0:00:34 > 0:00:38My name is Anna King, and I'm a landscape painter.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51I'm really fascinated by wastelands
0:00:51 > 0:00:54and derelict buildings because of the wildness,
0:00:54 > 0:00:57the way that nature's kind of taking over
0:00:57 > 0:00:59and the random elements of it as well.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03Strange objects there, like traffic cones and shopping trolleys
0:01:03 > 0:01:04and things like that.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07I like those sort of indicators that people have been there
0:01:07 > 0:01:10but I never actually have any people in my paintings,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14so the viewer is then the, you know, the person in the painting
0:01:14 > 0:01:17and it's as if you're on your own
0:01:17 > 0:01:19kind of exploring these places.
0:01:24 > 0:01:27I remember going to see an exhibition of Alison Watt's paintings
0:01:27 > 0:01:31of white sheets with the shape where a figure's been.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35And that was the first time I'd seen big, contemporary paintings
0:01:35 > 0:01:38like that in a gallery, and that was one of the exhibitions
0:01:38 > 0:01:41that really made me want to be an artist.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I also really like Joan Eardley's paintings.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Really sort of expressive
0:01:47 > 0:01:49and wild landscapes.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52Comparing yourself to someone like that isn't always useful
0:01:52 > 0:01:55because you're never going to be able to do what they did.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01I love my job.
0:02:01 > 0:02:03I mean, I would never swap this for anything
0:02:03 > 0:02:08because I get to come to work every day and I get to do what I want,
0:02:08 > 0:02:10and do something that...
0:02:12 > 0:02:13..makes me feel happy.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17And if you do get to do that for a job, then it's really, really good!
0:02:24 > 0:02:28I find inspiration from all sorts of places -
0:02:28 > 0:02:33quite often places that maybe other people would sort of walk past
0:02:33 > 0:02:34and never notice.
0:02:37 > 0:02:38The old joiners' sheds,
0:02:38 > 0:02:42I just spotted when I was driving past one day,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and both of them have just got beautiful colours
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and sort of rust, you know, running down the tin.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01The building's definitely changed since I was here last,
0:03:01 > 0:03:05and it's quite strange to come back because I have it pictured in my head
0:03:05 > 0:03:07at this particular moment in time when I saw it,
0:03:07 > 0:03:12and things have gone. There's glass that was lined up there that's gone
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and the grass has changed as well.
0:03:14 > 0:03:20More paint's gone. But in essence, it's still the same building.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30I just love the colours in here and all the wood panelling.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33You know, this paint's obviously been probably really bright blue,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36and then the way it fades to that sort of subtle colour
0:03:36 > 0:03:40and the contrast with the peeling and the textures of the wood and things.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42I was so excited about it,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44though it's a really sad thing to get excited about!
0:03:46 > 0:03:48I really wanted to do some interior paintings
0:03:48 > 0:03:50and I hadn't found the right place.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And then as soon as I came in here, I knew that it would be really,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55a really inspiring place for me to paint.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01I also really like buildings that have big windows like this,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04so although it's sort of derelict
0:04:04 > 0:04:06and a bit kind of grotty,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08it's still got that sort of light flooding in,
0:04:08 > 0:04:11and it makes it a really interesting space to paint.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16I don't often paint the same place more than once.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20These sheds here I've done sort of five, six, seven paintings of.
0:04:20 > 0:04:24So they're quite a special place for me to come back to.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40The first thing I'm going to show you is mixing colours.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45It's very rarely that I would ever use colour straight out of the tube.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47Especially things like black and white,
0:04:47 > 0:04:51because if you look at what things actually look like in real life,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54nothing's ever pure white or pure black.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I work mostly in quite subtle colours.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02I don't like anything too brash and bright,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04and I'll always mix them quite a lot.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Yeah, it's important to get your colours right
0:05:08 > 0:05:10before you put them on the board.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16And as soon as you've got something down on your blank piece, then
0:05:16 > 0:05:18it's so much easier to keep going
0:05:18 > 0:05:21because it's that first brushmark that's the hardest.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I mean, having said I'll talk about colours,
0:05:28 > 0:05:31I'm now doing a painting that's pretty much all grey!
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I work in oil paints but I'm quite unusual in the way I work
0:05:35 > 0:05:38in that I paint onto paper pasted onto board.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41It's not really a traditional way of doing it but it allows me to give
0:05:41 > 0:05:45a sketchy finish sometimes and have the paper showing through the paint.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53One technique that I've developed
0:05:53 > 0:05:55that's quite unique to me, as far as I know,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59is to draw into the wet oil paint with pencil.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04It's quite committing once you start drawing into the paint.
0:06:04 > 0:06:08You have to try and sort of relax before I make a mark,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and sort of sometimes almost not think about it
0:06:11 > 0:06:15and let the pencil sort of dance a bit across the paper.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18The other thing I use is this.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20I think it's for smudging pencil or something,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23but I use it if I want to get sort of lines without the actual
0:06:23 > 0:06:25mark of the pencil.
0:06:26 > 0:06:28So I guess I use the paint
0:06:28 > 0:06:31to sort of mark out the form of the painting.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35And then the pencil just brings the detail into it.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38So something that didn't really look like anything before
0:06:38 > 0:06:40now has a bit of a form to it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I'd guess I'd say that
0:06:45 > 0:06:49sort of "less is more" is quite an important aspect of my painting.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52So I like to leave them not unfinished, but quite
0:06:52 > 0:06:58sort of sparse-looking and with a lot of space and light in them.
0:06:58 > 0:07:00I hate it when things are overworked
0:07:00 > 0:07:02and the paint gets all muddled and dirty.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I think when it's finished, it's finished
0:07:05 > 0:07:07and then I just won't touch it again.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10And I think that's quite an important thing, actually, as well,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13knowing when to stop, because if you take it too far,
0:07:13 > 0:07:17you then can lose a bit of the sort of essence of something,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19especially if it's a really quick piece you're doing,
0:07:19 > 0:07:21sometimes better just to leave it.
0:07:24 > 0:07:29So this is just a really quick painting of a street scene.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31I'm not too displeased with it, so...
0:07:31 > 0:07:32SHE LAUGHS
0:07:45 > 0:07:47CAMERA CLICKS
0:07:47 > 0:07:50So I'm taking photos for source material.
0:07:52 > 0:07:57I've been working towards a big body of work for a new exhibition.
0:07:57 > 0:08:00Quite a number of the paintings
0:08:00 > 0:08:03will be based on trees in this surrounding area.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10When you're painting, if you're just doing things out of your imagination
0:08:10 > 0:08:14all the time, I think you can get quite unnatural sort of shapes.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16When I look at the photographs I've taken,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19they often look just a bit, you know, sort of soulless,
0:08:19 > 0:08:22whereas when you're doing the painting,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25I can put in the sort of misty ambiguous light that I really love,
0:08:25 > 0:08:28things I can never capture on camera.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30That's what makes a painting special, I think,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33because you get to see someone's interpretation of a place
0:08:33 > 0:08:36rather than just what it actually looks like.
