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T I P S • T E C H N I Q U E S • I D E A S • I N S P I R AT I O N
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The original art provocateur: a major new show at Tate Britain
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Sketchbook T I PS • A DV ICE • EX H IBI TIONS • NEWS • R EV IEWS
E D ITE D BY R E B ECC A B R ADB U RY
© ASHLEY LONGSHORE
Things we love...
Ashley Longshore, Peggy Guggenheim, acrylic, 60x48cm
New Orleans-based artist Ashley Longshore is often dubbed a feminist Andy Warhol for her obsession with all things pop. Recently, she turned to some of the most seminal women in history, painting bold, daring and colourful portraits of the likes of Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Peggy Guggenheim [left] and Greta Thunberg. Originally curated by fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg for an exhibit at New York’s luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman, the works are now available in a new book, Roar! A Collection of Mighty Women, published by Rizzoli International Publications. ashleylongshore.com
ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS 7
MILLIE PILKINGTON
HOW I WORK IN TH E S TUDI O
Hannah
Shergold The former British Army helicopter pilot talks to Rebecca Bradbury about unexpected career pivots, the highs and lows of a self-representing artist and loosening up her wildlife paintings
14 ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS
All Knowing, mixed media on canvas, 120x 120cm
HOW I WORK IN TH E S TUDI O
O
n one canvas, incomplete parallel lines of cobalt blue crisscross the contoured brush strokes of a closely cropped elephant’s face. In another work, thick diagonal stripes of grey shadow the frantic forms of stampeding wildebeests painted in fiery red hues. A third painting, meanwhile, depicts the time-lapsed motion of a sprinting cheetah, its paws yoked to a radial arc of gold leaf to emphasise its incomparable pace. Combining geometrical shapes with the greats of the animal kingdom is a rare sight in the artworld. But for Hannah Shergold it has become something of a signature. In just a few years, the self-taught artist has developed a unique, show-stopping style, where mathematical forms weave their way into large-scale artworks of big cats, primates and elephants, all rendered with expressive, thick impasto marks of vibrant colour. 16 ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS
Hannah’s use of lines and contours more often seen in a geometry lesson is hardly surprising, given that she considers herself to be, by trade, a scientist. She has the qualifications to back this up too, having graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2006 with a masters in zoology. A career in this field was not to be, however, as fresh from her studies, Hannah began working as a bronze sculptor, creating realistic studies of pets and other wildlife. Unfortunately, when 2008’s credit crunch hit, commissions dried up and Hannah was forced to re-consider her profession. Taking another unpredictable pivot, this time to fulfil her craving for adventure, she joined the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After being commissioned into the Army Air Corps and touring Afghanistan with the infantry, the artist-to-be then qualified as a Lynx pilot in 2013 and went on to serve in locations across the world.
Geometrical forms weave their way into artworks of primates, big cats and elephants During her final two years of service, Hannah was deployed in Kenya, conducting medical evacuation duties. Not only did the country provide a multitude of inspiration, which continues to feed into her work, but it was also where she found the time to paint. “When you’re on standby for anything,” she says, “you’ve got a lot of time waiting for things to happen, so people have different hobbies to pass the time. Some people read books or go on the PlayStation. I painted pictures. They were just little sketches of the camp or watercolours of wildlife. I had no intention of selling them.”
