The Art Focus Magazine – Award of Excellence
I am predominantly an oil painter. I love the consistency of oil paint and its versatility, using its translucency and opacity to create a range of marks. I paint still life subjects and landscapes/townscapes, abstracting the subject and playing with colour. For my still life paintings, I always work from life. I will start generating ideas with the composition and colour before I begin. Paintings can often go in a different direction than at first imagined, I think it’s best to allow the painting to take this new course.
Sketch books are invaluable to generate ideas, and looking back over older sketch books and paintings, I find that subjects that interested me have come full circle and can encourage further investigation. I studied Textiles at Surrey Institute, graduating with a B.A. in 1998. The paintings produced during my degree course encouraged experimentation with mixed media, which I initially used on graduation to create patterns for my still life compositions.
I participate in Bucks Art Weeks every year in June with a group of other artists and have exhibited at Obsidian Gallery and Woburn Art Gallery.
I took part in Landscape Artist of the Year as a Wild Card at Clifton Bridge, Bristol in June this year, it will be broadcast in early 2025. This was a really exciting and enjoyable experience.
I have just reproduced my paintings as fine art giclée prints which will soon be available on my website jennifermcallister.co.uk
Question & Answer
1. So Jen, what first got you into the exciting world of Art?
In my 20’s I started attending a few adult education art classes in the evenings after work. A turning point for me was being made redundant in 1992. I then decided to do a yearlong art foundation course at Landsdowne college in London, which then led onto me studying for a B.A. Textiles at Farnham College of Art and Design (now Surrey Institute).
2. Would you say it’s essential to have qualified training in order to be a recognised artist?
I wouldn’t say a degree is necessary, but you have to be dedicated and put the hours in. I think attending different art classes is incredibly beneficial. You gain more from an in-person class than one online: you can really pick up the energy from the demonstrations, receive feedback on your work and it’s lovely working with other people.
3. What made you choose the medium and subject matter that you specialise in, did you try other styles first?
I started with acrylics and then moved onto oils, the reason being that I prefer the covering power of oil paints. You also get a wonderful range with oils, from glowing translucency to the juicy opacity of thicker paint. I prefer to paint from life, photographs make the darks too uniform and dull. I have attended a large number of different classes and you always take-home ideas and techniques that are beneficial. Though I think that no matter how many different styles you try, your own style will find you.
4. What advice would you give to any hobby artists, who have a true passion for art but unsure of the route to take?
Paint regularly. If you have had a break from painting, then don’t put yourself under pressure to produce a perfect piece of work. It is better to get back into painting by starting some small studies.
This is especially important if you’re unsure what to paint. Use a viewfinder to identify interesting compositions around the house and start painting. Only use photographs as a reference for subjects that you have already drawn from life. Get a good body of work together, then you can start submitting paintings for open call gallery exhibitions.
5. How does it feel to be recognised with our Award of Excellence for Vibrant Impressionist of The Year 2024?
It’s very exciting. I really love the title of the award, as colour has always been a focal point in my work. Before I start on a piece, I mix paint swatches to work out the best colours to use for what I want to achieve and keep my colours fresh and to think about the colour relationships, whether it is a harmonious or complementary palette.
Published Articles
Copies of the articles that were published in The Art Focus Magazine in 2024.