0:08:38 > 0:08:43So the first layer is all about sort of blocking in the colours
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and the shapes. But when I'm doing it, I'm also thinking quite a lot
0:08:46 > 0:08:49about what the layer on top's going to be like
0:08:49 > 0:08:51because once you've got to this stage, you can't really change it
0:08:51 > 0:08:54without going right back to the beginning.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56There's quite a lot of things to think about when I'm doing it,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00but I just try and keep it really expressive at the same time as well.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05Once the first layer of a painting's dry,
0:09:05 > 0:09:09then I'm ready to start on the second layer, where I'll put in all the sky
0:09:09 > 0:09:14and add a lot of sort of detail to the trees and the foreground,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16and put pencil marks in as well.
0:09:18 > 0:09:23When you're mixing colours, it's really a lot of trial and error.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25You'll see me going backwards and forwards
0:09:25 > 0:09:28from, like, darker to lighter!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30It looks different on the palette
0:09:30 > 0:09:33so you can't tell until you put your brush on the painting
0:09:33 > 0:09:36whether it's going to be the colour you wanted it to be.
0:09:39 > 0:09:43And quite often I would put on some paint
0:09:43 > 0:09:46and then I'll rub it off with a rag to get quite a thin wash.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51SHE LAUGHS
0:09:51 > 0:09:55I just put a big smear over it where I didn't want there to be one!
0:09:59 > 0:10:01But never mind.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03Just wipe it off with some turps.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08I've just done it again!
0:10:11 > 0:10:13SHE SIGHS
0:10:14 > 0:10:17Painting can be really annoying sometimes.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20If you get frustrated, then you tend to sort of rush things,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22maybe mess stuff up.
0:10:22 > 0:10:24So sometimes it does take a little moment, and then...
0:10:24 > 0:10:26SHE LAUGHS
0:10:26 > 0:10:27..go back to it.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32So you can see with this little thing
0:10:32 > 0:10:34you get more sort of like a subtle line
0:10:34 > 0:10:37rather than sort of dark pencil marks.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53So this is the finished painting,
0:10:53 > 0:10:55and I still really don't like this bit
0:10:55 > 0:10:57and I don't know what to do about it.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02I hate when things get messy.
0:11:02 > 0:11:05That bit to me looks badly painted
0:11:05 > 0:11:07or sort of untidy.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12I wouldn't exactly call it a stressful job
0:11:12 > 0:11:15but it is often a struggle and sometimes really frustrating
0:11:15 > 0:11:19because you just want it to be right, you want it to be good straightaway,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21and sometimes it takes a bit more work,
0:11:21 > 0:11:25but on reflection, I think it's not too bad.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37I'm Nick Gentry and I'm an artist from London.
0:11:39 > 0:11:42So I use a lot of outdated technology,
0:11:42 > 0:11:45old stuff that's kind of, you know,
0:11:45 > 0:11:47at the end of its original kind of intended life
0:11:47 > 0:11:51and is now deemed sort of useless, really.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58So with floppy discs, I create a canvas with them,
0:11:58 > 0:12:03and they sort of go on to form the main subject of each piece.
0:12:03 > 0:12:07By doing that, I'm basically just showing as much of the discs
0:12:07 > 0:12:08and the canvas as possible.
0:12:08 > 0:12:11And then the painting is sort of merely an access point to that.
0:12:11 > 0:12:15The subject is a mystery, and it is embedded in the canvas
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and it is loaded into those floppy discs.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21It's kind of locked down in there forever, really.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27There's a sort of element of recycling or repurposing
0:12:27 > 0:12:32within the work. Marcel Duchamp took a urinal out
0:12:32 > 0:12:35and just put it into the gallery and said, "That's art."
0:12:35 > 0:12:39So, from that point on, I think artists started to realise
0:12:39 > 0:12:40that you didn't have to have a canvas.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43You didn't have to have paint and a paintbrush,
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and, you know, you're not really restricted too much by your materials,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49it's all about your ideas and where you want to take it.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53I get people to send me stuff,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and I use those things to kind of work in my art.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00I receive all of these materials from everywhere, you know,
0:13:00 > 0:13:04all over the world. They sort of have a history of their own already
0:13:04 > 0:13:06and so what I'm trying to do is just show that.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12Social media just allows me to kind of communicate with these people
0:13:12 > 0:13:14and create sort of some kind of connection, really.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18These are the most personal, really, out of all the things.
0:13:18 > 0:13:20I think the floppy discs can be,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22the film negatives can be,
0:13:22 > 0:13:24you know, depending on what they've taken pictures of,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27but nothing really gets much more personal than an X-ray.
0:13:31 > 0:13:33As well as showing in galleries,
0:13:33 > 0:13:35I think it's quite important for me to show my work online,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38so that people can kind of get an idea of what I'm doing
0:13:38 > 0:13:40and contribute to the project.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43It's as much about sharing as sort of showing the work, really.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58I think inspiration can be anything. It can come from anywhere.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01Often it's the everyday, sort of mundane stuff that
0:14:01 > 0:14:02could actually be really inspiring
0:14:02 > 0:14:05because it's also surprising what you can do with it.
0:14:08 > 0:14:11It's just a question of, you know, knowing what to look for.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13SIRENS WAIL
0:14:16 > 0:14:19I think it's vital to get out of the studio from time to time.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21It just kind of creates a different mood.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29It's usually quite easy to zone out from everything all around you.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32So it almost doesn't matter how much noise
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and things that are going on all around you.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39It's all about kind of the connection between the sketchbook
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and what's going on with your ideas.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47Leonardo da Vinci's a real inspiration to me
0:14:47 > 0:14:51because beyond his paintings and drawings, he was also a scientist.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55He used to dissect, you know, animals and even people
0:14:55 > 0:14:57to find out what was going on inside us.
0:14:57 > 0:15:00So I take a lot of different inspiration from different artists
0:15:00 > 0:15:03but I think it goes way beyond just looking at art.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08I'm naturally inclined to sort of go for these angular faces,
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and you end up creating these sort of android type looking things.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14You look at faces all the time
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and it's the way you learn about the world and the faces we have
0:15:17 > 0:15:20are also a bit of a story about the lives we've lived.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29It's vital, really, for me to actually have this to get my ideas
0:15:29 > 0:15:32down into this book, because without this, there's nothing.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34There's just a piece of imagination.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Some of the writing's so hurriedly sort of written, it's almost like
0:15:40 > 0:15:42I'm panicking, you know,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44writing this stuff down and getting it out as quickly
0:15:44 > 0:15:48as possible because, you know, if I slow down, then the idea could go.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It's all about keeping this momentum, this flow
0:15:51 > 0:15:53and that's all the way through my work,
0:15:53 > 0:15:56even in the studio, I have to work with the flow of things.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59But I think it's just the act of writing it, and jotting it down
0:15:59 > 0:16:01embeds it in your memory.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04Just getting them down into the book just solidifies the idea.
