1. Please tell us about the work you will be showing in the 2012 E17 Art Trail?
I'm exhibiting a series of limited edition prints of drawings I've made around East 17 over the last few months, under the title East 17x17.
2. Is this your first time in the Trail or are you an E17 Art Trail veteran?
This is my first time getting involved in the trail, though I've been a Walthamstow resident on and off for around fifteen years.
3. What are the challenges of getting everything ready for your Art Trail event?
I've not got everything ready yet! The biggest challenge is squeezing it all in between having a full time job, plus other commissions in my free time. The work I've done takes a hefty amount of wandering about and sketching before I'm ready to commit to print.
4. Do you remember the first artist that really influenced you? Does that artist’s influence still have an impact on your work?The artist who influenced me first was probably some dodgy airbrush art when I was a kid! My influences change all the time, which is a good thing because I think it's unhealthy to follow one artist too closely. I saw an Edward Burra exhibition last year which had a big impact on me, his paintings of Hackney and Harlem are both seductive and loathsome. Lately I've been looking at travel posters by Brian Cooke - bucolic scenes of the British countryside in amazing, modern, vibrant colours that don't feel incongruous at all. You should seek them both out!
5. The E17 Art trail has become bigger every year. Do you think it is because more artists are calling it home?
That's probably right. Walthamstow, and the village area in particular, is virtually unrecognisable from when I first moved here. It has a good balance at the moment - not too pretentious but full of creative people. It makes sense with the history of William Morris, that there's a strong design scene around here and one that will hopefully only flourish and have a beneficial imapact on the wider community.
6. What has E17 bestowed on you?
Like many pockets of London it's multicultural and vibrant, and like most of East London it isn't without it's problems but in my illustrations i've tried to show a sunny and positive experience of E17, whilst reflecting the idiosyncracies that make it special.
Like many pockets of London it's multicultural and vibrant, and like most of East London it isn't without it's problems but in my illustrations i've tried to show a sunny and positive experience of E17, whilst reflecting the idiosyncracies that make it special.
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