Introducing Alice Lucy Art - vibrant wildlife paintings
Welcome to the very first of a new monthly series on this blog. Alternating with my normal blog posts, I am excited to be introducing you to other artists I follow and admire. Original art is as special and unique as the artist who creates it, so I am thrilled to be able to celebrate the work of artists who create wonderful work that is so different from my own.
My first contributor this month is Kerry from Alice Lucy Art. We met when we had adjoining booths in an art fair some years ago. I immediately related to her maximalist and colourful ethos, and have followed her work ever since.
AG: Hi Kerry, welcome to the blog!
Firstly, can you just share a bit about your artistic background and journey? How did you first get involved in art?
K: I have always been creative, and I was good at Art in school, but I had a career in Accounting before I became a full-time artist. When my kids were young I bought some watercolours so we could make something together, and it just lit a spark in me. From there I took some part-time classes in various disciplines until eventually I got a studio at Wimbledon Art studios about five years ago. At this point I started to take my endeavors more seriously and began to sell my work.
AG: Your work is very distinctive. What inspires and motivates your practice? Are there particular themes, emotions, or experiences that motivate your work?
K: I am endlessly fascinated by animals, all of them, including bugs. One theme in particular which does run through my work is African large game. This is largely due to the fact that I married a South African and I have spent some time at game reserves. Seeing these animals at close proximity and in their natural environment touched something deep in my soul that I am not eloquent enough to describe. Also, in equal measure, I am obsessed with colour, exploring how and why they work together is a lifetime’s work!
Image: Cheetah Butterfly art in situ
AG: Can you walk us through a typical day in your studio? What does your creative routine look like?
K: I’m an early bird, I get into the studio around 7.30am. I will tinker around tidying up, cleaning brushes, preparing surfaces first – that gets the juices flowing hopefully, then I’m ready to paint something. I’ve always got about seven or eight different works on the go at the same time, working in oil needs that for the drying time, I never work ‘alla prima’.
I have a coffee break at 11am and lunch at 1pm, this is huge benefit of being in a large artistic community at Wimbledon Art Studios, we get to socialise every day and it has been essential part of my growth as an artist. After lunch, depending on how the morning’s painting went, I might paint some more, or do admin and social media posts – there is always too much to do!!
AG: Can you give us an insight into your painting process? I’m an all-in kinda person, I have the spark of an idea and I need to get it out straight away. I paint in oils directly on the canvas/board, sketching out an idea/composition and background colour. I keep going on that until I run out of steam. The piece then gets put to one side to dry and I will look at it every day until I feel the urge to go back to it. I will paint a bit, leave it to dry, and repeat this process until I feel the piece is done, this could be twice more or twenty times more, each painting has its own demands.
AG: Do you have a favourite tool that you couldn’t work without?
I have a handful of brushes that I use all the time, they are pro art filberts, quite small at a half inch and a quarter inch. Also, my glass scraper – I get a little obsessed with cleaning my glass palette, I can’t work with too many mixes hanging around, the colours get too muddy and I’m a vibrant girl!
AG: You and me both! 🙂 As an experienced artist, how do you keep inspired?
I walk my dog, the head space creates room to be inspired. The occasional museum visit, and botanical garden meander. Other than that, mostly all the animal/nature content that instagam/tiktok and the TV can provide!
AG: Do you ever have times of creative block when you become ’stuck’ in your practice? If so, how do you overcome this and get moving forward again?
K: I take getting stuck as much a part of my practice as painting itself – I just move on to something else like preparing surfaces, working on frames, doing admin. The ideas will flow best when you don’t force it. That doesn’t mean to say it isn’t frustrating, it is, especially when you are up against a deadline.
AG: What are your feelings about the business side of being a professional artist? What advice would you give to new or emerging artists in terms of promotion and marketing?
K: The business side of being an artist is a difficult one, often either feast or famine. It took a long time to reconcile this in my mind as it’s not a monthly salary like a regular job. You have to be prepared to just go for it. As artists we have a tendency to think our work is not good enough or we are not ready to do art fairs etc, but getting out there and finding out what the public really feel about your work is essential to your growth. In terms of promotion and marketing, I can definitely say that consistency is key, keep showing up at the same fair, it can take time for people to trust you before they hand over their money, I have made many sales to clients that met me maybe two years previously. It’s a long game.
AG: And what advice do you have for aspiring artists who are just starting their creative journey?
K: Listen to yourself, no one can advise you better. ‘Advice’ from other people can be crippling, and their artistic journey will not be the same as yours. Essentially just go for it. It’s not easiest path to chose, it’s a rollercoaster of emotion, but it is the most rewarding. There is nothing better than letting your creative juices flow, showing people your real true authentic self.
AG: Great advice! Thanks so much Kerry for giving us an insight into your work, life and practice. It’s been good to get to know you better.
And finally..
And just for fun – give us three things you love, and three that you loathe!
Love – Family, dog, chocolate.
Loathe – Sport, Marmite and pretentious art critics!
Brilliant!
Kerry can be found on her website Alice Lucy Art here and on Instagram @alicelucyart
Join me next month when I will be talking to Mary Price, AKA “Artist in the Shed”
Do let me know if you enjoyed this interview and would like to see more. Also, feel free to suggest artists that you would like to learn more about.
Thanks for reading
I can totally relate to the artist, her day, her inspiration and her honesty. Good interview
Hi Corinne,
Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed it!