able to get the art supplies I need as easily. I love the solitary world in the studio, it is my favourite place to be and my own little corner in the universe.
For me, the hardest part of lockdown is not being able to be with my son who is living in Berlin and also the rest of my family at home in county Clare. I come from a large family of six brothers and one sister, one who was our dear foster brother who passed away October 2019 (RIP James).
With regard to exhibitions, yes it has had a huge impact both negatively and positively. I have had a lot of great opportunities in 2020 and all have been moved to the virtual world on online exhibitions or they have been postponed. It is continuing into 2021 but I hope not for too long more. Having an online exhibition is not the same as being in the gallery and I feel a sort of numbness about it. I miss the openings and meeting the curators and people who come to the exhibitions.
The positive thing about online exhibitions is that they get to a larger audience across the world who otherwise may never have gotten to see your work. I think in these times people are turning to art more and want to be surrounded by colour. I have had a number of online sales and it is encouraging. People want to invest in art right now to brighten up their homes and I have even seen people take up art as a hobby discovering it for the first time as a creative outlet. We need colour more and more these days and there is nothing wrong with that.
What are some of your proudest moments or achievements as an artist to date?
Just recently I was the winner of one of the ‘Enlighten’ fortnightly art challenges with the online artists group called Imagine, in association with Hambly and Hambly Gallery, an online Facebook art group which was formed in the mists of COVID and an art in lockdown initiative. I was also highly commended on 3 separate occasions.
Another recent artistic highlight for me would be for being an invited artist to participate in multiple group shows with Hamilton Gallery, Sligo, to make a painting in response to the poetry of William Butler Yeats. Eva Gore Booth was one to mention which was exhibited externally in The Museum of Literature, Dublin. The other was Among School Children exhibited in Sligo and currently I am in the progress of making another work due for summer 2021 as mentioned earlier.
Juggling the creative and commercial sides of being a working artist is no mean feat, but you seem to manage it well. Is there any advice you'd offer to up-and-coming artists who may be looking to jumpstart or successfully manage their careers? Perhaps something you wish you knew back when you were first starting out?
I have come to realise only lately that the most important thing in your life as an artist is to believe in what you do and just fight for it. That is what will encourage you to get it out there, to be seen by the world. If you made something you believe in, don’t let the dust gather on it. In saying that, it is very easy to have your confidence shaken as I have experienced in the past where once I received a very negative response when I emailed a respected gallery a sample of my work where I was told in an almost berating manner that I have no talent what so ever. It took me months to overcome it and regain my confidence. It is important when you put your work out there to remember that art is subjective and to continue to believe in what you are doing.
I think it is important to make art as often as possible especially if it makes you happy, and art that makes you question its next move. Aim to perfect your technique all the time and never think you’ve made your best work but believe it is yet to come. Always be open to new things and let them happen naturally. Loose the fear but keep a small bit, there will always be a new set of problems and new ways to solve them, or at least there should be. That is one of many reasons that drives me to paint. If you ever doubt that making art is for you then stop and you will soon find out the answer. If it is for you it will never leave and so it is important to make it work for you when and where ever possible. The same goes for musicians, writers, and actors.
I believe it is important to use social media in the right way to get your art seen. Keep it consistent and relevant and use tags that are relevant to the work and to the market you want to reach. I find that making short videos or posting pictures of work in progress for instance, gives your audience an insight into your work and who you are as an artist. The bonus to that too is that you will learn a lot from watching back on footage of you at work. Having a website and keeping it updated as much as possible is very important too. I find that an art blog of your work is a good way for people to see what you are up to and to follow the journey you are on. Being open and honest about yourself is important too and sometimes it might be hard to talk about yourself and your personal life but it is also the place where your art comes from, or at least most artists. I think some call it 'wearing your Art on your sleeve'. Without giving away too much, by letting down the barrier can bring people closer to you and will help them understand and relate to your art more too in terms of the person behind the art.
Are you working on any exciting projects or pieces at the moment that you'd like to talk about?
Yes, I am working on another painting project that I was invited to participate in by the Hamilton Gallery, Sligo which will go on exhibit this summer 2021, alongside many other artists who I am honoured to share a gallery wall with.
It will be a painting in response to a poem by William Butler Yeats, titled 'Meditations of a Time in Civil War', a very lengthy poem about Anglo Irish war times. The poem is hard going in its seven sections but I have so many different visions coming from it the more I read it. The painting is a work in progress and it is at the very early stages just now, so I have no idea how it will finish and I am excited about that.
How do you envision your work and career evolving over the next 5 years or so?
In 5 years if I am still in the same place I am right now, I’d be very happy. It is hard to predict how my art will evolve but I am excited with its current direction and exploration of vibrant colour, so I think as I develop my understanding and curiosity of colour, my work will be a lot more vibrant and adventurous.
Career wise, I guess I’d like to exhibit in bigger galleries someday, both at home in Ireland and in the UK, across Europe and all over the world. To have my work reach a wider audience and gain a lot more opportunities, would mean a lot to me. However, if that doesn’t happen I am still happy and content with where I am right now and I am grateful to all the galleries so far who have exhibited my work past and present. I am very grateful for all the opportunities that they have given me and for all the new friends I’ve made and fellow artists I’ve had the pleasure in getting to know.
