Artist Profile: Josephine Wall
By Angela Roberts
Feb. 21, 2011
British artist Josephine Wall has a gift for bringing her subjects to life with her eye for light, colour and texture. She paints fantastical compositions so rich with imagery that there is always something new to see in every viewing. Her artwork has been licensed all over the world, and it was in this way that I first encountered her work. Stopping in a shop on the Plateau Mont-Royal, I spotted a greeting card with her artwork on it. Enchanted by what I saw, I contacted the artist and she graciously agreed to answer a few questions for the Gloaming.
Angela: How did you get started as an artist?
Josephine Wall: To be an artist is all I ever wanted. From the age of four my destiny was already mapped out - although at that age I had no idea how things would turn out for me..!! With much encouragement from my father in particular, who would sit and draw with me for hours on end, I developed my passion for colour and form. Initially, I would paint landscapes, seascapes and portraits, but eventually found the realms of fantasy appealed to me much more.
A: What is your preferred medium?
J: When I first began to paint commercially, I used oils, but I became frustrated with the slow drying properties of oil paint and also found that I was allergic to turpentine, so I started using acrylics. I now love using acrylics as they dry so much quicker and allow me to either use the paint straight from the tube to build up great textures or use diluted as a wash to create multi-layers for skin tones, etc.
A: Is there a medium you've always wanted to try or that you would like to try but haven't gotten around to it?
J: I did paint with Oils, and experimented with Watercolour and Gouache, but have always returned to Acrylics. I have also tried my hand at sculpture, pottery, embroidery and glass painting, and currently paint my own clothes and shoes using acrylic and glitter fabric paints, and nail varnish.
A: What are your influences?
J: I have found inspiration in the works of the masters such as the great surrealists Salvador Dali, and Magritte, the illustrative talents of Arthur Rackham and the romanticism of the Pre-Raphaelites. I also admire the art of a number of living artists such as Kinuko Craft, David Delamare, Mahmoud Farshchian, Linda Lupetti, Vladimir Kusch, and many others.
A: Do you have a favourite piece of artwork? One that you still look at and think, "This is amazing"?
J: I am always ‘amazed’ by all my finished work as I never quite know what the final piece will look like or how it happened! There are a few paintings that I feel really ‘work,’ and have turned out exactly as I intended. Some I feel are as good as I can ever do with that subject, which therefore I have never sold. As with most artists, I am always seeking that elusive ‘perfect’ painting, and maybe it will be the next one! I can say that the most popular piece I have painted to date is without doubt “Spirit of Flight” which has been used for almost every different form that my Licensing Agents (Art Impressions based in Los Angeles) have found for me. It has been used on everything from Limited Edition prints, jewelry, journals, T- shirts, and many other products too numerous to list.
A: Can you tell us about your first professional sale? How did it come about?
J: When I was a teenager, I used to work as a waitress in my Uncle’s restaurant on Saturdays, and he would allow me to put some of my work on the walls. One day, a piece called “The Little Dancer” sold for the princely sum of £20.00 which was quite a lot in those days. A little later, I showed some work in an outdoor exhibition in Bournemouth Gardens, and sold all 5 pieces for around £40.00 each – I had no idea then that my original work would be sold for anything from £4,000.00 to £18,000 in the future!
A: Do you get ideas from texts or just from your imagination?
J: Both really! Ideas come to me all the time. They can be triggered by music, films, books. I have a book in which I write down any thoughts that pop into my mind, and some of them will become part of a future painting and some will just remain as thoughts for the future. If you are ‘open,’ you can find ideas in all things. I have a great love of Nature, and where I live in England, I am surrounded by countryside and close to the sea, and so have no shortage of beautiful, inspiring surroundings which are ‘free,’ and must be protected at all costs.
A: Do you have any advice for young artists?
J: I absolutely love to speak to young artists - it is so lovely to see and feel their enthusiasm for their chosen career - it reminds me of how I felt at the beginning of mine. Whether it is by email, in person at a show or in my gallery, I always advise them to be true to themselves and follow their instincts, do not be put off by negative comments, and just enjoy being creative..!!!
A: Can you tell us anything about your current projects?
J: In March 2010, I opened the first gallery dedicated to my art - which is a dream come true for me. It is run during the week by my son-in-law, Nick, who is very knowledgeable about my art as he has been a collector for many years, and on Saturdays, I set up my easel and paint there. It has been so wonderful to be able to meet all the lovely people who like my work, and travel from all over the world to say hello! I have had visitors from Australia, Canada, U.S.A., Kuwait, Czech Republic, and many parts of Europe, not to mention from the U.K. A lot of my energies are going into this project, but I still paint every day. Over the last few years, I have been in demand as a guest artist at a number of ‘fairy’ events around the country and in Europe. In 2009, I said that although these events are such good fun, it means that I was away from my easel for far too long, and next year I would not do so many..!! How wrong could I be! 2010 proved to be even busier than the year before, with trips to Holland, Belgium, France, Pennsylvania, London, Dartmouth, and Glastonbury, so this year I intend to do much less travelling and much more painting as I have so many images in my head to paint.
Some more of Josephine's work:
Alternative Reality
Astral Voyage
To see more of Josephine's work, visit her website.