Artist Insight: Kathy Gales
1.Do You like entering art competitions, do you think it’s valuable?
I have entered a number of art competitions over the years and whilst I have experienced quite a few disappointments it is the successes that now form an important part of my own personal art history. On one occasion I arrived at an exhibition and competition in London just in time to hear the announcement of the winners and was so surprised to hear my name announced. I then found myself receiving a prize from the wonderful artist Ken Howard! Of course, that experience is what sticks in my mind when I look back.
Entering competitions can actually be very motivating especially if you are producing a new piece for it. The deadline and the excitement can push your creativity and help you to make great art. However if you do not win it is important that the disappointment does not get in the way of your creativity. You should take a look at the winners, be pleased for them and then clean your brushes ready to start something new. Maybe next time you will be the one who gets the prize and if not you have at least produced a decent artwork.
2. What inspired your winning painting? Tell us about the process and materials too please.
I have visited Austria in the winter many times and love to paint and draw its snowy landscape. For this painting I referred to several of my photos and videos from my visits and developed a composition based on elements that appealed to me. I thought soft rust brown trees would work well against the dark blue/ green of the fir trees and some bright sunshine behind the mountains would lift the whole piece. To harmonise the painting these colours appear in the foreground snow too. A snow hut and little twigs peeking out of the snow help to balance the composition and add interest.
I utilised one of my favourite working methods for this painting, acrylic paint on clayboard. This method involves starting with loose watery paint then building up areas of the surface whilst making sure some of the initial marks and looseness are retained. I then use sandpaper and various scraper tools to manipulate the surface, scratching and etching through the paint and using the white of the board for highlights and for the snow hitting the trees and hut. The large areas of snow started with loose paint that was sanded gently to give a soft effect. Further paint is then added to complete the piece.
3. Are you a full-time artist or do you balance your painting with other jobs?
In the past I worked in accountancy whilst developing my art career in any spare time that I had. Art was always my main interest so I’m happy that nowadays I get to concentrate on my many different creative pursuits. Life is full of responsibilities and everyday chores but I do try and do something creative every day even if it’s just looking at other artists and what they are creating.
Recently I have enjoyed doing art demonstrations where I was able to share my techniques and ideas with a group of fellow artists. I really enjoyed the privilege of using art to make others smile and from hopefully adding to their knowledge. I also work for charity and I am planning to use my art and writing to support a charity project very soon.
4. Were you formally trained or self -taught and do you think this matters?
I am self-taught in that I had no formal training, but I don’t think any artist can truly say they have completely taught themselves. I have learnt so much from art books, magazines, tv programmes, the internet and of course from looking at art made by established and famous artists. Fellow artists are also great teachers. I think an art community is essential and can help artists to gain knowledge and confidence not just with their skills but also with the practical side of an art career.
I do not think formal training at college or university is necessary. But I do think creative ideas need skills to support them and I encourage others to attend local classes in order to add to their knowledge and improve their natural abilities. Also, nowadays it’s never too late to engage in formal training and I know several who have begun to pursue a course in later life with great results.
5. Do you paint every day and what keeps you going?
Though I am not always able to produce art every day I do usually engage with it in some way. I write down ideas for future pieces or sketch little compositions inspired by what I see. When I do decide to start a new artwork I try to devote a couple of hours to it each day until it is completed. Sometimes I have several pieces on the go but I prefer to concentrate on just one at a time. I enjoy the process of completing a piece and tidying everything away before starting something new.
I have always been quite self-motivated though at times I can feel a bit despondent. One thing that helps me to keep going is seeing fellow artists working hard, making good work and having some success. I also love experimenting with new ways of using materials and seeing if I can produce a really good piece of art.
Find Kathy Gales on Instagram here
Art Materials mentioned in this article
Acrylic Paint sold at Pegasus Art brands include Golden, Amsterdam, Jo Sonja and Daler Rowney
Clayboard available at Pegasus Art – Ampersand Claybord Multi-media 1.5″ 38mm cradle sizes £23.10
This acid free, kaolin clay ground on a quality hardboard panel is absorbent with a surface that has been sanded to a velvet-smooth finish. The surface feels soft and is our most popular seller at Pegasus Art. You can really use Ampersand Claybord for everything but it is perfect for inks, gouache, egg tempera, acrylics, casein, airbrush, collage, photo-transfers, pencils, mounting papers, prints and fabrics.
It is possible to use the Claybord surface like a scratchboard, thinly applying your paint or ink, removing it, reapplying it, even scratching through to add contrast and marks, texture and fine details without affecting the integrity of the surface. Your paint colours will remain true and brilliant on this forgiving clay ground surface.
Pottery Tool Kit – for scratching the surface of the claybord as Kathy suggested £10.99