0:16:04 > 0:16:06They're the seeds, really, of the work,
0:16:06 > 0:16:08and you need those in order to progress.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22'So, really, the first stage of the work doesn't really start with me,
0:16:22 > 0:16:25'it starts with other people. People from all around the world
0:16:25 > 0:16:28'actually now just send me all of their old materials.'
0:16:28 > 0:16:30Boom! There you go!
0:16:30 > 0:16:32From there I start assembling them.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37I think in here we've probably got about 200 discs.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41But, you know, I've created before a painting that took 300 discs
0:16:41 > 0:16:45so it's more than the amount of discs that's in this box alone,
0:16:45 > 0:16:47so, yeah, I do always need this constant supply.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50I don't think I could work in this kind of way without
0:16:50 > 0:16:54other people getting involved and other people's generosity, really.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58That's why I have to really get my work out there on social media so
0:16:58 > 0:17:03that people can see what I'm doing and then consequently get involved.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10X-rays...
0:17:12 > 0:17:17I would use an X-ray on a piece of glass, transparent layer
0:17:17 > 0:17:21and use it for its sort of tonal range, really.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24I've used, like, kind of ribcages before for, like, hair,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29cos it's all about kind of like picking up each individual piece
0:17:29 > 0:17:32and analysing it and seeing what sort of qualities it has
0:17:32 > 0:17:35and what it could represent.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38There's just so many materials that you can use
0:17:38 > 0:17:41as opposed to like, the traditional canvas and paint.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44It's just, you know, why not explore some of that?
0:17:47 > 0:17:50They often come with a note. This one says, "Hi, Nick,
0:17:50 > 0:17:53"these X-rays belong to my late father-in-law
0:17:53 > 0:17:55"and were taken in Belgium.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58"So he would have been so thrilled with this idea.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01"I hope you find some use for them. Thank you for having them,
0:18:01 > 0:18:05"and for the enjoyment of your beautiful pieces. We love them."
0:18:05 > 0:18:07I think it's really amazing
0:18:07 > 0:18:10that people would actually send me something like that.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14It's like they would trust me to use those quite personal things.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17And yeah, it's just like an inspiration for me
0:18:17 > 0:18:19before I even start any project.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23I like to keep this sort of circle going where, you know,
0:18:23 > 0:18:25if people send things to me,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27then I like to try and send something back to them,
0:18:27 > 0:18:30whether it be, you know, a book of my work or a print.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32They are people I've never met.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36After a while it's nice to think of it as maybe a bit more than that,
0:18:36 > 0:18:38you know, there's some kind of connection that's been made.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51So I'm about to start working on a new piece.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54At this stage I'm really just trying to work out, you know,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56what elements can go where.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04So I kind of just build in really rough basic structure,
0:19:04 > 0:19:08it's like almost like painting with these things, like pixels.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11You get sort of highlights across the brow area and the nose
0:19:11 > 0:19:13and yeah, those cheekbones and things like that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16This is roughly sort of the skin tone,
0:19:16 > 0:19:18but it's a little bit grey,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21which adds that sort of machine-like feel to it.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23But then I know that this label here
0:19:23 > 0:19:25is going to add something towards the chin.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27You know, it's the initial stage
0:19:27 > 0:19:29of really what that whole image is going to be.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34I don't really like to over-paint.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37I just want to do as much as I can with the materials
0:19:37 > 0:19:40and not intervene too much with that
0:19:40 > 0:19:44and just let the materials be at the centre of the work, really.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49So at this stage all the discs are glued down in the place
0:19:49 > 0:19:50that I want them to be
0:19:50 > 0:19:55and the final thing that I need to do is paint in all the features.
0:19:55 > 0:19:57There's nothing too planned.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00Sometimes you start to find a colour scheme going on
0:20:00 > 0:20:02and you just go with that as a feeling. You try it out.
0:20:02 > 0:20:06It's not like I just chose yellow and that was the end of the story,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09it's a case of seeing what works within the composition.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17I like to kind of get it to this finished stage where it's all
0:20:17 > 0:20:20looking nice, and then throw a load of white spirit at it,
0:20:20 > 0:20:23and kind of just destroy it a little bit and mess it up.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25So the white spirit hits it
0:20:25 > 0:20:29and starts to, you know, slightly corrode some of the paint on there
0:20:29 > 0:20:33so it starts breaking up, and just adds this slight rough edge to it.
0:20:33 > 0:20:36I just need to, like, break up the paint a little bit to stop it,
0:20:36 > 0:20:39you know, having that sort of finished, perfect feeling to it.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44So, yeah, that's the finished piece.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47And usually I'd just sign it somewhere, you know,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49that's not obvious.
0:20:49 > 0:20:52I like to kind of blend it in rather than have it showing.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56So I just pick a label and I just put it somewhere in the corner.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02You get these waves of satisfaction when you finish a piece,
0:21:02 > 0:21:03but then it's on to the next piece.
0:21:03 > 0:21:06It's not... It's only fleeting, really.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08You don't ever get to sort of wallow in it too much.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12I think the people that sent me all of these discs and things,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15they'd be maybe surprised and, er...
0:21:15 > 0:21:17Yeah, maybe they'd be quite pleased
0:21:17 > 0:21:19and happy with the result. I hope so.
0:21:28 > 0:21:31I'm Yulia Brodskaya and I'm a paper artist.
0:21:35 > 0:21:39I make art using paper as my main medium.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42I think my signature way of working would be
0:21:42 > 0:21:46as if I'm trying to draw with paper instead of on it.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49I was born in Moscow.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53I started in art school when I was just six years old.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56So, for me, I never considered doing anything else.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58When I first came to the UK,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02I could feel a kind of creative buzz around me.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I wanted to become successful, to try new things.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Quilling's a paper craft technique that involves strips of paper
0:22:09 > 0:22:13that are rolled, shaped and glued together
0:22:13 > 0:22:14to create the creative designs.
0:22:14 > 0:22:22I made quilling mine by using it in a new way to create letter forms,
0:22:22 > 0:22:24and this made it more modern,
0:22:24 > 0:22:28and so I think I gave it a new life with my work.
0:22:31 > 0:22:36For the past five years, I've worked on more than 100 projects
0:22:36 > 0:22:38ranging from advertising
0:22:38 > 0:22:40to tutorials, books.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42Never gets boring.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'For inspiration I usually go out to local park
0:23:00 > 0:23:03'and I like to sit there
0:23:03 > 0:23:05'and sketching.
0:23:05 > 0:23:10'I like to look at the flowers when I need inspiration for colours,
0:23:10 > 0:23:12'because the colours are wonderful.'
0:23:12 > 0:23:16Their combinations are already there, I just need to be observant.
0:23:19 > 0:23:24I believe nature is the best place to decide what colours go together.
0:23:24 > 0:23:28There are not just flowers, there are butterfly or other insects,
0:23:28 > 0:23:30there are tropical fish.