So, quel che sarà sarà!
It was an absolute pleasure chatting with you, Derval. Thanks so much for taking the time to answer all of my questions in such detail!
An exclusive range of Derval Freeman's work is available from Fierce Nice at the following link: The Derval Freeman Collection.
]]>Thanks so much for joining me for this interview, Martina. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background?
You are very welcome and thank you for inviting me. I am a fine art painter based in county Wexford where I grew up. After secondary school, I completed a portfolio course in Scoil Stiofáin Naofa in Cork and then went to Limerick School of Art and Design. In 1996 I graduated from LSAD with a degree in Fine Art Painting.
Then I moved to London where I continued to paint and exhibit. During that time I also worked for a printing company and Hallmark Cards before returning to live in Wexford in 2015.
How would you describe your art and the intent behind it in your own words?
My work is intuitive and emotive, using a whole range of colours and textures depending on my mood. I paint for myself firstly. It is my way to explore and express my inner voice. If other people see that and connect with the work then that makes me very happy. If my work brings others joy or encourages them to look to their own inner world then that is great.
Which artists do you most admire? And have they or others influenced your work?
There are so many artists I admire, both dead and alive, but four artists who have influenced my work are Victor Willing, Francis Bacon, Peter Lanyon and Pascal Magis. Each of these artists came to my attention at times when I was either looking for meaning in my work or my work was changing direction. Looking at their paintings encouraged me to experiment and move on with my work.
What does your workspace or studio look like?
I am very lucky to have a studio beside my home so I can work away at any time of the day or night. Ideally, I would love a studio up the field at the back of my house away from everything but I am very happy with the space I have for now. One wall has a large shelving system where I store all my dry, completed work and packaging materials. A long bench stretches along another wall and all my painting materials sit there. Then I have a wall with a three-row hanging system and my works in progress and wet paintings hang there.
I paint on two easels in the middle of the room as the light is good there and I have space to stand back and look at my work.
Can you describe your process and how you go about planning and executing a painting? Are your works on canvas generally preceded by sketches?
I like to use sketches as a starting point for a painting. Sometimes the finished piece will resemble the sketch and other times it will be completely different. My sketchbooks are full of studies and I will often look through them to see if a sketch I haven’t used in a previous painting grabs my attention.
That’s not to say that I never start a painting with no idea in mind just to see what happens. I tend to do this if I still have paint on my pallet when I have hung all the pieces I am working on up to dry.
Your work feels deeply personal and has a sense of spontaneity and raw emotion to it that I adore. Did it take you long to find your unique voice/vision and master the art of, as you call it, painting 'from the inside out'?
Yes, it took me a long time. While I always knew I was meant to paint I didn’t always know why I painted what I did or where it came from. This is where looking at the work of other artists is invaluable. Seeing the work of artists who were influenced by metaphysics, existentialism, dreams, mental health issues and connecting to nature helped me understand my own work and where it was coming from. I also started practising meditation daily and found that combined with the meditative power of painting, the perfect way to encourage that inner voice to make itself heard.
You use hyperbolic colour, texture and layering to striking effect in your work. Have you always had a similar aesthetic or has your signature style grown and developed over time?
While I love nothing more than experimenting with colour and texture I am very wary of both as they can result in paintings that are too busy…paintings where your eye has nowhere to rest. I have always used a lot of layering and texture and that hasn’t changed but I haven’t always used as many colours in one piece as I do now. My older pieces were very often different shades of the same colour, complementary colours or just one or two colours with touches of black and white. Using several colours in the same painting was a conscious decision and didn’t (still doesn’t) always work. Sometimes I have to leave a painting hanging in my studio and look at it every so often until the decision is made that it works or changes have to be made.
Fierce Nice's readers and customers will probably know you best for your paintings, but you also create wonderfully intricate wearable art pieces and experimental mixed-media constructions. Which medium or materials do you like working with the most and why?
Paint is always the main thing for me so whatever else I introduce will be combined with painting or I will work on alongside my paintings. The thing is that I often see shapes, colours or textures in other materials that get me thinking and then I have to experiment. I have loved working with wood and sewing since I was young but I didn’t make a conscious decision to use these in my work. Bits of canvas, wood and material lying around caught my eye and I wondered what would happen if I put this here and that there and that is how my mixed media constructions came about. I definitely want to develop them and I find the hammering, carving and sewing very therapeutic.
Last summer, you were one of five artists selected to create an 8x12 foot piece for the Electric Picnic festival's 'Place of Picnic Art' wall. What a huge accomplishment, in more ways than one! Can you tell me a bit about your painting and what the reaction to it was like from festival-goers?
It was such a brilliant experience and one of the most enjoyable things I have done in my career. The theme was the environment and my brief was Landscape. I worked on a few preliminary studies and selected one to bring with me to work from. The finished piece was a landscape in pink, green, yellow and white with lots of trees, celebrating the beauty, history and mystery of the landscape. The idea behind it was connecting to the landscape and the inspiration, magic and stillness it can bring to our lives.
Festival-goers loved all the work on the PoPA wall and I saw lots of people getting their photo taken standing beside the paintings or sitting underneath them. It became a kind of chillout area and people were delighted to have an outdoor exhibition to enjoy while they relaxed.