Chase the Rainbow, mixed media on canvas, 150x90cm
The chance to monetise her work came, however, when some expat friends offered a free exhibition space. After selling 10 or so works, Hannah soon began painting bigger pieces in oil and, still in demand, she left the forces in 2018 with the resources and client base needed to become a full-time artist. Today, the painter works in a studio-comegallery in the basement of her Cheltenham home. Recently renovated, the space boosts dark granite flooring, a wood burner, plush leather seating and walls adorned with her recent artworks of big animals. Gloucestershire might be a long way from the national parks of Africa, but the photographic references Hannah uses transports her back to her military tour of Kenya and travels in Rwanda. But also proving hugely helpful is the anatomical knowledge she learnt during her degree. “Because my style is a little bit off the wall there must be something correct about it,” ▸
Royal Blue Bull, mixed media on canvas, 75x120cm
What Lies Beneath, mixed media on canvas, 150x90cm
ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS 17
We present... This m o n t h ’s spotlight on a Portfolio Plus member
a talented pastel artist GLENDA LYONS
N
o nonsense business coaches often say the key to success is working while motivation is low, and applying a similar approach to her pastel practice is the Portfolio Plus member, Glenda Lyons. It’s a philosophy that accounts for those creativity slumps many artists can relate to. “I don’t believe in inspiration per se, but in drawing every day,” Glenda explains. “While it seems mundane, it allows my brain to wander through corridors of colour and composition, and the scene grows in my mind.” Living along the coast of southern Spain, Glenda’s subjects range from sun-drenched harbours and beaches to griffon vultures and egrets which inhabit some nearby mud flats. But no matter what is being depicted the artist has the viewer at the forefront of her compositional considerations. “I want the audience to fall in love with the subject,” she says. Using her artwork Egret as an example, she adds: “I used the mud piles to lead the eye upward to the beak and onto the bird. The background is simple, with no horizon line so there is complete immersion in the picture.” Knowing what to leave out of an artwork is as important as knowing what to put in, and Glenda is similarly skilled at pairing back her techniques for the greater good of an image. “I love to push the boundaries of pastel by creating textures and other non-pastel effects,” she notes, “but in Egret I felt it was important to emphasise the tranquillity of the scene with a richness of colour.” These vivid hues are created by slowly building up broad strokes of pigment, leaving the light pigments and finer details until last. Glenda then photographs her work to check both the proportions and colour values. “I don’t use fixative. I wrap my work in glassine and put it away,” she says, rounding up her process. “A couple of weeks later, I take it out and decide if it has any problems. In the case of Egret, there were none.” portfolio.artistsandillustrators.co.uk/ PredominantlyPastels ▫
26 ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS
Egret, pastel, 35x50cm
The kelp pullers, pastel, 50x35cm
Setting Out, pastel, 50x35cm
Free flight, pastel, 70x50cm
The realist K
KELVIN OKAFOR creates
DEXTER McLEAN
art that is so lifelike, viewers often mistake them for photographs. Niki Browes meets the hyper-realistic artist and finds a very dedicated drawer
3 4 ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS
elvin Okafor has always been obsessed by detail. As a small child, he remembers sitting outside in the family garden, mesmerised by every blade of grass and how the wind and light affected each one differently. Emotional and sensitive, he was inspired and captivated by everything in his immediate surroundings. When he first picked up a pencil at the age of eight, he was instantly hooked. With that single core of lead, he found he could create defined tones and textures many wouldn’t be able to accomplish with a full colouring set. Even back then, he would begin a drawing by breaking it up into stages, something he still practises to this day. “I visually dissect facial features,” says the 36-year-old. “I study them and then put them back together like pieces in a puzzle.” Today, his private commissions can exceed £100,000 but his success won’t be going to his head anytime soon. “I think the human mind is an incredible tool but I do feel it has the potential to feed the ego,” he explains. “I’d rather live in the humble way I was brought up. There’s a lot more I can do and give.” ▸
Kate Moss, pencil on paper, 55x58cm
T HE B I G I NT E R V I E W
TH E BIG INTERVIEW
John Lennon, pencil on paper, 73x55.5cm
T HE B I G I NT E R V I E W My older sister and brother, who are twins, are also creative. We can all draw to a really good standard but they never followed it through. They both studied law but I stuck at my drawing. I was stubborn and it was a struggle because my parents also wanted me to follow an academic path, which is understandable. After all, there’s no blueprint to becoming a professional artist whilst the notion of the struggling one is much more widely recognised.