0:23:30 > 0:23:32You just need to...to look around
0:23:32 > 0:23:36and you don't need to invent things. They are already there.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40My advice would be, keep experimenting
0:23:40 > 0:23:44but make sure you know that the goal is to find your own style
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and not to imitate the...
0:23:48 > 0:23:50..the artist that you like.
0:23:51 > 0:23:56When I got inspired with Gustav Klimt, I used his work too literally.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59I used lots of gold paint
0:23:59 > 0:24:04and I copied some of his motifs
0:24:04 > 0:24:07and shapes that he uses in his work.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13Lately I've started to use this inspiration in a more abstract way.
0:24:15 > 0:24:20I do love the intricate details that he incorporates in his work
0:24:20 > 0:24:23but I also want to make sure
0:24:23 > 0:24:27the overall image is striking and eye-catching.
0:24:31 > 0:24:35I was in France. In one of the parks I saw an old man
0:24:35 > 0:24:37sitting on the bench and feeding pigeons.
0:24:37 > 0:24:42I decided to incorporate the dynamic mass of these pigeons
0:24:42 > 0:24:44coming towards him.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I used, like, an old man's face
0:24:49 > 0:24:54because the theme of old people and age is one of the main ones
0:24:54 > 0:24:55in my personal work.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03To try to make a person's face,
0:25:03 > 0:25:08I think that's one of the most challenging themes in general
0:25:08 > 0:25:11in art, not just for paper.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14And that's how I wanted to bring my paper art to a new level.
0:25:16 > 0:25:17I tried to show the crinkles,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20the way the wrinkles look when people squint.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23I tried to arrange the paper strips in a similar way.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27It took me quite long.
0:25:27 > 0:25:31Probably the longest out of all of my artworks.
0:25:43 > 0:25:47I'm making a...like, a very simple heart shape.
0:25:47 > 0:25:52I usually start with darker colours for the outline of the heart
0:25:52 > 0:25:56and then I'll be using lighter tints over the middle of the heart,
0:25:56 > 0:25:57like a gradient.
0:25:57 > 0:26:03I think it gives this paper craft technique more visual depth.
0:26:03 > 0:26:05It's just visually more interesting.
0:26:05 > 0:26:10Like, I have pinks, reds, greens and blues over there.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13So just helps to be organised
0:26:13 > 0:26:17and it's easier to choose the colours when I know exactly where they are.
0:26:18 > 0:26:21When you have a thin piece of paper,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23it's a bit more difficult to shape it
0:26:23 > 0:26:26but with thick card, it's much more flexible
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and it holds its shape.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31I'm using a cocktail straw.
0:26:31 > 0:26:35You could use a pencil or anything similar.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37And I just curl it
0:26:37 > 0:26:39a couple of times.
0:26:39 > 0:26:41There are special tools,
0:26:41 > 0:26:44for instance, you can use something like that.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47But when I started my first work,
0:26:47 > 0:26:51I needed something, and that's what happened to be in my house.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56I use the droplet shape quite extensively.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01And I do use quite a few circles.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03I do use coils.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09I start by coiling it in one direction.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12Then I coil it in the opposite direction,
0:27:12 > 0:27:14put them together, cut...
0:27:15 > 0:27:19..and then I will glue the both ends together.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24This is what I call a drop shape.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28So this is another little shape. I call it a circle.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31I start in the same way.
0:27:31 > 0:27:38Then I do basically a coil, but then I roll it very, very tightly.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42So you get a little roll of paper.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53It's very important to try different things
0:27:53 > 0:27:56because that is the only way you can move forward.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00You can't use the same thing over and over again.
0:28:00 > 0:28:05If you do try something new, then your technique will evolve,
0:28:05 > 0:28:08your style will evolve and it...
0:28:08 > 0:28:09You won't get bored!
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I'd like to redesign my name, which I'm going to use to promote myself.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29To me, it does look dated.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34I used it quite a lot for my presentation, for business cards,
0:28:34 > 0:28:38online, and I think it's time
0:28:38 > 0:28:44for me to create a new version that reflects my current work better.
0:28:46 > 0:28:48I print out just the outlines,
0:28:48 > 0:28:55so it makes it easier for me to sketch it inside the letters.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57I don't necessarily think about paper,
0:28:57 > 0:29:01I'm just thinking where I want the lines to go.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04It is very important to make the most of the decisions
0:29:04 > 0:29:07during the sketching stage
0:29:07 > 0:29:11because once I glue the piece of paper, I can't remove it.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16It uses more of the shapes that I'm currently using.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22And now I'll experiment with colour.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33I want to keep the palette close to the initial one.
0:29:33 > 0:29:36There will be reds, pinks, orange.
0:29:36 > 0:29:38It is colourful enough.
0:29:40 > 0:29:47Once the sketch is ready, I trace the design by using an embossing tool.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51This makes sure that when I start gluing my papers
0:29:51 > 0:29:55I can see the lines where the paper needs to go.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59I'm going to start making the first letter.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01When I start working with paper,
0:30:01 > 0:30:06I still try to follow my initial sketch as closely as possible.
0:30:06 > 0:30:11But I still, still question all my decisions that I have made.
0:30:13 > 0:30:15That's the first letter down.
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I still have four to go,
0:30:17 > 0:30:21so you'd better leave me to it and I'll see you tomorrow.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30Last night I filled three of the letters with the paper strips.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32So now, only two letters left
0:30:32 > 0:30:35and then all the elements surrounding the name.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39For this particular technique, you do have to be quite patient
0:30:39 > 0:30:42because this is something that can become a torture
0:30:42 > 0:30:44unless it suits your personality.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53This is the last piece going down.
0:30:57 > 0:30:58SHE LAUGHS
0:30:58 > 0:30:59Ta-da!
0:31:01 > 0:31:03So let's see how they look together.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06I think the new one does look more modern
0:31:06 > 0:31:08and definitely more eye-catching.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11You can see the letters straightaway,
0:31:11 > 0:31:16whereas the previous one, you needed some time to read what it says.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20I hope that it will reflect my work better.
0:31:20 > 0:31:23I'm looking forward to using it on my business card
0:31:23 > 0:31:26and all the other self-promotion materials.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36I'm Frances Segelman. I'm a sculptor.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41I've sculpted, I would say, probably about 140 busts.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43There was two that stand out -
0:31:43 > 0:31:46the Duke of Edinburgh is just simple, and yet it's got
0:31:46 > 0:31:50something special about the movement and the way he was as a person.
0:31:50 > 0:31:53But I think the ultimate one is the Queen,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56because of this figurehead of who she is, how nervous I was,
0:31:56 > 0:32:00how I overcame that, and it was my dream, that was my goal, you know,
0:32:00 > 0:32:03to be able to do the Queen one day was fantastic.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06I also do two sculptures a year for a charity,
0:32:06 > 0:32:08where I'm sculpting a person
0:32:08 > 0:32:12'with hundreds of people watching, and I finish that in two hours.