Your studio/gallery, The Paintbox, is (or was, pre-COVID-19) open by appointment to the public and you're a regular fixture at various art expos, shows and markets around the country throughout the year. Is meeting in person with fans and prospective customers of your work something that you enjoy and find valuable?
I do find it valuable to meet people interested in my work as I learn a lot from them. It is always lovely to meet people who have a genuine appreciation of my work and to hear what draws them to it. I have found that I don’t like the pace or feel of the bigger shows but I love smaller events like the Wexford Fringe Festival where there is a more relaxed atmosphere. Some of the most interesting conversations I have ever had have been in pop up galleries and I met customers and made friends there that keep in touch with me to this day.
Speaking of COVID-19, what sort of impact has the pandemic and resultant lockdown had on you professionally and personally?
Professionally, things were good at the start of lockdown with online sales increasing. I also live near my local post office so I was able to continue to ship work to customers. The online sales did slow down after a while though so I was very pleased to see shops and galleries that stock my work, such as The Heritage Park, Wexford and The Gaslamp Gallery, Gorey open up to the public again.
Personally, I enjoyed lockdown after the panic of the first two weeks died down. I was at home with my partner and daughter and was happy to not have the pressure to go anywhere or be anywhere at a certain time. We live in the countryside so we had plenty of space to get out and about. If my studio wasn’t beside my house and I hadn’t been able to paint every day then my lockdown experience would have been very different.
You're very active on social media, particularly on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. How useful do you find these online platforms in terms of promoting yourself and your work, floating new ideas, networking with other artists/galleries, etc?
They are all useful in different ways but I have found that you have to be constantly active to get the most out of them. They are great for finding other artists, galleries or organisations to connect with and I have been invited to join galleries or exhibit with other artists who have seen my work on these platforms.
Juggling the creative and business/commercial sides of being a working artist isn't easy, yet you do it with aplomb. Is there any advice you'd offer to up-and-coming artists who may be looking to jumpstart or successfully manage their careers? Perhaps something you wish you knew back when you were first starting out?
This is something that often comes into my mind as I think about all the time and money I spent over the years trying to find good quality materials, reliable suppliers and places to show my work. The business side of things doesn’t come easy to most of us creatives and a lot of us learn the hard way. I think an apprentice type programme for the business side of things would be a great idea. Artists starting out or getting back into it after some time away could work with an experienced artist to learn about the best places to buy materials, buy frames, get prints done, sell your work, etc. This would allow them to experience the day to day life of a professional artist and to ask any questions they may have.
Another bit of advice I would give is don’t change your style or subject matter to suit others. Stick with what you actually want to paint rather than what you think will sell.
What's been your overall proudest moment or achievement as an artist to date?
Well, I don’t think I can name just one but the things that stand out for me are getting my degree in Fine Art Painting as I was so happy to get the opportunity to go to art college in the first place. Having my first solo exhibition in London and in my home county of Wexford were also proud moments. Being a finalist in The Screaming Pope Prize at K-Fest and seeing my work hanging on the PoPA wall at Electric Picnic also stand out.
What's next for Martina Furlong? Are you working on any exciting projects or pieces at the moment that you'd like to talk about?
I am in the very early stages of working on a project about Irish goddesses. A local historian saw some of the goddess paintings I did recently and contacted me about doing a painting of the goddess Bóann. I want to give it my full attention so have some other pieces to finish up before I can really dive into it.
How do you envision your work and career evolving over the next 5 years or so?
I want to keep experimenting, finding things that interest me, bringing them into my work and see where that takes me. I am not tied to any set ideas for my work or career and I am excited to see what happens. My mixed media constructions are a collection I want to spend more time on and I would love to exhibit them at some stage in the future.
I have been in touch with a gallery in London I used to exhibit with so I am looking forward to showing my work with them again and reconnecting with some of the contacts I made when I lived there.
Wow, what an interview! Thank you very much for your time, Martina, it was a genuine pleasure chatting with you.
An exclusive range of Martina Furlong's work is available from Fierce Nice at the following link: The Martina Furlong Collection.
]]>Quite a few of you have reached out lately to ask if, in light of the current COVID-19 situation, we're still open for business and shipping orders as usual. We've answered that question and a number of others below.
Is Fierce Nice open for business as usual?
Despite the COVID-19 situation, our online store is still open for business as usual.
Should customers expect shipping delays?
At present, we're not experiencing any manufacturing or shipping delays, so orders are being dispatched as usual and should arrive well within the quoted waiting time.
Is customer support still available?
Customer service/support remains available through all the regular channels: email, live chat and social media.
Are you offering any special offers or discounts at present?
As mentioned in a previous post, we're currently offering free international shipping on all orders of €50 or more (or the equivalent in your local currency) with the code FREESHIP.
Are you still accepting submissions from artists?
Yes, if you're an Irish or Ireland-based artist who's interested in creating prints or listing original artworks for sale through our gallery, you may get in touch at the following email address: hello@fiercenice.com or via our contact form.
If you have further questions, please see our FAQ page or contact us.
]]>Like most other industries, the art world is being severely impacted by the necessary measures in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus, with galleries postponing events and exhibitions and closing their doors to the public for the foreseeable future.
