My studio

Since 2023, I have had a studio in Manchester, my first in ten years. I work outside the arts and spend many evenings and weekends here painting and drawing.

Drawing has always been an important part of my practice. I often discard work I’m not satisfied with rather than keep it simply because I made it. I’m not particularly interested in accumulating things.

I’m also not very comfortable with self-promotion, and I don’t use social media. I know this probably reduces my chances of finding a gallery or other opportunities. It is not ideal, but this was my choice.

The image above shows three unfinished paintings. Lately, I’ve mostly used earth tones and white for the acrylic underpainting, though sometimes I start with completely wild colours. It depends on what I’m trying to achieve.

I’d like to stop using “classical” acrylics altogether. I’ve already stopped buying the conventional kind because they contain microplastics that eventually find their way into groundwater and the oceans. Alternatives exist, and once I’ve used up my remaining supplies, I’ll switch to one. No more microplastics produced by my studio.

I paint over the underpainting with water-mixable oil paints. I used to work with tempera for the initial layers, but preparing it takes time I don’t always have alongside my other job. Ideally, I prefer making my own paints, including oils.

I work slowly, terribly slowly, but on several things at once.

These unfinished canvases and boards often remain in my studio for months, sometimes years, before I return to them. I’ve never sold any of my work, largely because very few people have seen it, thanks to my rather hopeless shyness. Eventually, I often end up painting over these pieces or simply throwing them away, especially when I have to move to another place.

That’s why I started this website: I wanted to archive my work because I’ve lost so many pieces without even a digital photo.


Regards,
J.