0:32:12 > 0:32:15'It's so miraculous to get a look of somebody.
0:32:15 > 0:32:19'It's so difficult sometimes to get that look, and it may not happen.'
0:32:30 > 0:32:33I'm influenced greatly by all the early artists,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35by the Greek, the Roman art.
0:32:35 > 0:32:39Leonardo da Vinci, Bernini - their work is so incredible,
0:32:39 > 0:32:41these early sculptors.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45But Michelangelo is my absolute, you know, number one.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Wonderful, wonderful sculptor, artist, painter - everything.
0:32:48 > 0:32:50He got the person out of the stone.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54Michelangelo - I think for his period,
0:32:54 > 0:32:58he put movement in something that's static.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01And that's the magic, isn't it, with sculpture, really?
0:33:01 > 0:33:05So to create movement, it's mostly the anatomy,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07the way you're positioning the body.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10You know, the legs have got to be moving, and the arms,
0:33:10 > 0:33:13and the hands and the face. Nothing too static.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20I realised to get this movement in the sculpture,
0:33:20 > 0:33:22I looked at the early pieces of art
0:33:22 > 0:33:24and I could see how this...
0:33:24 > 0:33:28It wasn't just that a piece of material was sticking out, you know,
0:33:28 > 0:33:29or a dress was coming out,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31but it was the way it wrapped round the body.
0:33:38 > 0:33:41I made a large piece, nine foot high.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49And then I had to work out how these legs were going to look.
0:33:49 > 0:33:50And I got completely lost,
0:33:50 > 0:33:54and totally obsessed with the muscles in that front leg.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59I mean, the way they wrap around and change shape
0:33:59 > 0:34:02and, you know, how it makes a leg more powerful.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07You can accentuate those muscles coming wrapped round the knee,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10and the way the sculptors used to make this happen
0:34:10 > 0:34:13was this sort of barley sugar effect, you know,
0:34:13 > 0:34:16going round and round and round,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19and if you continue this down the body with clothing,
0:34:19 > 0:34:22it gives this wonderful effect of movement.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25Their work is so incredible, these early sculptors.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28It's just sensational, you know, to study that.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38Right, we're going to go into my studio now.
0:34:40 > 0:34:43All my techniques have been learnt through my career
0:34:43 > 0:34:46because I'm self-taught, but I study all the time.
0:34:46 > 0:34:48I still study all the time.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53Well, there's two different types of callipers that I use -
0:34:53 > 0:34:56the metal one, which I use for life-sized figures.
0:34:56 > 0:35:00It's very easy to use, and I use it on the face, everywhere.
0:35:01 > 0:35:05And the other type are the ones that convert to the larger sizes.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08It's the type of thing that's been around for centuries,
0:35:08 > 0:35:10you know, for sculptors.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12I start with this side here.
0:35:12 > 0:35:15This is the life-size.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18And this converts to life-and-a-quarter, life-and-a-half,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20or whatever I want it to be.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23And then I would go to the sculpture
0:35:23 > 0:35:27and you've got to make sure you keep it steady and it stays in place,
0:35:27 > 0:35:31because if it's a fraction out, it doesn't work properly.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33The whole face just doesn't look right.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Every little bit is vital, and is moving,
0:35:37 > 0:35:41so each time, every ten minutes you're re-measuring again and again,
0:35:41 > 0:35:43because it changes all the time. It's very important.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49The eyes are the windows of the soul.
0:35:49 > 0:35:51They make the face into a real person.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52If they had pale eyes,
0:35:52 > 0:35:56I would leave a lot of the clay in because it would catch the light.
0:35:56 > 0:36:02If they had very dark eyes, I would take this out, and it would be dark.
0:36:03 > 0:36:06Everybody's eyes have got... they catch the light,
0:36:06 > 0:36:10and this to me makes it much more lifelike when it's finished.
0:36:10 > 0:36:14So, I have to have this tiny piece of clay...
0:36:14 > 0:36:16You have to mess around with it, but when it's cast,
0:36:16 > 0:36:21basically that will catch the light with the bronze.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25When somebody's looking up, their eye changes shape completely.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28You know, the eye's looking up, but the whole lid is much more
0:36:28 > 0:36:31interesting than staring straight on.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34So that makes a more interesting feature.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Tonight is one of my live sculpting events
0:36:45 > 0:36:48where I actually sculpt somebody's bust in two hours.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51'And I'm going to be sculpting Sir Derek Jacobi,
0:36:51 > 0:36:52'a great, great actor.'
0:36:52 > 0:36:56It's just a headache. It's just noise inside my head, Doctor.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- Constant noise inside my head. - What sort of noise?
0:37:00 > 0:37:02It's the sound of drums.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05And after two hours, you will see the finished piece.
0:37:11 > 0:37:13Well, I think it's almost unique.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16I've never been to something like this, ever. You know, it's wonderful.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19'The process is this pressurised sculpture,
0:37:19 > 0:37:23'so you need the person there. It's very, very important.
0:37:23 > 0:37:26'You cannot do a sculpture without the life sitter.
0:37:26 > 0:37:27'Every single photograph,'
0:37:27 > 0:37:31he looks so different, so I haven't got a clue how his structure is.
0:37:31 > 0:37:35Basically it would take me months from a photograph,
0:37:35 > 0:37:38whereas doing it from life is something you can see more clearly
0:37:38 > 0:37:42and you can turn it round and see it from the side. It's vital.
0:37:42 > 0:37:45So I'm going to be doing this so much it will drive you insane but...
0:37:45 > 0:37:47Don't worry.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51I don't know what's going to happen, I mean, but it's two hours,
0:37:51 > 0:37:54which is very, very fast for a sculpture.
0:37:54 > 0:37:56Are we off?
0:38:00 > 0:38:03'I get the first part of his head on, and then I'll turn him sideways
0:38:03 > 0:38:06'and I'll start doing the profile, and I'll be thrilled with it.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10'Then I'll turn it to the front and think, "Oh, my God, no, it's not right."
0:38:10 > 0:38:13'And this is happening all the time, all the time you're moving round
0:38:13 > 0:38:15'and each time you do one part you're changing another part
0:38:15 > 0:38:18'and each time you change another part it makes something else wrong.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20'So it's like a jigsaw puzzle.'
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Only towards the end it all starts coming together.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28I've been doing it for an hour,
0:38:28 > 0:38:30and I'm not completely happy with it yet.
0:38:30 > 0:38:35'I haven't had time to go back and have a look.'
0:38:35 > 0:38:38So I need to step back and I've been so intense I haven't done it,
0:38:38 > 0:38:41'because then I'll know where my mistakes are.'
0:38:41 > 0:38:43Tremendous pressure at this stage.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46- How do you feel?- Yeah, fine. - Are you sure?- Mm-hmm.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57I can see myself. I really can.
0:38:57 > 0:39:02The eyes are gentle, and I like that. I like that.
0:39:02 > 0:39:04It makes me look so distinguished.
0:39:04 > 0:39:07And if she can do that in less than two hours...