What this means is that professional working artists are now relying solely on the proceeds from online sales to support themselves and their families.
With that in mind, to help stimulate and secure as many sales as possible for our partner artists, we are currently offering free worldwide shipping on orders of €50 or more (or the equivalent in your local currency) with the code FREESHIP. This offer will run until June 25th, 2020.
We here at Fierce Nice would like to thank you all in advance for your support and custom during this unprecedentedly difficult time. Stay safe and healthy out there, art lovers! x
Featured Artwork: The Last Winter Chime by Derval Freeman.
]]>Thanks for joining me for this interview, Bronagh. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background?
My name is Bronagh Lee and I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil, as far as I can remember anyway. I'm a Dublin-based artist and illustrator. I graduated from NCAD in 2016 with a BA in Printmaking and afterwards, went on to study a year-long course in Graphic Design in the Dublin Institute of Design. Since finishing my studies I have been working as a Freelance Creative, making work for posters, zines, prints and personalised commissions.
How would you describe your art and the intent behind it in your own words?
Hmm… I would describe my work as playful and a little whimsical, with a focus on shape, colour and movement. I think the main intention behind my art is to bring a little joy to people in one way or another. That’s what I’ve always looked for in other artist’s work and the kind of work that would inspire me. I don’t have a specific theme that runs through my work, but gentle empowerment and storytelling are probably the main ones that surface the most. I tend to refrain from making concrete statements in my work, I like to leave it a little open-ended so that each person can take something different from it, depending on their own experiences and background. Art, in my opinion, should be a conversation, not one sentence.
Which artists do you most admire? And have they or others influenced your work?
My favourite artist would probably be Australian based Illustrator Sha’an d’Anthes (aka furrylittlepeach). She is a wonderful and inspiring artist that has taught me that playful, bright and happy work is still work. Another favourite of mine is Tove Jansson, a Finnish artist from the '50s and the creator of Moomin. I too love creating endearing little characters in my work whenever I can just as she did in her books and comic strips.
What does your workspace or studio look like?
I am currently a member of A4 Sounds Studios, a communal studio space based on the northside of Dublin City Centre. The only downside to shared workspaces is that you can’t leave things on the wall but it’s super affordable and accessible for young artists like myself. There are always lovely dogs roaming the studio too which I never get tired of being a dog fanatic…
Can you describe your process and how you go about planning and executing an artwork?
My process usually begins with writing! Brainstorming and mind maps are helpful for me because I have a slightly chaotic imagination and it helps reign in the ideas. Once I have some kind of idea or avenue I begin researching, both other artist’s work and background/history behind the topic. I really love the research part of the process. From here, I begin to experiment with materials and doodle. The more fun I have with the whole process, the better the outcome.
You draw inspiration from an impressively broad range of folklore, mythology and classical literature for your art. Where does your love for these kinds of books and stories stem from, and what is it about them that gets your imagination and creativity flowing?
Yes, I’m a huge fan of Classics! It has always been my go-to for inspiration and turning those creative cogs on. I think it began with my love for stories as a child. My favourite childhood book was Enid Blyton’s The Faraway Tree, a book about three children who find a magical world up a tree where they meet mad characters like Moonface and Silky the Fairy. I loved looking at all the vintage style illustrations with their round, rosy cheeks and earthy colour palettes. I would spend hours redrawing the characters until I eventually began to draw my own characters. I discovered my love for mythology in secondary school when I took up Classical Studies. I think I was drawn to these ancient stories in the same way as old storybooks. Both rich in narrative, characters and adventure.
Your work is bursting with wit, personality and self-confident playfulness. Did it take you long to find your personal art style/voice and hone it to a point where it felt wholly true and unique to you?
I think it was only this year when I really found my voice within my work. I still don’t necessarily feel like I have a concrete style and I’m not sure if I ever will because my work takes form through the material and ideas or messages behind it as opposed to fitting my own style around these aspects. I do believe essence trumps aesthetic style anyway so I’m trying to not let it get to me so much these days (it really did bother me for a while).
You recently released your first book, Do Not Choose An Apple Based On Its Shape, in collaboration with the folks at Damn Fine Press. Congrats on that! Can you tell me a bit about the book and the core theme or idea behind it?
Why thank you! It was definitely the most fun project I’ve had to date and Damn Fine are a great bunch to work with so that helps too. The concept behind the book is using various "fruit people" as a metaphor for different body shapes and personality types, celebrating these differences in a fun and playful way while still maintaining the very real message of "yes, you belong here".
Another recent piece of work of yours that really caught my eye (and ear) is the colourfully animated music video for Elaine Mai's Heartbeat. How did this project come about and how was your experience working on it?
Elaine reached out to me by email after her wife showed her my Instagram. Elaine told me what she was looking for and at first I wasn’t sure about taking the job because I’d never done animation before! She was so patient with me and believed in me more than I believed in myself, so in the end I decided to go for it. It was definitely a huge risk, not only was I learning how to animate for the first time, I was using Premiere Pro for the first time. I’m not exactly the most tech-savvy person so it was pretty scary at first but I’m so glad I took the risk; not only did I learn a lot, I had so much fun doing it too! Elaine Mai’s music is so beautiful it was very easy to become inspired by her song Heartbeat. I created an abstract narrative using a limited colour palette and shapes to convey different points of a relationship (meeting, connecting, evolving). It was very difficult, especially syncing the movement of images with the beat of the music but it was worth it in the end.
