20 Q&As: Elaine Kazimierczuk
- At March 04, 2018
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
ELAINE KAZIMIERCZUK
Rose, Rose, Lily (asymmetrical diptych)
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
An artist, maybe one day… I was discouraged from envisaging art as a career, so I thought I’d have to find another job and see art as a hobby.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
From when I could first hold a pencil – it was always my innermost wish.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I was the ‘good drawer’ at junior school – other children would ask me to draw things for them.
20 Q&As: Helen Melland
- At March 04, 2018
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
HELEN MELLAND
Passing Through (Night)
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I only ever really wanted to be drawing or painting for a living, but I had no concrete vision of how I would achieve that.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
I think, consciously, I was maybe around 14.
3. Were you good at art at school?
Yes I was, but there were still highs and lows. Periods of making interesting work and other periods of being quite stuck.
20 Q&As: Yuki Aruga
- At October 22, 2017
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
YUKI ARUGA
Grace
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I wanted to be an artist.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
When I was four.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I’m not sure, but I remember loving the subject. I was always lucky enough to have very encouraging teachers throughout my school years.
20 Q&As: Sara Willett
- At November 14, 2016
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
SARA WILLETT
After Ishihara 4
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
Up until the age of about 15, I always imagined I’d be an artist.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
As a young child, but the dream was put on hold for personal reasons.
3. Were you good at art at school?
Yes, but not very disciplined or neat.
20 Q&As: Daniel Ablitt
- At November 09, 2016
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
DANIEL ABLITT
Trust
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I went to see the careers advisor and I think he mentioned something about graphic design. For a while I wanted to be a barrister although this was quickly followed by the realisation that I didn’t want a job in the traditional sense of the word.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
At about the age of 14 I realised it was probably my best bet.
3. Were you good at art at school?
Yes, but I had a very good teacher, which helped a lot.
20 Q&As: Annette Pugh
- At February 04, 2016
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
ANNETTE PUGH
Come into the Garden
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I don’t think I ever really thought about it and if I did I don’t remember, although my career advisor said I should be a florist.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
Difficult question. I always tended be making things, drawing and painting so I suppose it was just something that was natural to me rather than a specific career choice.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I enjoyed it but didn’t get much focused art teaching: lessons were generally sitting in front of a still life or creating a response to a title with block paints and pencils, however I did study art books and magazines at home.
20 Q&As: Clare Bonnet
- At June 14, 2015
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
CLARE BONNET
By Your Side
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
An animal rights activist and a clothes designer. I felt compelled to multitask from a young age.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
I always knew I’d do something creative. My parents still have a crayon drawing I did of my uncle when I was four. It bears an uncanny likeness to him (if you squint a bit).
3. Were you good at art at school?
According to my grades I was, but I didn’t have much confidence.
20 Q&As: Dan Parry-Jones
- At May 18, 2015
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
DAN PARRY-JONES
Girl with Ball
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I always wanted to be an artist of one kind or another: an architect (so I could wear steel-rimmed glasses and a polo neck), a cartoonist, a set designer etc.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
From as early as I can remember I had more of an affinity with drawing than anything else.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I always remember being good at art at school (I used to do friends’ art homework for 10p). But when I look at bits I’ve kept now it’s mainly awful.
20 Q&As: Kate Milsom
- At May 05, 2015
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
KATE MILSOM
i Birichini
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
I never pictured any single job and always felt pressured by this question.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
Equally I am uncomfortable with the idea that one IS one’s profession. I am a person whose interpretation and understanding of my environment is predominantly a visual one, and therefore whatever task I undertake is approached using those tools and skills.
3. Were you good at art at school?
One of the first drawings I have from nursery school is of two goldfish in a bowl, one of them is drawn head on, so I would say I understood certain things about my visual environment and how to interpret it at an early age, whilst there were other subjects that left me perplexed.
20 Q&As: Claire Sandars
- At April 29, 2015
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
CLAIRE SANDARS
Ostrich
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
As a young child I wanted to do anything that involved a typewriter or a till so I could press the buttons. At school I wanted to be a translator as I loved languages.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
My desire to be an artist came and went during the sixth form and at art school. I was keen initially but I was worried whether the lifestyle would suit me: working alone and being self-reliant and self-motivated. At the time I left education I was probably too young for it and wanted to work with people so I started out in film sales.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I was always above average. I can remember friends giving me pictures to finish for them when I was about 10. At senior school I won the art prizes but I wouldn’t consider that I was a child prodigy!