Skepta, pencil on archival paper, 62x53cm
In 2013, I got my first big break when the BBC covered me doing a masterclass at my old university. My parents saw my hairy face on TV and told me how proud they were. They saw how passionate I was whereas, before, they worried that I wouldn’t be able to sustain myself financially. But when they saw the reaction from friends, family and on social media, they were really happy. And apologetic! But I wouldn’t change any of it. I think my struggle helped shape me. I found the resistance from my family empowering. It’s not that I wanted to prove them wrong, but I did want to show them that it was something that could work. Now my parents are my number one fans. But I haven’t drawn them yet. I think it’s because they are very, very dear to me so I would like to wait until the right time to create something really special for them. But tomorrow isn’t promised so it is going to come very soon, I feel. I draw a minimum of 14 hours a day. I wake up at 5.30am after four hours of sleep, which is all I need. The first thing I do is meditate. Then, I’ll work out for an hour, before sitting down at my desk. I’ll break up the day by going for a walk in the forest near where I live in South Woodford which I find really energising. There is something very divine about nature. By about 2am, my mind, body and spirit have been absolutely depleted so, by the time my head hits the pillow, I’m knocked out. It sounds anti-social but, growing up, I would have much rather stayed in to draw than go out with my mates. I now feel like it kept me out of trouble, especially growing up in an area like Tottenham. I’ve always experienced nothing but peace and love there – it’s got a very multicultural vibe – but it could have been easy for me to lose track. It also meant I ended up building a skill. My drawings are very lifelike. People assume that I’ve used tracing paper but it’s all freehand. That’s the skill that came about because of the labour I put in. From the age of eight, I drew every day so, by the time
I was in my mid-teens, I’d mastered the technique which then transpired that I had a skill that was a bit above the norm. Solitude is very important and I work alone all day. I’m probably a natural introvert but, after 2013, everything went viral. I was forced to become more open because I was taking part in so many talks and seminars. But, at my core, I’m probably happiest in my own company.
Mother Teresa, pencil on paper, 43x33cm
I want to paint figures like Nelson Mandela because of what they gave to society
I mean, I know I’m hairy but, when I did my own self-portrait, I got through about 35 – 40 pencils. The celebrity side of my work started after I left university. I always wanted to draw public figures like Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa because of what they gave to society. In drawing these well-known faces, it showed how accurately I could draw. I’d love to draw David Attenborough. To be in his presence, capture him and draw him whilst he’s still alive would be a great honour. When I’m drawing someone, I like to meet them first if possible so I can get ▸ ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS 37
TH E BIG INTERVIEW Timeless, pencil on paper, 43x33cm
For anybody who would like to create as I do, I hope they appreciate the process a sense of the essence of the person. Because of the nature of my work, how time consuming it is and laborious, I then work from the photographs I’ve taken of that person at our meeting. It helps my practice. The essence of my art is not to just reproduce, or make a replica, of a visual image but to capture an honest expression which has a narrative. On average, each drawing takes around 100 hours to complete. I spend hours and, sometimes days, intensely studying the sitter before starting a drawing of them. I’ve just auctioned my Kate Moss piece at Bonhams which was a real thrill and 3 8 ARTISTS & ILLUSTRATORS
honour. Auctions open my work up to new collectors, which is really exciting. In the end it went for £62,750. I was pretty pleased with this, not least because 25% of the proceeds will go to a charity of Kate’s choosing called the Imperial Health charity. It’s not just about the auction or the art; it’s also about giving back. As an artist, I think it’s very important to create honesty. For anybody who would like to create as I do, I hope that they appreciate the process. And practise, practise, practise. But I’m not sure recommending four hours of sleep is good advice for anyone. kelvinokforart.com ▫
III (selfportrait), pencil on paper, 70x49cm
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THE FAVOURITE MAGAZINE FOR ARTISTS
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Sarah Maycock
TEC HN TIP S •
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: an Yorkshire radise lover’s pa
1
ibition A new exhLondon opens in
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Botanical art
Exclusive insights from the world’s best show
How to... PAINT BLOSSOM • USE PEN & WASH • DRAW IN PASTEL PENCIL
Bride Nicola Mc rrealist The hype ist pen art
a prima : Paint all
Learn to paint outdoors
£1,000
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The original art provocateur: a major new show at Tate Britain
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