You're very active on social media, particularly on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. How useful do you find these online platforms in terms of promoting yourself and your work, floating new ideas, networking with other artists/galleries, etc?
It’s a great way to connect to people, whether it’s other artists or possible clients. Most of the work I’ve gotten, if not all of it, was through Instagram. It’s very accessible, I can be sitting on a train to work and suddenly find a new favourite artist. Instagram and other social networks for artists and illustrators also creates a transparency behind the brand/creative. You can share processes and insights into your work that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise and I think that’s my favourite part about it.
What's been your proudest moment or achievement as an artist to date?
I think the Heartbeat animated video wins that one. It was something very far out of my comfort zone but I did it anyway. I’d love to create more animations this year and see what else I can do with the medium.
Establishing yourself and maintaining a career as a freelance illustrator is no mean feat, but you seem to be pulling it off nicely. Is there any advice you'd offer to up-and-coming artists looking to break into the industry? Perhaps something you wish you knew back when you were first starting out?
Wow, I’m so glad it looks that way! Looks can be deceiving, especially in the realm of social media. Whether it’s beauty/body expectations or a creative’s career, not all is as it seems on the internet. Half the week I’m an Illustrator the other half I’m a barista, this way I can do what I love and also have a steady income each week. Being a Freelance creative is incredibly hard, with a lot of work and not a lot of money. I still feel like I’m at the very beginning of my career myself but I think my main advice is to not give up when things get tough, even if they get really really tough! It’s not an easy career to do, if it was everyone would be doing it. I still have days when I feel like throwing in the towel, but there’s always a little voice telling me to push a little more, and I would encourage anyone to listen to that little voice because it’s usually there for a reason.
What's next for Bronagh Lee? Are you working on any exciting projects or pieces at the moment that you'd like to talk about?
At the moment I’m planning on making some new goods for my shop, including cute stickers based on my book Do Not Choose An Apple Based On Its Shape and maybe some tote bags. There will definitely be new zine projects this year too because I had so much fun with that.
How do you envision your work and career evolving over the next 5 years or so?
Unfortunately, I’m a terrible planner. But... I’d love to get more commercial illustration jobs/projects such as Editorial and Advertising. I’ve always wanted to illustrate children’s books too because children’s book illustrations are what inspired me to become an artist in the first place. I’m hoping within 5 years all of my job(s) whether it’s 1 or 2 or 10, will be involved in the Creative Industry.
And that's a wrap! Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview, Bronagh. It was a genuine pleasure chatting with you.
An exclusive collection of fine art prints by Bronagh Lee are now available from Fierce Nice at the following link: The Bronagh Lee Collection.
]]>Thanks for joining me for this interview, Karen. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background?
I have been drawing and doodling my whole life, always people, faces, families, and telling stories. It was a natural habit and I don’t feel that I put much value in it until I was much older. I attended many workshops in portraiture and life drawing in the background and eventually undertook Life Painting at NCAD in 2016. The colour arrived then and I think that changed everything!
How would you describe your art in your own words?
My work is very much a free expression. I love to make fast lines initially and will often use 'blind drawing' when I start a piece. I guess it is abstract, colourful and expressive and tells a story or draws you into finding out about the character.
Which artists do you most admire? And have they or others influenced your work?
The first painter that influenced and inspired me was Amadeo Modigliani; I loved his really interesting approach to portraits. I also love Matisse, Sheile, Klimt and Van Gogh. I really admire the colour choices, shapes and designs of all of these painters.
What does your workspace or studio look like?
I work from home which is really convenient considering that I have 3 children and a very busy household. Luckily I can paint in my studio in the garden.
Can you describe your process and how you go about planning and executing a painting?
I work from photos and am especially interested in vintage black and whites. I save 100s of images on my iPad and work from them. Firstly I get down the general shapes of the faces and then take it from there. I never know how my paintings will end up.
When I think Karen Hickey, I think beautiful, colourful close-up paintings of faces. What is it about the human visage that fascinates and inspires you so much?
It's hard to say... I have always been interested in faces. I am very observant and usually know what kind of moods people are in. I am a good reader of people and find humans interesting. I like to make my characters larger than life and really exaggerate them to make it interesting.
Your paintings - and the characters that inhabit them - are imbued with and convey a deep sense of mood and story. How much of an autobiographical element is there to your work?
Perhaps subconsciously I am reflected in them! I love to convey power - especially in women - as I think it's something women have always wanted. My men are often quite kind-faced so maybe I am looking for some balance.
I've seen you mention elsewhere that your paintings depicting women tend to outsell those depicting men. Is that still the case and, if so, what are your thoughts on why it might be?
Yes, the women still sell more. It could be traditional. Over 80% of my buyers are women and I think that they often connect with my women and enjoy the exuberance and lavishness of them, finding them inspiring for themselves.
You exhibited at the Electric Picnic music festival in 2017. How did this opportunity come about, and how amazing did it feel to have your work seen by such a huge audience?
I submitted for EP in 2017 on a whim, not expecting to be chosen at all! I created 6 large pieces for the event in about 4 days which was very fast! It was brilliant, to be honest, and I got to take them home afterwards too. They are all sold now - I think people were interested in their story.