0:39:09 > 0:39:10It's extraordinary.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23I'm Stuart Semple, and I'm a painter.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30When I was growing up, I didn't have access to art.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Not visual art. So the first stuff I saw was album covers.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35So music's been there through my whole life,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38like the soundtrack of what I've been through.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40And it's now like a fuel for my work.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42When I think about making an exhibition,
0:39:42 > 0:39:45I do think of it a bit like a musical album,
0:39:45 > 0:39:48and each painting in the show is a track on the album.
0:39:48 > 0:39:51Overall you're trying to make it all go together
0:39:51 > 0:39:53to sort of tell a story in a way.
0:39:53 > 0:39:58I'm always collecting imagery, things that I like, sampling things,
0:39:58 > 0:40:01a bit like a DJ, you know how they sample tracks and stuff,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03and then I start to collage some of those elements
0:40:03 > 0:40:05that I've sampled or collected.
0:40:05 > 0:40:07Then I'll get in the studio
0:40:07 > 0:40:10and quite often I'll just put the initial song on quite loud.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12And when you paint to music
0:40:12 > 0:40:14and you let yourself go, it does its own thing,
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and you kind of get out the way and you just let it express itself.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19There's something really organic about it.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Once you've found your own way of expressing yourself,
0:40:25 > 0:40:28sort of your own language, then it's always there for you.
0:40:28 > 0:40:31And then you can work out, "What do I want to say with this now?"
0:40:31 > 0:40:32And that's the exciting bit.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42I think one of the first artists I saw in real life was Van Gogh.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45And I saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers when I was seven or eight
0:40:45 > 0:40:47and it was at the end of this room,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50and it was just... I don't know, I mean, I can still remember it.
0:40:50 > 0:40:52It's burnt in there,
0:40:52 > 0:40:53and it was just amazing.
0:40:53 > 0:40:58Initially, yes, someone like Van Gogh got me interested in the idea of art.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02But I've looked at so many artists and musicians and film directors,
0:41:02 > 0:41:07and it all kind of blurs into one kind of melting pot.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11I think it's really important to find somewhere to capture your ideas
0:41:11 > 0:41:15as early on as you can, because ideas are so fleeting, they come and go.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19And if you don't grab them, it's gone, and any one of them
0:41:19 > 0:41:22could be the start of something really interesting.
0:41:22 > 0:41:24This is my sort of inspiration board.
0:41:24 > 0:41:26I always have music on in the studio
0:41:26 > 0:41:28and every now and then I'll hear a phrase or a lyric
0:41:28 > 0:41:32and I'll think, "Wow!" There's a load of imagery in there or whatever,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34and I'll get it down on here.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39Sometimes the words are very visual,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42like in this one from The Doors - Riders On The Storm.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46It's so apocalyptic and it's a visual thing anyway.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49I mean, you think of a million pictures just when you hear it.
0:41:49 > 0:41:51MUSIC: "Heaven" by Talking Heads
0:41:51 > 0:41:56Happy is a painting that came from a track by Talking Heads called Heaven,
0:41:56 > 0:41:59which is a place where nothing ever happens.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01# Nothing ever happens... #
0:42:01 > 0:42:05I started to realise loads of things that I loved growing up
0:42:05 > 0:42:06were disappearing.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09It's a scene which is a homage to them
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and all these things that I love that are now gone.
0:42:15 > 0:42:20Moon River. That came from a Kid Koala remix of Moon River.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23The lyrics in that song are so visual.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28# Two drifters
0:42:28 > 0:42:31# Off to see the world... #
0:42:31 > 0:42:34Normally my paintings go on a million and one tangents
0:42:34 > 0:42:35before they get to the end.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38But the Moon River one is just like the lyrics.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41Each element in that painting is actually straight from a lyric.
0:42:41 > 0:42:43It's probably the most literal I've done it.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45In this one, the rainbow's end
0:42:45 > 0:42:49is actually a sort of rundown amusement arcade from the '80s.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55You know, they talk about these two sort of huckleberry friends
0:42:55 > 0:42:58going across the river to see the world together.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It's like this great romance. It's just really beautiful.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04# My huckleberry friend... #
0:43:11 > 0:43:15Two of my favourite materials to use are paint and charcoal,
0:43:15 > 0:43:17which I absolutely love.
0:43:17 > 0:43:19Unlike a pencil, which only does one thing,
0:43:19 > 0:43:24you can make really thick lines, you can make really tiny thin lines,
0:43:24 > 0:43:30and it's got an in infinite amount of possibility in terms of tone
0:43:30 > 0:43:33because you can get massive big pieces like this,
0:43:33 > 0:43:36which means you can very quickly
0:43:36 > 0:43:42do very big, graphic, solid marks,
0:43:42 > 0:43:46and you can fade it all the way out into almost nothing.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53I basically discovered putting it over the top of paint
0:43:53 > 0:43:56actually changed the tone of the paint,
0:43:56 > 0:44:01so I didn't have to mix every tone of that purple.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03Say I want a dark version of that purple,
0:44:03 > 0:44:07I can just rub charcoal over it to make it a bit darker,
0:44:07 > 0:44:10rather than having to mix it as a paint colour,
0:44:10 > 0:44:12which saves me loads of time.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17To be honest, I can't remember how I stumbled across it.
0:44:17 > 0:44:22I think one day I probably had to finish a painting quickly for something
0:44:22 > 0:44:25and was like, "Hang on, I wonder if I go over it with charcoal
0:44:25 > 0:44:28"whether that'll do the job."
0:44:29 > 0:44:30And when I'm using the charcoal,
0:44:30 > 0:44:34I'm really thinking about light and dark. I'm thinking about tone.
0:44:34 > 0:44:36I'm not thinking about colour.
0:44:36 > 0:44:43And er, these lips are a lovely example of that variety.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45I think you should experiment with everything.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48I think my early pictures, they were made of all sorts of stuff.
0:44:48 > 0:44:50I was gluing lentils on there
0:44:50 > 0:44:54and melting candles down to see what it did.
0:44:54 > 0:44:59And I think in the end, you find stuff that excites you.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01And then you keep going with it.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03And you get to know your materials more.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07I mean, the more you use something, the more familiar it is.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11I think the lentil piece is...
0:45:11 > 0:45:12HE LAUGHS
0:45:12 > 0:45:15..not something I want anyone to ever see!
0:45:23 > 0:45:26I'm about to start a brand-new piece of work.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29The other day I saw this extraordinary boy in London
0:45:29 > 0:45:30on a motorbike.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34He had this sort of white vest and he was covered in dirt and grease
0:45:34 > 0:45:35and he was trying to start the bike.
0:45:35 > 0:45:39He looked like a time traveller or something, like he was from the '50s,
0:45:39 > 0:45:42and he was just amazing. So I've got the image of him stuck in my head.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45I think there's a lot in it that could make quite a good painting.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50I'm trying not to think too specifically about anything
0:45:50 > 0:45:53other than that initial image. So...
