Samantha Tuffnell

The beginning

Art has always been like an old friend for me. Ever since I can remember, drawing and painting have been part of my life. As a child I always had a pencil and paper in my hands, sketching out ideas, colouring and creating. As well as easily being my favourite part of school, it has always been patiently waiting for me to return, in between working as a graphic designer, having a family, divorce and moving areas – all the ups and downs of life.

Relocating back to Eastbourne, Sussex three years ago, I stumbled across an art class in my local area of Old Town. At first I simply enjoyed the weekly opportunity to express that side of myself again, experimenting with a variety of mediums such as acrylics, watercolour and mixed media. But there was one that really resonated with me – ink and bleach. I loved the energy and unpredictability of using just two colours of ink and achieving many more when the bleach does its magic… it literally develops before your eyes. I was hooked!

I guess that art having such an impact on me was inevitable given my artistic genes. My great-great uncle painted and also designed theatre sets in the West End. My paternal grandfather was a reconnaissance photographer during the war and also sculpted with wood as a hobby. Then there is my dad who trained as a traditional animator – painstakingly painting each of the 24 cells that make a second of filming, a skill that has made him a brilliant realist illustrator. And my mother was always making something – sewing, knitting etc – more from necessity but also for the love of homemade and original clothes.

But it was only with the discovery of ink and bleach that I realized I too had found my passion. To start developing my style, I focused on painting sea themes as they seem to suit this type of flowing and reflective medium so well. I took my inspiration from my surroundings – painting the sea in various modes, such as a strawberry moon casting sparkles over the waves at night. I also painted Eastbourne Pier in this medium with a dark twilight starry sky.

At fairs

In July 2016 I had my first opportunity to display my work in public on the walls of a local restaurant. From then on, I began exhibiting through Open Houses with my art group and open art exhibitions, so when I was asked to contribute to a select group of artists exhibiting for a local ArtWave in August 2017, I was really honoured. I produced a series of 6 ink and bleach prints, with sea and woodland themes – all painted with just black and blue ink.

I then began selling originals and prints of my own work – I still get a huge sense of joy when someone buys one! Later that year, I was accepted for a local gallery’s art fair entitled Ink, Paper & Print – a platform set up to showcase the best new makers and illustrators working in the contemporary arts. It was a thrill to be besides other brilliant artists and print makers – I felt I’d found my tribe, which inspired me to do more.

Workshops

In September 2017, I decided I would try and run my own Ink & Bleach workshop. I loved this style of painting so much I was sure others would feel the same. I found a local venue through the Devonshire Collective and created my first Facebook event! This group is a creative hub for emerging and established artists, supported by Eastbourne Borough Council and Housing Investment Company who have transformed three properties into a café and gallery, art studios and multipurpose workshop spaces.

This was a great success and I had some brilliant feedback. I think that art is such an overlooked subject, especially in education. But the rewards people attending my two-hour workshops gained were tangible and life changing. They left feeling relaxed and inspired and believing in themselves enough to try their own ideas – it is a great feeling to think I made that happen so I am continuing to hold them as regularly as I can at various venues.

Commissions and the future

Last year, a local poet, Diny van Kleef, asked me to illustrate a poem she had written some years before but had always wanted to publish. I began developing my style to push the limits of this medium further and found it was possible to increase the level of detail to fit the storytelling brief.

We agreed on a series of seven illustrations that would appear alongside her written verses in a self-published book called ‘The Love of the Sea’. My style of work fitted this title perfectly, depicting crashing waves and mermaids – an ethereal theme of sea gods, sirens and lost souls set beneath the waves. This work was great fun to execute and was also centered around East Sussex, with each scene set at a local coastal landmark where possible.

In 2018, a new-found inspiration arrived in the form of rambling! I joined my local group as an excuse to get out and indulge my love of the South Downs and surrounding area. I took photos while on the walks, as reference for a series of ink and bleach landscapes. These I took, along with prints, greetings and postcards, to my second year at the Ink, Paper & Print art fair – where I sold almost all my stock over the busiest two-day event they have had so far.

A steady stream of commissions has continued to turn up alongside creating my own series of new works. I was asked to illustrate digital advertising boards for an outdoor logistics advertising company based in London. My grungy ink and bleach style along with ink and wash suited the backdrop of the bustle and grime of the city and the illustrative style helped avoid any issues with the advertiser’s brand. They were so impressed with the result that I’m now commissioned to illustrate select projects for their website updates and the originals are given as gifts to their clients.

As a result of this commission, another advertising company asked me to paint portraits of their staff for their website. This has been yet another learning curve as I had never painted a portrait before and certainly not attempted a face with ink and bleach! I tried a test using my daughter as my subject. I kept the colour simple, using just one or two inks and let the bleach add its own tones and shades – I was delighted with the result as well as the first draft of feedback

There seems to be no limit to what I can illustrate using this medium – I’m so glad I have kept returning to my artistic heritage and I hope to continue to experiment, exhibit, inspire and share my artistic talents for many more years to come. Who knows where it will take me next…!