An array of your paintings were commissioned for Google and now hang in the tech giant's Dublin offices. Can you tell me a bit about how this deal happened and what it meant to you?
I am in a Facebook group called 'Bite the Biscuit' and was lucky enough to meet an interior architect from Henry J Lyons via that space. She loved my work and at the time was fitting out the new Google office interior. I was in the right place at the right time!
You're very active on social media, particularly on Instagram and Facebook. How useful do you find these online platforms in terms of promoting yourself and your work, floating new ideas, networking with other artists/galleries, etc?
It definitely helps to attract traffic to my website and shop. I also find ideas in there and find it friendly and love the images on the accounts I follow.
What's been your proudest moment or achievement as an artist to date?
I painted at the Waterford Walls Festival in 2018 and surprised myself with what I could achieve on a 5 foot wall using spray cans for the first time!
Are you working on any exciting projects or pieces at the moment that you'd like to talk about?
I have just come out of Art Source, November 2019. Preparing for that kept me busy for months in advance. Now that it is over, I am working on commissions that I acquired at the event and keeping my website shop up to date. In the new year, I want to work on bigger commissions and market this side of my business more.
How do you envision your work and career evolving over the next 5 years?
I’d love to be working on very big commissions, holding solo shows 2 or 3 times per year and have a very large studio/gallery where I can invite people to view my work or sit for their portraits.
That's a wrap! Thanks for giving such a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting interview, Karen!
An exclusive range of Karen Hickey's work is now available to purchase in print form from Fierce Nice at the following link: The Karen Hickey collection.
]]>According to the congratulatory email we received from Feedspot, their panel of experts take the following metrics and criteria into account when selecting websites for inclusion on their Top Blog lists: 1) Google reputation and search ranking, 2) quality and consistency of content, and 3) influence and popularity on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites.
To say we are thrilled and encouraged by being placed on a list with some of the most highly respected art blogs on the planet would be an understatement. A huge thank you to the wonderful folks at Feedspot for this accolade and, of course, to our readers, customers and followers for making it possible.
]]>If you cast your eyes towards the bottom right-hand corner of this page, you'll see a white speech bubble icon within a black circle. Simply click or tap on it to begin a real-time live chat with a Fierce Nice customer service specialist. This live chat service is accessible to PC and Android users.
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]]>Thanks for joining me for this interview, Joshua. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background?
Certainly! My name is Joshua Rush and I'm an illustrator and visual artist from county Antrim, up in the North of Ireland. I studied graphic design and illustration at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University and graduated in July 2018. Creativity has always been a part of what I do, having acted on stage several times, recreating classics like Blood Brothers, Send In the Clowns and Thoroughly Modern Millie. My work has been awarded by The Royal Ulster Academy of Arts and featured in So Young magazine’s top 20. As well as illustration I have interests in design and moving image, including video and editing (check out my online portfolio for examples). I now reside in Swansea, Wales, where I'm about to begin my masters in illustration at Swansea College of Art.
How would you describe your art to someone who has never seen it before?
This is a difficult question. As I'm still currently developing my style, I find it hard to pinpoint the perfect description of my art, but I’ll give it a go. I utilise the rawness of simple mark-making and refined elements to create a layered visual that has depth and complexity. A mixed-media treatment that on occasion lingers on the line of abstraction. Also, I feel that describing my art bares some restriction on how I create. I usually leave it up to others to have their own interpretation of my art. I find it much more satisfying hearing what they think.
Which artists do you most admire? And have they or others influenced your work?
I began taking an interest in Fin de Siècle (turn of the century) Vienna when in my final year of university. I became fascinated with work by artists Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele and Oskar Kokoschka, amongst others from that period. At this time the visual arts underwent radical changes thanks to progressive thinkers like these artists. Their works were more than just enquiries into a subjective journey; they produced "controversial" works in mind of their cultural and social circumstances. Challenging the status quo with the content of their works, asking questions and making society at that time confront their ugly truths. This is what I admire most about this era and in particular the aforementioned artists. Their work was a catalyst for progression and change, and as I mature as a creative I see their influence on my own practice.
What does your workspace or studio look like?
Up until last month, I was working and creating from my home studio. As an emerging young artist, funds can be hard to come by, so I take advantage of what space I already have. With the help of my dad, I built a multipurpose desk, and that has been where I’ve created my art for the past 2 years. However, I am in the process of moving to Swansea, Wales, to further my studies and I plan to take on a small studio space in the heart of the city within the next month or two.
Can you describe your artistic process and how you go about planning and executing your works?
I have no set way or process for creating my works. I wouldn’t want to analyze the way I do things too much, as I feel it takes the spontaneity out of creating art. However, I do always have my sketchbook on my person, so I can record any initial ideas that come into my head. If we are talking about planning I would always start with my sketchbook. Everything after that just takes its natural course.
Your work spans a number of different mediums. What's your current favourite to create in and why?
I'm currently enjoying combining traditional techniques and digital software. I’ve always worked in mixed-media, using pencil, charcoal, pastel, gouache etc. However, recently I've been bringing my mark-making into programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator. Here I feel the possibilities are endless when you experiment. Lately I've been creating vector-based illustrations and layering my textures, tones and forms on top to create my own style of collage.
