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Elizabeth Field
Interview with the artist
When did you first start?
I remember being 5 and we drew pictures or painted with the thick bold school paints. I quite liked whatever I created so we took them home to our parents who were trying to work out what it was.
Since the age of 5 I have always been able to draw. But it has developed more so in the last 10 years.
I enjoy it, and thats the main thing.
What is your favourite media and why?
I prefer to work in Watercolours, its my absolute favourite medium. I like the way it slows me down while painting, eg I can't do the next bit until the previous colour is dry. Ok so it is slow but it lets me think and prepare for the next stage of my work, so I get it right.
I have now done a few paintings with watercolour pencils and I like the feel of them plus the way they can be blended easily. I have found them useful to just touch up and area of a watercolour without using the paint version and messing it up again.
I have tried acrylic but I am not confident with them. Pastels are alright but again I am not that confident with them and they can be a bit messy.
If you could travel back which point in art history would you like to visit?
Recently on TV they had the Monet story on depicting his life and his masterpieces. I would like to visit that time and see Monet as he was, knowing later he would be famous.
I have seen all his artworks in an Exhibition in London while I did my A-level. They really are huge pieces, the size of a hall wall. And I struggle to fill an A2 or A3 board!!
How long does it usually take you to complete an artwork?
This depends on subject, and how big the picture is going to be. Although a small sized painting is not always the quickest to paint.
If it is a subject I know, or I have planned my painting out from stretching the board to which mount to use, then quite often I can finish a painting within 2-4 days. It does also depend on time, I have a job and can feel quite tired after it, especially as I am rebuilding my life after cancer.
I have started and finished a painting in 1 day before but I wouldn't recommend doing that. Its when mistakes happen and it is best to leave a painting (even half done) over night and come back to it with fresh eyes, then you see the problem areas. Asking others about problem areas is ok but they don't see your painting as you do, eg you might not like a particular area of your painting because you know its not your strongest area and perhaps its gone a little wrong, yet your partner thinks its all great, so as not to hurt your feelings!
Do you have a favourite amongst your own artwork?
I love my painting named 'Rose'. It is a watercolour pencil painting and I really loved painting it. My Dad has the rose in the garden and its called 'In Loving Memory'. It is a painting that I will always keep to remember him by.
I also like my paintings of 'The Harbour' and 'Reflections', they turned out really well for me, and I was quite surprised. I have recieved alot of positive comments about these paintings.
What is the first artwork you ever sold?
I have just sold one painting through Mini gallery, January 2007. 'Landscape in Brown' was the one that sold. I am pleased that my gallery is getting seen more often.
The very first piece that I did sell was a watercolour of a collection of shells. I had been taking my work to craft fairs etc and one of my ex school teachers saw me, and bought it.
What item could you not do without?
I guess with watercolour it would be water, but brushes are pretty useful items too. I did, however, take my A-level art homework to the place where the family kept the boat. At the time the tide was out and there was plenty of mud around. My tutor had asked us to be creative with this particular piece of homework. So instead of using paint, water and brushes, I used my fingers and the mud and created a picture in my sketchbook.
When my tutor saw it she didn't seem that impressed. I thought it was pretty good myself!
Where do you work, do you have a studio?
I used to work resting the board on my knees in our living room while the tv was on in the background. But because I live with my parents, I had to clear away my art equipment everytime because of the fear of it being knocked/damaged.
September 06 I aquired a 6'x8' shed for free. Gave it a lick of paint inside, put lino down, sorted out a power supply and now I paint in there.
It is still at home but just opposite the back door of our house, so I am never too far away from the kettle!
Are there other artists in your family?
The answer to this is, sort of. My Dad used to paint in the evenings in the wintertime. I was quite young when he did this and used to watch him. But times change and we all lead busier lives therefore the time to paint deminishes. But Dad still can paint. He is the one who encouraged me to paint and frame my work. I always show him what I have done.
Mum can't, or at least says she can't. She can but she does art in a different way. She makes cakes and when asked to, decorates them. Christmas styles, birthday styles etc. That still needs an artistic flare to do that!
Unfortunately now my Dad died of cancer (28/01/07) and it was very upsetting for me to see him like he was recently and not able to do the simple things like draw or paint. I have alot of fond memories of things we did together and as a family.
Have you ever had a gap where you haven't done any work, what made you restart?
I was working quite solid for 4 years and only painted at an art group I joined on Tuesday evenings. In December 04 I had a total shock that I was suffering from Cancer and needed treatment straight away.
I continued to work til Feb 05 and then couldn't anymore - was way too ill and the treatment was taking its toll on me. I took sick leave. But soon I was beginning to get bored. I decided to paint whatever I felt like. It was a sort of abstract but it was how I was feeling. I discovered that I didn't have a care in the world when painting, so continued to do so but creating paintings that people could relate to.
Sometimes I have lengths of time where I have lost my inspiration and urge to paint.
I am in remission now and have a full time job. Trying to find the time to paint is prooving to be difficult and with so much going on at work and around me it is hard to concentrate. But I do hope to settle down to some good old painting very soon.
What do you like best about being an artist?
The way I can express myself through my work. I like the way I want to capture a likeness or reality of a subject. Sometimes I do get a little frustrated when an art piece doesn't quite go right, but yet others turn out much better and I find I surprise myself.
I like the feeling I get at exhibitions, everyone there looking at my work (and others too). When one of mine sell, its great knowing that one of mine will be hanging up in a house somewhere. I do find I get attached to my paintings so when one sells it can be sad too as I will never see the painting again, but then thats life.
I am pleased that others can appreciate my work.
What is the worst thing somebody could say about your art?
I know I am not the best artist in the world but I have been hurt by one person's comments. I was introduced to him as he was a member of an art society. He wanted to see my artwork.
As he looked through them he was getting ever closer to some of the paintings that I was really proud of because to me they had come out well. Alot of them were my A-level coursework pieces which I had got grade B overall and one or two paintings I had done at home.
The comment was, 'You need to go and learn how to do art!'.
For a while after that I wouldn't do any art at all, I was really hurt by that. I thought he could have at least critisized constructively, and not be so blunt.
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