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: Richard Twose
- At November 13, 2016
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
RICHARD TWOSE
Icarus Falling
1. When you were young, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
A Welsh Guard – my dad had done his National Service with them and I liked the red coats and bearskins. That, or Dr Who.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
When I was a teenager I wanted to be in a famous punk band. I did a foundation art course to fill the time. When the band didn’t make it and I didn’t get into art school I did lots of jobs like repairing steam engines and building site work, but almost without thinking I drew all the time. It kept me sane.
3. Were you good at art at school?
Not as good as my brother.
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: Niamh Collins
- At May 27, 2015
- By Kate Bignold
- In 20 Q&As
NIAMH COLLINS
Bull
1. When you were a child, what job did you picture yourself having as an adult?
As a child I didn’t really think about it.
2. When did you first realise you wanted to be an artist?
I was about 14 – I thought I would be a graphic designer (assuming it would be easier to earn a living that way than as a painter). My Foundation Course (at Taunton) taught me otherwise.
3. Were you good at art at school?
I was always considered to be ‘good at art’, and I used to design posters for school events (these often involved cartoons and caricatures of the teachers, which was fun!). The art facilities and teaching at my school were almost non-existent – we did finger painting with poster paints in red and blue, and my application for art college consisted of potato prints and biro drawings.
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.