I get a very real and raw sense of passion and joy from your art. Are you happiest when you're creating?
Definitely! It is where I feel most comfortable and at ease with myself. In the 21st century - especially in the past ten years - it's easy to get caught up in life, with social media and with what others are doing. Stopping to create and taking yourself out of the world, into your own can be very helpful and rewarding. It's only then I realise how lucky I am to be able to create and produce art.
Quite a few of your works contain an overt social or political element. What are you hoping to achieve or convey with your more message-driven pieces like, for example, Brexshit, Animan and The Evolution of a Tree?
I want my work to be a catalyst for awareness of various modern-day issues and to challenge these in a journey of creative thought and power. I hope to inspire people, especially young creatives, to believe they can change the world. I want to add to a growing community who are collaborating and creating in an environment where young people know, if we support each other and the things we believe in, anything is possible.
As a young artist, are you satisfied with the current art scene in the UK and Ireland? Are there enough opportunities out there for you and your contemporaries to forge sustainable careers?
It's a very competitive industry, which can be quite daunting for a young artist interested in breaking into it. While I do think there are enough opportunities, it seems for the majority of them you need quite a lot of experience and your work needs to be well-known. That can be quite limiting, as personally, I feel the willingness to develop and learn is just as important. However, nowadays creatives are generating more self-made ways to make a sustainable income and career. For example, on social media a lot of young artists/creative platforms are having call outs for illustrators, designers, writers, photographers etc to contribute to the zine, booklet, magazine they’re currently producing. It seems artists are taking the initiative and making opportunities for themselves and others. Kickstarter is a great way to fund a creative project you want to get out into the world. Social media has driven this new trend in creative production.
You're very active on social media, particularly on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. How useful do you find these online platforms in terms of promoting yourself and your work, floating new ideas, networking with other artists/galleries, etc?
This one of the advantages of social media, especially for creatives. It is extremely useful to showcase work in development and get a feel of how an audience will react to a working idea/concept. I know I have revised a few ideas based on comments and advice from other creatives. It is - in particular, Instagram - a foundation to build on, in terms of creating a mini-portfolio to complement your main website. I feel with a website, all the work posted has to be finished, whereas with social media I can create a daily account of what I am working on. I can upload a 1-minute sketch or some textures I am experimenting with. Like my work process, what I post is spontaneous. In addition, as social media is a big part of everyone's lives nowadays, my work can be discovered by anyone and vice versa. If I’m not mistaken I think this is how we discovered each other and formed a professional relationship. Finally, I can run competitions, giveaways and enter any sort of creative challenge. This is probably the best way to meet new creatives. Shake Bristol's Shaketember, for example, is a list of prompts to illustrate for every day of September. Social media is unique for things like this - it brings artists together to draw and share art.
I know this is a tricky question, but I'm going to ask it anyway: Out of all your own works, which is your favourite and why?
If I had to choose I would pick my work with TomorrowCreates and my In Two Minds illustrations and t-shirt (pictured above). It is exactly where I want my work to be right now, in terms of collaborative content aimed at raising awareness. The work we are creating and achieving is an exact portrayal of what I have mentioned above. Young people are seeking opportunities to change the world we live in. Not only are we bringing creative people together from all over the world, but we are also using this creativity to help charities right across the UK and Europe and in turn raise awareness for the issues like LGBTQ rights, mental health, our oceans and wildlife.
What's been the highlight of your career as an artist so far?
It has to be exhibiting at the Royal Ulster Academy of Art’s 137th annual exhibition, held in the Ulster Museum. I had just finished my final year and organising our degree show and I was genuinely exhausted from all the work. However, reading that six of my pieces from my graduate work were going to be on display in the Ulster museum made all the hard work worth it. Of course, achieving my degree made it worth it, but receiving that award was like the cherry on top of the cake. It has given me a boost of confidence and belief in myself as I establish myself in the professional world.
How do you envision your career progressing and evolving over the next, let's say, 5 years?
I am about to begin a masters in illustration from September 2019, which I'm taking part-time over 3 years. So while studying, I plan to delve into my first screen-printed children’s book. As I’ve said I want to educate and inspire a lot of people with my work but especially young people and children. I want to take the next 3 years to develop an animal, wildlife and/or environmental-themed story concept and bring it to life. In addition, I am very interested in music and its relationship with art. As a learning 2D animator, I am interested in improving these skills so I can introduce movement into my process and complement it with sound. I can see myself in the next five years collaborating with a musician or band to create a music video. Check out French duo Palefroi or Daniel Barreto's work with sound and art. These two have been massive inspirations to me in this field.
What an interview! Thanks so much, Joshua!
An exclusive collection of Joshua Rush's work is now available to purchase from Fierce Nice at the following link: The Joshua Rush Collection.
]]>Thanks so much for joining me for this interview, Ben. Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself and talk a bit about your background and how you got into documentary making?
I currently work in TV and Film and make documentaries in my own time. I made two documentaries whilst at college and found that I enjoyed that the most. I like the way in documentaries you cobble the story together. It's more challenging I think.
When and how did you first hear about Tony 'Doc' Shiels?
