Belinda Adams-Pearce Interview
1. How long have you been making art?
Well, in the words of Roxie Hart [Chicago] “I’m older than I ever intended to be” so to say that I’ve been painting all my adult life equates to an awfully long time! But truly I have painted for my own recreational/therapeutic purposes off and on for umpteen years, but it’s only been in the last five or so that I’ve had the temerity to style myself as an artist and make art for public view.
2. What genre best describes what you do?
I’ve not made a conscious effort to follow, or bring myself within, a particular artistic category or group, so I’m reticent to claim that a specific genre applies; generally my current works are more representational than pictorial, not wholly expressionistic, but slightly. Oh dear, that doesn’t sound very helpful at being descriptive, may I leave it to the viewer to determine?
3. How has your artwork evolved since you began?
Seascapes are my recurring theme; perhaps a subliminal escape from hectic day-to-day life to the water’s edge! My scenes were initially depicted by fluid sweeping bands of colour, since I found the calm serenity in broad brush strokes to be the antithesis of my professional life. However, over the years I have refined that fluidity and concentrated more on endeavouring to capture atmosphere and mood rather than a scenic interpretation; I believe my artwork is still evolving in this respect and as I am unlikely to ever be wholly content with the result it will always be ‘work in progress.’
4. Is there a medium or technique that you have yet to try but would like to?
I work in mixed medium, oil and acrylic, but I often envisage many of my seascapes as watercolours; in fact I think they would be much more moody and atmospheric in watercolour but I guess I play safe and stick with my tried and tested techniques. However, one day I would like to experiment.
5. What would your ideal solo exhibition be like and where would it be held?
Ah, I can answer with little or no hesitation, because of the subject matter of my artwork my preference would be to exhibit somewhere beside the sea. A high and airy space with views out to the horizon and my canvasses hung on white-washed walls. Brighton is a favourite, it has such character, but the venue would have to be bright and spacious and I envisage sunshine flooding the gallery, illuminating my canvasses to best effect. Hmmm perhaps I should opt for Barcelona instead of Brighton, for more reliable weather.
6. What do you like most about the art world?
I guess this is an obvious, and probably popular, response.....the freedom of expression, and the knowledge that there is acceptability in all forms of innovation.
7. If you could change anything about the London art scene, what would it be?
An ability to make it a more financially viable world for the emerging artist would be my desired change; I am indebted to the New Artist Fair for an affordable opportunity to exhibit and sneak into that world, but such options for self-advancement are few for the struggling artist.
8. What or who inspires you to make art?
Horizons. I immerse myself in replicating the peaceful wistfulness of gazing out to the blue yonder. But it’s not the sea itself that captivates me, rather the effect of the water on the sky above and that point at which the two converge. I am a member of The Cloud Appreciation Society and am passionate about, obsessed even, with skies: the shades, tones, and diversity of patterns created by atmospheric optical phenomena.
9. Where did you sell your first painting and how did it feel?
Having amassed a variety of canvasses over the years, I was encouraged by friends and family to share them with a wider public; to this end a local cafe owner agreed to hang a few by way of decoration, but each bearing my contact details on a tag in case of interest. Unexpectedly I received a call within a couple of weeks, and met the caller at the cafe; she was a lady in her 90s who initially purchased 2 canvasses. That alone was a sheer delight, but I subsequently learned that she is a long-standing and knowledgeable patron of the arts, an experienced and avid collector of originals only, and I have since had the ultimate privilege of seeing my pieces adorning her walls alongside works by artists of great renown.
10. What are your plans for the New Artist Fair in March?
I shall be exhibiting my latest ‘Horizons’ collection; it is a joy to be able to show and share my artwork with a wider public, and I am looking forward to the camaraderie of the fellow exhibitors, and the professionalism of the organizers, that I experienced at the 2012 Brick Lane New Artist Fair.
bap40kings@aol.com
https://twitter.com/artycrazyB_AP
Well, in the words of Roxie Hart [Chicago] “I’m older than I ever intended to be” so to say that I’ve been painting all my adult life equates to an awfully long time! But truly I have painted for my own recreational/therapeutic purposes off and on for umpteen years, but it’s only been in the last five or so that I’ve had the temerity to style myself as an artist and make art for public view.