0:45:53 > 0:45:54Bike...
0:45:55 > 0:45:57Grease...
0:45:57 > 0:46:00Oh, Grease, Travolta...
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Music, serenade.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06I'm just putting down anything that comes into my head, and it can be
0:46:06 > 0:46:10as random as you like cos none of it has to end up in the finished thing.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13Chest...chest hair.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Chest wig!
0:46:15 > 0:46:19So you can see quite quickly, we've got this roadside serenade,
0:46:19 > 0:46:22which would be an awesome title for a painting,
0:46:22 > 0:46:26a boy on a bike that's like John Travolta in Grease,
0:46:26 > 0:46:30and a girl...the girl Charlie with fluffy yellow hands.
0:46:30 > 0:46:33And it's set in the sunshine.
0:46:33 > 0:46:38And that's it. I think it's quite obvious what would be strong images.
0:46:38 > 0:46:42Like, fluff and yellow. I can see it.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44It starts to become visual now.
0:46:47 > 0:46:50Now that I've got the basic idea in my sketchbook, it's time
0:46:50 > 0:46:53to use the computer and start to collage some of the images together.
0:46:53 > 0:46:57At this stage, a lot of things might not even make it into the thing.
0:46:57 > 0:46:58You can't really go wrong.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01It's about seeing what things look like together.
0:47:01 > 0:47:03It can take sometimes months to do them.
0:47:03 > 0:47:07I've got collages saved on here that I've never been able to finish.
0:47:07 > 0:47:10There's just something missing in them that I just haven't found yet.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12Because the tiniest little tweak
0:47:12 > 0:47:15can change the whole painting later on.
0:47:15 > 0:47:19Yeah, you see, that's starting to look like something.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21Yeah, I'd say I'm happy with that.
0:47:21 > 0:47:24So what I'll do now is print it out and take it downstairs,
0:47:24 > 0:47:27get it on the projector and start to paint it.
0:47:40 > 0:47:41The last bit's probably the bit
0:47:41 > 0:47:44where I really kind of pull it all together,
0:47:44 > 0:47:46and I don't really know, it's quite a risky bit
0:47:46 > 0:47:48cos, I mean, anything could happen.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51As I finish it off, I'm trying sort of NOT to think,
0:47:51 > 0:47:54I just try and interpret the music, and really sort of feel something.
0:47:54 > 0:47:59MUSIC: "Motorcycle Emptiness" by Manic Street Preachers
0:47:59 > 0:48:02'Yeah, I think there is a real reason for the pink and yellow.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04'It does give it a sense of movement. I was thinking'
0:48:04 > 0:48:07if he's on his motorbike, and moving through something,
0:48:07 > 0:48:10these kind of diagonal gestures that I'm making are almost like rain or
0:48:10 > 0:48:15'the road going past, so I'm trying to get that in it, that pace in it.'
0:48:18 > 0:48:22So I've finally finished it. Most of it seems to have worked out,
0:48:22 > 0:48:24there are bits I like, there are some bits I don't like.
0:48:25 > 0:48:29The... I think the guy's head came out a bit too tight.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33I feel like I've put a bit too much attention in that particular area
0:48:33 > 0:48:36and I've got almost a bit obsessed with getting it perfect.
0:48:36 > 0:48:37It doesn't have that looseness
0:48:37 > 0:48:40and emotion that some of the other bits of painting have.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43Well, I hope when you see Serenade finished,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46you'll sort of feel like you're on that road with that biker boy
0:48:46 > 0:48:50and maybe he's going past you, and you're in that kind of environment.
0:48:59 > 0:49:01I'm Maryam Hashemi, and I'm an artist.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09I generally work with watercolours and pencils, or with acrylics.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11I like to have element of magic,
0:49:11 > 0:49:16and imagination and bring the subconscious and conscious together.
0:49:16 > 0:49:17Most of these are my works.
0:49:17 > 0:49:22I like to collect place mats and put aliens on them!
0:49:22 > 0:49:24I was born here, but I was raised in Iran.
0:49:24 > 0:49:28Being brought up in an Islamic country during the war,
0:49:28 > 0:49:30it all influenced me so much.
0:49:30 > 0:49:36I still see the traces of my experiences as a child in my work.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39I have these Islamic-looking ladies,
0:49:39 > 0:49:42they got the Hijab on, and they're very cute.
0:49:42 > 0:49:44They're just everywhere exploring
0:49:44 > 0:49:47and they're very curious!
0:49:49 > 0:49:51I like to make people smile or laugh
0:49:51 > 0:49:54and say, you know, "This is funny!"
0:49:54 > 0:49:57You have to do what makes you feel good,
0:49:57 > 0:50:00and if it makes you happy, it's fine. If you're getting lost
0:50:00 > 0:50:03in that work, whatever it is, it's the right thing.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05And it doesn't matter if people like it or not.
0:50:05 > 0:50:07If you're enjoying it, that's the first thing.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10And you always find people that will like it.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Come aboard, let me show you my source of inspiration!
0:50:22 > 0:50:24It's the coolest boat on the canal!
0:50:28 > 0:50:33I met my Ian, my boyfriend, on the canal.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37I love you!
0:50:37 > 0:50:40'And I spent a lot of time on his boat.
0:50:40 > 0:50:42'I did a whole new series of paintings,
0:50:42 > 0:50:46'and he just brought a whole new wave of inspiration to my life.'
0:50:50 > 0:50:54It had its own pace, the timing's different. Everything is slower.
0:50:54 > 0:50:56There's no rush on the canal.
0:50:56 > 0:51:01You have this contrast of the canal life and the city life,
0:51:01 > 0:51:05all these different dimensions, all side by side.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08People that are running, and the cyclists,
0:51:08 > 0:51:10and the people that are just walking, you know,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13they all have their own little world and they all kind of...meet.
0:51:13 > 0:51:15You know, the canal brings them all together.
0:51:15 > 0:51:17It's very strange. And it's lovely.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23This is one of my favourite works.
0:51:23 > 0:51:27I usually work with just putting lots of lines on the...
0:51:27 > 0:51:30on the surface that I'm working on,
0:51:30 > 0:51:32and then find images in there,
0:51:32 > 0:51:35knowing that, "OK, I want something which is related to the canal,"
0:51:35 > 0:51:38so obviously I want boats, I want bridges, I want canal.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42But I let the lines indicate where those things are going to be.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45Then later you try to interpret it, "What does that mean?"
0:51:45 > 0:51:48And you know, it can have all kinds of reasons,
0:51:48 > 0:51:52but it's never clear, because it's done from subconscious,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54and it's just a sudden burst of idea, like,
0:51:54 > 0:51:56"Oh, yeah, I'll do that,"
0:51:56 > 0:51:58and I just usually go along with it.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02Inspiration can come from everywhere.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05I've been influenced by everybody - all the classical,
0:52:05 > 0:52:08renaissance and religious paintings.
0:52:08 > 0:52:11At the moment I really like the pre-Raphaelite paintings.