One of the documentaries I made in college was based on myths and legends. Inevitably Tony Shiels was featured in it due to his past involvement with most of them. I had never met him, but a friend said that a documentary solely on Tony would be a great idea. Ten years later I decided to make it.
How would you describe your film Making Marks to those who haven't seen it yet?
I would say it's a tragicomedy documentary but also a sensitive portrait. It’s kind of a hybrid between a documentary and an art film. I didn’t want it to be an encyclopedia-style art film just listing his work. I wanted it to be funny and heartfelt too.
All in all, how long did you spend researching, shooting and editing the film?
I researched for a couple of months by reading a lot of books written by or about Tony. The story of Tony’s life was so fascinating that it gave me the drive to tell it. The shooting was the quickest part and then the edit was the longest and hardest part. I chose not to use voice-over which makes it a lot more difficult as you have to bridge the story and scenes together using just what you have. Many late nights piecing it all together.
You filmed quite a bit of Making Marks in and around Tony's home and studio in Kerry. Can you recall your first meeting with and impressions of him? And how was the experience overall?
I first met Tony with his daughter Kate in The Laurels Pub in Killarney. They were nice but I also sensed they were a tad cautious as the press has treated them badly in the past. We spent the first night in Tony’s lounge drinking tea and watching old clips of Tony from the past. We didn’t start shooting until the next day.
Tony talks very candidly and openly in Making Marks about his career(s), art, family and personal life. Did you have a clear idea of the kind of material you wanted for this section of the film going in, or did it come together more organically?
It happened organically. I had a brief idea of the story I wanted to tell but then it evolves as you learn more and more about the character. The film ended up being a mash-up of everything that’s ever been made about him but with a new spin added. I wanted the real Tony on screen.
Making Marks features contributions from the esteemed likes of Dr Chris Stephens (former Lead Curator of Modern British Art at Tate Britain) and Steven Cousins (author of Tony Shiels: Third Generation St Ives). How did you go about reaching out to people like this, and was everyone you got in contact with happy to be a part of the documentary?
No. Some people were very cautious about the film and I completely understood and respected their decision to not appear. I presume they thought I was out to further exploit Tony as people always associate documentaries with exploitation. I think it takes more skill and care to make a documentary about someone where you don’t hide anything from the audience but they still go home in love with the character.
The film's talking head segments are intercut with some truly fascinating vintage video and audio clips. Was any of this archival material tricky and/or expensive to get the usage rights to?
This was one of the toughest parts. One music track took over four months to clear. Due to most of the footage being so rare, they kind of have you over a barrel. You can’t just go to someone else for similar footage. I was very lucky along the way to meet some very nice people who understood I was an indie filmmaker who didn’t have tens of thousands to spend and helped me with the costs. The Lanyon family being one of them.
By design, the film leaves it up to viewers to decide for themselves how Tony should be 'defined'. I'm curious what your own take is?
I think my view kind of comes through towards the end of the film. Making Marks isn’t just how he makes them on paper, it’s how you live your life day to day. Tony lived his life exactly how he wanted to.
Making Marks has been screened at numerous events and festivals, including the Kerry Film Festival, the London International Short Film Festival and the Fine Art Film Festival in Los Angeles. What's the overall response been like from audiences to Tony's story and work?
Great reactions so far. I’ve been along to several of the screenings and the overall consensus is they love Tony. It’s very satisfying to sit in an audience and watch them react to the film. You can see they are waiting for Tony to pop up again and do a funny one-liner. It’s recently been showing at art galleries as part of Tony Shiels exhibitions and it seems to tie in really well.
Making Marks has picked up more than a few awards and accolades since its initial release. The project getting that kind of recognition must feel wonderful after all the time and effort you put into bringing it life?
It's very satisfying. You don’t really know if your film is any good once you finish it because, after watching it so many times, you’re kind of numb to it. I used screenings to tweak the film based on the audience's reactions. If a joke didn’t quite work I would take the film back to the edit and rejig it. Work on the timing and whatnot. I can sit and watch it now and be proud of it. I think it’s exactly how it should be. No more re-edits!
You used Kickstarter to fund aspects of the production of Making Marks. Would you recommend online crowdfunding as an option to other filmmakers and artists?
Yes, definitely. I self-funded the shoot and edit but it massively helped pay for a lot of archive at the end. If I were to do it again I would start promoting months before I actually launch the Kickstarter. Build up an audience beforehand.
Looking back now, what would you say was your favourite part of the whole experience of making Making Marks?
My favourite part was when we first got to Killarney. Tony handed me a programme for The Kerry Film Festival 2018 and said get into that. I wasn’t sure if the film would get in. The following year it did and I got to sit and watch Making Marks in a packed cinema with Tony. The story went full circle.
What’s next for Infinite Donkey Productions? Do you have any new films or projects in the works?
Yes, I am playing around with a few ideas but it has to be the right idea to get you to invest so much time and effort and see it through to the end. I definitely think I will be working on a new documentary before the end of the year though.
Ben, thanks again for giving such an interesting interview. I eagerly anticipate your next film!
Infinite Donkey Productions' Making Marks is available to view in its entirety on Vimeo or via the film's website. An exclusive selection of Tony Shiels works can be purchased in limited edition print form from Fierce Nice here: The Tony Shiels Collection.
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