2. What genre best describes what you do?
I’ve not made a conscious effort to follow, or bring myself within, a particular artistic category or group, so I’m reticent to claim that a specific genre applies; generally my current works are more representational than pictorial, not wholly expressionistic, but slightly. Oh dear, that doesn’t sound very helpful at being descriptive, may I leave it to the viewer to determine?
3. How has your artwork evolved since you began?
Seascapes are my recurring theme; perhaps a subliminal escape from hectic day-to-day life to the water’s edge! My scenes were initially depicted by fluid sweeping bands of colour, since I found the calm serenity in broad brush strokes to be the antithesis of my professional life. However, over the years I have refined that fluidity and concentrated more on endeavouring to capture atmosphere and mood rather than a scenic interpretation; I believe my artwork is still evolving in this respect and as I am unlikely to ever be wholly content with the result it will always be ‘work in progress.’
4. Is there a medium or technique that you have yet to try but would like to?
I work in mixed medium, oil and acrylic, but I often envisage many of my seascapes as watercolours; in fact I think they would be much more moody and atmospheric in watercolour but I guess I play safe and stick with my tried and tested techniques. However, one day I would like to experiment.
5. What would your ideal solo exhibition be like and where would it be held?
Ah, I can answer with little or no hesitation, because of the subject matter of my artwork my preference would be to exhibit somewhere beside the sea. A high and airy space with views out to the horizon and my canvasses hung on white-washed walls. Brighton is a favourite, it has such character, but the venue would have to be bright and spacious and I envisage sunshine flooding the gallery, illuminating my canvasses to best effect. Hmmm perhaps I should opt for Barcelona instead of Brighton, for more reliable weather.
6. What do you like most about the art world?
I guess this is an obvious, and probably popular, response.....the freedom of expression, and the knowledge that there is acceptability in all forms of innovation.
7. If you could change anything about the London art scene, what would it be?
An ability to make it a more financially viable world for the emerging artist would be my desired change; I am indebted to the New Artist Fair for an affordable opportunity to exhibit and sneak into that world, but such options for self-advancement are few for the struggling artist.
8. What or who inspires you to make art?
Horizons. I immerse myself in replicating the peaceful wistfulness of gazing out to the blue yonder. But it’s not the sea itself that captivates me, rather the effect of the water on the sky above and that point at which the two converge. I am a member of The Cloud Appreciation Society and am passionate about, obsessed even, with skies: the shades, tones, and diversity of patterns created by atmospheric optical phenomena.
9. Where did you sell your first painting and how did it feel?
Having amassed a variety of canvasses over the years, I was encouraged by friends and family to share them with a wider public; to this end a local cafe owner agreed to hang a few by way of decoration, but each bearing my contact details on a tag in case of interest. Unexpectedly I received a call within a couple of weeks, and met the caller at the cafe; she was a lady in her 90s who initially purchased 2 canvasses. That alone was a sheer delight, but I subsequently learned that she is a long-standing and knowledgeable patron of the arts, an experienced and avid collector of originals only, and I have since had the ultimate privilege of seeing my pieces adorning her walls alongside works by artists of great renown.
10. What are your plans for the New Artist Fair in March?
I shall be exhibiting my latest ‘Horizons’ collection; it is a joy to be able to show and share my artwork with a wider public, and I am looking forward to the camaraderie of the fellow exhibitors, and the professionalism of the organizers, that I experienced at the 2012 Brick Lane New Artist Fair.
bap40kings@aol.com
https://twitter.com/artycrazyB_AP
