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In conversation with digital artist Sarah Westwood...
The wonderful world of Sprocket Dog and his pals!
Sarah is one of my all time favourite artists, I first spied her work in a cafe local to me, which I subsequently found out she actually part owns! Since then we've crossed paths at a Winter Market event last December and ended up on the same photography course only a few weeks ago, we regularly chat on Insta, so it only seemed right that Sarah and Sprocket were to be my first interview!
I'm Sarah and I love to draw, and I especially love to draw Sprocket the dog. Technically
I'm his P.A and my job is to share his wonderful journeys with you all. I've been sharing my
little dog's tales since 2015. I draw using an iPad Pro and with my finger, so it’s very free
and flowing. I did my first 100-day project in 2015 and he was a product of that creative
process. I have a lovely little studio in Great Fryup Dale which is sort of in a hidden(ish)
valley in the heart of the North York Moors. Sprocket was inspired by my old sidekick who
was a Weimaraner, he was always up for walks and lots of cuddles. He had his own chair
in my studio, I used to call him my supervisor. All my drawings are in
honour of him.
Being Creative is
it something you’ve always wanted to do?
I've always been creative, spending a lot of time as a child making and drawing. Heading
to uni to do a creative degree felt like the right direction to go in, I did Surface Pattern
Design at Huddersfield and it was an intense journey but I learnt a lot about myself and
how to be creative, developing ideas and definitely developed a thick skin from our tutors! I’ve always
wanted to be in a creative job, looking back I never thought I would be doing this. I was
somewhat clueless back in my early 20’s, I worked hard doing an unrelated 9-5 job and did
my art on the side travelling to craft fairs and worked my way to being able to then cut down my day job. I exhibited three years in a row at Country Living Magazine show and Kirsty
Allsop’s Handmade Fair in London.
You’ve been working on a 100-day project on Instagram – has this helped you
stay creative and focused during lockdown?
Drawing Sprocket every day has been a huge pleasure, it's kept me focused and having the
allocated time to draw each day is something I look forward to. Just starting on a blank
page, making lines that then flow into something I hadn't planned has been a real
treat. I haven't had that sort of time for my work since uni. Lockdown has taught me how
much I enjoy drawing and I love giving myself that time every day to be creative. I'm so
chuffed that people like them and supported me by buying my work, it's really
heartwarming. I'm trying to not be mushy about it but my orders increased threefold over
lockdown and everyday I'd just stand in my studio and beam with absolute joy.
I spy you’ve been working in ceramic recently, is this a new
medium for you to work with and is it something you'll be including in your shop
for future (I hope so!) are there any other mediums you’d like to try out?
I decided in lockdown that I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone.
I love ceramics, and doing something so hands-on made me go back to basics so I
messaged a friend who has a studio and I asked for lessons. Throwing pots is just
brilliant, I love being so involved in the process and the need for me to concentrate and to
switch off is just what I needed. I'm so pleased with how they are looking and they seem
to replicate my drawing style. Hats off to artists that throw pots, it's a real art in its self.
and yes I’d
love to be able to sell them in my shop so possibly!
Where do you get your inspiration from – your images are so creative and
brilliant – especially when you introduce new characters with Sprocket?
That is a question!!
I think I have an overactive brain, I wonder where the ideas come from
myself. I seem to go through stages of people requesting images, complete artist block or
I have things that happen and they inspire that drawing. I just like to try and tell a tale
with each image.
Does
it take you long to design the images? do you plan what to feature or just go with the moment?
I draw with my finger on my iPad pro, I call it freehand digital drawing. I try to set myself a
bit of a limit of an hour and a half, some are quicker and some take forever but I actually
am not aware of the time whilst I'm drawing in all honesty. I'm not a great planner but if
I've got an idea I'll often write it down on a blank page in my adobe drawing app. Then it
can be used at a later date.
There seem to be more digital artists popping up at the moment as more people have had to move online – do you think that’s something we will see more of in the future?
Yes I hope so, it’s great to be a part of such a diverse community of creative people. Living in the middle of the moors, can feel quite isolating at times. When I first started drawing digitally, people were very skeptical of my work. At the time it was a huge leap from paper cutting and using wax. I was often asked ‘so do you make a living from this?’ I love that there are more digital artists, it feels more accepted than it did a few years ago.
Have you missed that interaction and buzz you get being around others to keep you creative?
I've been hibernating and trying to work out how to move forward with my own work. You could say slightly hiding from the world. I have another business that has taken all my time up in the past and because that had closed for Covid 19, I was able to concentrate on my drawing. Drawing everyday is a real commitment and I’m way over 100 drawings. I’m super proud that I’ve stuck to it and I’ve loved developing my little bird character Scoot.
Do you have any specific artists that you really champion and suggest anyone wanting to start out should go check out?
I have a huge list of artists and illustrators that I love So Here goes….
My top six: Caroline Brogdon, Lisa Congdon, Amy Blackwell, Natasha Newton, Helen Dark, Sweet Bestiary.
Will you be looking to attend any markets once they are back up and running or showcase your work anywhere?
