hand as you develop your own
practice, there are certainly
many things to be learnt
from other artists and by, for
example, looking closely at the
demonstrations by established
artists shown in this magazine.
Artists often find their
own way of doing things. Of
course there are established,
traditional ways of, for example,
painting with watercolours or
with oil paints; however, many
artists learn to adapt accepted
approaches to painting to suit
their needs. The paintings of
one of Britain’s most celebrated
artists, JMW Turner are a
remarkable example of this.
Over 200 years ago in 1812
Turner was publically accused
of ‘investing his oil paintings
with the quality of watercolours’
because of the luminosity and
clarity of the colours he achieved
by building up his oil paintings
with countless layers of thin
colour. In fact, not only was this
true but by this date TurnerI
am sure that I am not
alone in regularly finding
myself attempting to
unpick how an artist
has built up a painting – which
areas of paint went down first,
how might the paint have been
thinned down, had it been
partially wiped back, scratched
into or scumbled over?
The benefit of a magazine
such as New Artist is that it
offers artists, in the early stages
of learning their technical craft,
the opportunity to see, through
detailed demonstrations,
exactly how particular leading
artists build up a painting, for
example. I have observed on
many occasions here at Newlyn
School of Art the energy in the
room or out on the cliff-top
among a group of students when
one of our artist tutors does a
demonstration to illustrate a
point they are making. There
is something magical and
fascinating about watching
artists share their methods and
different techniques.
I have noticed that, more
often than not, the most
successful artists I have met
are all genuinely interested in
other artists’ work. With very
few exceptions, artists do not
develop in a vacuum without
the nourishment of constantly
exploring what is a remarkable
world of art and artists available
to us today, through visiting the
wealth of public and commercial
galleries to be found in the UK
and beyond, by searching for
artists online or of course in
books potentially delivered to us
in a matter of hours.
Although there is no substitute
for the years of hard graft and
time spent with a paint brush in
had for many years also been
striving to give extra body to his
watercolours and to achieve in
them something of the strength
of oil paintings.
So, as a new artist, you will
have a personal journey of
discovery ahead of you which
may take many years as you
explore the different media
available to you and a multitude
of approaches. Take heart;
you are not alone. You have an
ocean of artists to learn from by
looking closely at their work in
galleries, in books and online –As your art develops, the chance to see detailed
demonstrations by experienced artists is an opportunity
we should all relish, comments Henry Garfit.
this resource is valuable beyond
words and more readily available
than at any time in history.
The journey towards
becoming an established artist
is one of the most exciting,
challenging and wonderfully
indulgent experiences
imaginable and if you can create
the time and maintain the drive
needed to sustain yourself along
the way you will never regret
embarking upon it. Keeping
motivated is difficult at times and
months or years away from the
studio can create a mountain to
climb when you come back to it.
One thing I find myself saying
to students who come on our
short courses at Newlyn School
of Art is that it is vital to keep
in regular contact with your
practice. Life can get in the way
for even the most dedicated
artists, so even if you cannot
paint for days or weeks at a time,
sit in your studio for just half
an hour or more to look at your
work and thumb through the
pages of a book on an artist you
admire or who is related to the
work you are currently doing.
That regular act alone will keep
the creative part of your mind
in a place where you can pick
up your brushes and begin your
journey again where you left off.The most successful artists I have
met are all genuinely interested in
other artists’ work.Learning from others
Observations from an art school
Henry Garfit founded and runs the Newlyn
School of Art. He moved to Cornwall in 2003
after completing an MA in Art History from
University of St Andrews in Scotland and
studying Fine Art in London at Kensington
and Chelsea College, the Slade and Camberwell College of Art.
He has exhibited widely throughout the UK with a number of
solo and group exhibitions. http://www.newlynartschool.co.ukHenry Garfit