0:52:11 > 0:52:13They seem to really attract my attention,
0:52:13 > 0:52:15and I can stare at them for a long while.
0:52:15 > 0:52:17Looking at paintings and studying them
0:52:17 > 0:52:20can really help in understanding how artists work.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22I can find traces of inspiration
0:52:22 > 0:52:25connected to all kinds of masterpieces in my work.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35It's...it's quite challenging starting a piece of work
0:52:35 > 0:52:36because I get distracted so easily,
0:52:36 > 0:52:40so trying to be focused on one thing, getting to the point
0:52:40 > 0:52:43that I could only be focused on one thing is quite challenging.
0:52:43 > 0:52:45So I need to build up to that.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47Get my tea...
0:52:47 > 0:52:48That's important.
0:52:48 > 0:52:51I guess it's a form of, like a ritual in a way,
0:52:51 > 0:52:53like I need to be in the right mindset.
0:52:53 > 0:52:55It's much easier once you've got everything round you.
0:52:55 > 0:52:57I know that, "OK, you're good to go,"
0:52:57 > 0:53:00and nothing's going to stop the flow.
0:53:00 > 0:53:02This should be there, this should be there.
0:53:02 > 0:53:04I haven't worked on this table before,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06I'm trying to get to know it.
0:53:07 > 0:53:09I usually set a timer,
0:53:09 > 0:53:14for like, 10, 15 minutes to remind myself to get up and stretch.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16And now, I'm going to begin,
0:53:16 > 0:53:21and I might not be able to speak for a bit. We'll see how it goes.
0:53:28 > 0:53:33It's very scary to start with plain paper, or plain canvas.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36'You don't know where to begin. So I do lots of random lines'
0:53:36 > 0:53:38and try to look at the images there.
0:53:38 > 0:53:43'Even if I have a theme, I limit it to those lines.'
0:53:43 > 0:53:46Once you have something on there, it's much easier to create an image.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52'I like to see forms in...in lines, in patterns and, you know,'
0:53:52 > 0:53:55or in stains, I always see something.
0:53:55 > 0:53:56I see fishes everywhere.
0:53:57 > 0:53:59Always!
0:54:00 > 0:54:02PHONE ALARM RINGS
0:54:02 > 0:54:03Stretch!
0:54:10 > 0:54:13So I always see fishes, they always appear.
0:54:13 > 0:54:18And I see a car, it looks like a van,
0:54:18 > 0:54:21and there's a girl looking at it like this.
0:54:21 > 0:54:25And there is a mermaid in a kind of...
0:54:26 > 0:54:29..decanter, having a lovely time.
0:54:32 > 0:54:35From my experience, what works better for me
0:54:35 > 0:54:38is to add the colours gradually rather than really, really strong.
0:54:38 > 0:54:41And it depends on the material you're using.
0:54:41 > 0:54:45With the watercolour and pencil, it works really well
0:54:45 > 0:54:50if you're layering it, and not really applying strong colours.
0:54:52 > 0:54:55With paint, it's easier to correct it, because you can take it off
0:54:55 > 0:54:59while it's still not dry and you can paint on top of it.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01But on paper, you can't really go back.
0:55:01 > 0:55:03You tend to be more careful
0:55:03 > 0:55:06if you're working with watercolour and pencil and things like that.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10When you make a mistake, so what? You made a mistake, do another one.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13It's just really not the end of the world. It's OK.
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Nobody's going to come and find you,
0:55:17 > 0:55:20and punish you for it!
0:55:30 > 0:55:32I've always worked on canvas and paper,
0:55:32 > 0:55:36now this is the first time I'm doing something completely different,
0:55:36 > 0:55:37new to me and it's very exciting.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41I'm going to be working with these, on a van.
0:55:42 > 0:55:45I'm tired of working on a 2D surface,
0:55:45 > 0:55:49working on canvas and paper. It's just a bit boring.
0:55:49 > 0:55:51I'm just giving it a quick wipe.
0:55:51 > 0:55:55'And for this van I decided to use markers, compared to paint.'
0:55:55 > 0:55:57And it gives me a lot of freedom
0:55:57 > 0:56:00and I can create the lines that I want to.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03Now, there's no going back from this.
0:56:03 > 0:56:05It's the beginning and it's very scary.
0:56:05 > 0:56:07SHE ROARS
0:56:09 > 0:56:10Well, it definitely marks.
0:56:12 > 0:56:16I've got... See the fishes, they just seem to be the most dominant.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20Got a lady here which seems like a kind of bride.
0:56:20 > 0:56:21That's a spaceship clam.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26All those things you have to worry about if you're working outside.
0:56:26 > 0:56:29I've got a little bit of a problem. I can't squeeze between this,
0:56:29 > 0:56:30I have to ask him to move it.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33'How long can you work in the cold, how long is it going to take,
0:56:33 > 0:56:35'what if it rains?'
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Clouds look a little scary.
0:56:37 > 0:56:39I might get an hour.
0:56:39 > 0:56:40I don't think it will rain.
0:56:43 > 0:56:45Got a little bit of rain.
0:56:45 > 0:56:47Waiting for it to stop.
0:56:47 > 0:56:50My first thought was like, "I'm just going to finish it,
0:56:50 > 0:56:52"just treat it like a canvas."
0:56:52 > 0:56:55But then I realised, if there is a flow, and if there are gaps,
0:56:55 > 0:56:58actually it would work better in terms of composition.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01It could just follow a certain path.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05I think I'm going to leave that bit because I'm very short.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11This fear of making mistakes, and this fear that, you know,
0:57:11 > 0:57:14something you do may not be good enough, it's not good
0:57:14 > 0:57:16because if you have that fear, you're not going to do anything.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19You'll just be repeating yourself over and over again.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21This is what I did last night.
0:57:21 > 0:57:24So, yeah, I'll be finishing this,
0:57:24 > 0:57:28and, yeah, we've got this whole side that needs doing.
0:57:33 > 0:57:35I'm running out of time.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37So...get cracking.
0:57:41 > 0:57:45The dust and rain is definitely a problem,
0:57:45 > 0:57:48because you have to constantly wipe it, make sure your surface is dry.
0:57:48 > 0:57:50This section here is really filthy.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53And it can't be oily. So I sprayed it with window cleaner.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56Bad idea! Bad idea!
0:57:58 > 0:58:01I'm just doing some last finishing touches.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05It's taken me about probably three weeks to do.
0:58:05 > 0:58:10And it's just so nice to finish this last patch of red.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12I'm going to leave it there.
0:58:12 > 0:58:16I can always add more details with a fine pen here and there,
0:58:16 > 0:58:18but no. I'm going to leave it.
0:58:18 > 0:58:20And it makes me so happy seeing it finished.
0:58:24 > 0:58:28I like to make people smile. I like them to look at it and smile
0:58:28 > 0:58:31'or laugh, and say, you know, "This is funny!"'
0:58:31 > 0:58:33I don't know, I like making people smile.