I’m just gathering the courage to do my own You Tube channel, I did fairs for twelve years so I tend to be very choosey about what I do now.
and finally any advice to creatives and artists about to go to University?
I think Uni is a time to grow, experiment and start to create your style but the main thing is to have fun and love every minute of the process of creating your work.
To purchase any of Sarah's work or find out more about Sprocket
Head to her website - www.myversionofevents.co.uk
Follow her on Insta @sarahwestwood_artist
To snap or not to snap!
Hannah makes jewellery with a big heart! Delicate "everyday" designs that are a token of joy, adding that little bit of shine to the rhythms of life, with every single piece in the collections having an intention or story behind it. The ethos of her Hannah's business came from that ever striving need to be a thoughtful giver of gifts that are meaningful. Hannah Weston Jewellery is a celebration of the stories that knit our lives together and connect us to our dearest family and friends. Family sits at the core of everything — the Nordic collection names featured in Hannahs collections are a nod to her brother and his family in Norway. We've had many conversations about how running your own business has its own highs and lows (being a one man band can be a lonely place at times) but Hannah has gone from strength to strength and the last few years have seen her producing work for two pop up stints in John Lewis, a feature in Tatler magazine, a little spot in Holly Tuckers "fly the flag for small business" campaign (see the video here) and a move from juggling the business with a full time teaching job, to full time, self employed brilliant craftswoman and maker. I chatted with Hannah about how she came to be the founder of her own company and the journey she's been on get to where she is now. "I think my journey was a bit accidental… I never woke up one day and thought ‘oooh, I think I’d like to start a jewellery business’. I started making jewellery as a child – I was born with no fingers on one hand and went through a number of phases of trying to do everything one handed. The first phase was as a toddler, so my Mum would sit down at the dining room table with me and we’d string buttons on shirring elastic and make necklaces. I like being creative – making things with my hands. My Gran taught me to knit and embroider and make my own clothes. In 2013 my jewellery making got a bit more serious and I started to document my journey on social media – I gained a bit of a following and people started to ask me to make Christmas and Birthday presents. Then when I went back to work part time after having my daughter, my hours would fluctuate each year, giving me a bit more time to invest in my business – and I got to the point where I thought ‘you know what…. let’s give this a go, see if it can be a thing’ – I didn’t want to get to 60 having not tried."
Born in Hong Kong Jenny Chan spent much of her childhood on the small island of Nauru, Micronesia, northeast of Australia but settled in the UK around five and a half years ago. Working with clay, her works are sculptural, primary about faces, making figurative figurines, wall masks and during 2020 she launched a new series of framed small faces wall art. "Not in wildest dreams did I think that I would be in the creative industry. I started my clay journey in 2014 during a very difficult time in my life. I am mostly self-taught from watching hours of YouTube. I found clay gave me focus, peace and fulfilment, the ideal distraction for relieving anxiety away from life difficulties and isolation as a new immigrant in the UK." Without any formal education in arts or ceramics, Jenny believes her love of 3D objects developed tinkering from an early age as the "handy woman" of the house! Without access to a kiln, Jenny then worked as a cleaner in exchange for free kiln firing time within a commercial studio - the Ceramic Studio in Stratford-upon-Avon. After then joining a local artist group, the Leamington Artists Studio, she realised her work was actually being very well received. Grappling with the latest technologies and a changing society after emerging from being a stay at home mum for 16 years was daunting but Jenny's confidence grew not just with her clay skills but within herself as a person during her time at Leamington. As a ceramicist her influencers include works from Rhian Malin , who Jenny observes has made such incredible achievements since 2016 - reaching from a great online presence to having her work heavily featured in many publications. Following a move to the North, Jenny was offered an opportunity in the Craft Council Hot House Programme in 2019 - a Yorkshire Artspace Starter Program which she feels was a pivotal moment for her work that did not centre around her age, ethnicity or educational background. Guiding her work has always been an inner focus on things that are important to Jenny - integrity, honesty and above all a woman trying to find peace and self-worth within. Using traditional hand-building techniques in coiling and slab building, each piece is unique and individually sculpted generally taking a number of days to perfect. No two pieces are the same and are made using mainly porcelain and stoneware clay. Some sculptures are partially press-moulded and individually carved whilst others sculpted from scratch. Any impressions and inlay surface decoration is made using a minimal glaze - coloured slips, oxides and underglazes, emphasising a natural clay texture and colour. Jenny's designs are very much guided by her surroundings of the day, something she may have read or seen on TV. The face mask series based on BBC100 women for example included some modelling on famous people, ie. Amelia Earhart, ‘Grayson Perry’ entwined with imaginary characters. During the March 2020 lockdown Jenny developed a new series ‘Standing Together’ (seen below) for NHS workers, a long-lasting recognition gift for their dedication to the Pandemic. Channelling her focus and anxiety around the Pandemic Jenny was able to make small framed wall art from modelling clay without the use of kiln firing. "If I cannot make work in the studio, I will use a shower plastic curtain on my carpeted floor to make work."
