INTERVIEW 5
Flower Girls of Avignon by Graham Simpson
1Q. Why did you choose to become an artist? Did someone influence you?
1A. I did not choose to become an artist. I have always sketched, drew, painted or written since I was a boy and having studied Commercial Art at the Edinburgh College of Art was able to apply some of those creative skills professionally.
Since retirement and freedom from competing responsibilities I have had the opportunity to learn and practice the art of oil painting and am yet in the developmental stage. No one person has influenced me to pursue this, other than a nagging and persistent need to find myself and seek the self satisfaction of achievement in the creative field.
2Q. What does being an artist mean to you.
2A. It is the role of striving to meet the challenge of technique and skill in giving expression to a certain feeling one has about a particular visual experience and if successful… sharing this with others.
3Q. What are your artistic influences?
3A . I am a prolific reader, a student of history, sociology, wildlife and architecture, travel a lot and am filled with an insatiable curiosity about everything. I have read the biographies of all the great impressionists whose work, courage and intensity of spirit I admire immensely. All of these stimuli influence me creatively.
4Q. Do you remember your first drawing?
4A. No… but I do remember drawing grizzly bears and other animals on the street with chalk at about nine years old. I cannot remember ever not being able to draw or write.
5Q. If you could use your art to express something socially important to you, what would you do?
5A. That’s easy… If I could, I would paint or write to protect the wonderful wildlife and habitat of Canada and the world.
6Q. If you could change part of the world through your art, what would that be.
6A. To encourage and expand the principles of democracy.
7Q. Can you tell us your favourite artist.
7A. Vincent van Gough for his courage and tenacity.
8Q. Can you share your creative process with us. How do you start painting? Do you plan your projects?
8A. I am not sure what a creative process is but yes I do plan projects. I often think about an idea for a long time… Years maybe and may never attempt them. As I travel I take hundreds of photographs and now have several thousand as a resource for ideas.
I am trying to break out of realism or whatever that is and with looser and broader brushes or pallette knives I attempt to give an impression of something rather than detailed realism but I am still struggling to achieve this.
9Q. How long have you been an artist?
9A I never think of myself as an artist but as a painter or even a would be writer… just someone trying to tell a story or project an idea. I have been doing this on and off for years.
10Q. What is your favourite subject to paint?
10A. Landscapes, particularly of rural and historic scenes with old buildings, water and stonework. Also trees and wildlife.
11Q. Do you have a favourite style.
11A. I am still striving for an impressionist style. Unfortunately I do not really understand what is called abstract art except for it’s decorative properties.
12Q. Which colours do you prefer to use? What is your palette?
12A. I have no preference for colours and simply use whichever to achieve effect although to try and answer the question I had a look at my collection and saw that the dominant colours were blues, greens, browns, oranges and reds.. I don’t understand the question about palette.
13Q. What is your medium? Why? Do you like to try different mediums or are you a more conservative person.
13A. Oil on stretched canvas is my only medium because I have done others in the distant past and find oil the most flexible, bright and easily applied coulorant that I can work with since there is little time to study others. I like the thickness and weight of oil where brush strokes and palette knife applications can leave interesting textures.
14Q. How do you see your future as an artist/? What is your dream?
14A. I have no great dream, I wish only to be able to competently express visually what I see and feel and perhaps share this with others.
