Watercolour artist and winner of the Pegasus Young Artist Award 2019
Pegasus Art supports watercolour artists everywhere and is proud to sponsor The Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 2019. We talk to watercolour artist Katherine Jackson, the winner of this years Pegasus Prize to find out what inspires her….
The 32nd Sunday Times Watercolour Competition 2019 will be going on tour from 17th – 22nd September at The Mall Galleries, London. Followed by Town Hall Arts, Trowbridge until November then Guildford House Gallery until January. Katherine Jackson, winner of the Pegasus Young Artist Award, is thrilled that her winning painting ‘won’t be slid back into her portfolio’. It will be travelling around in the company of other accomplished watercolour artists.
Katherine Jackson ~ Congratulations on winning the Pegasus Young Artist Prize of £500!
- What inspired your winning painting?
I’ve recently moved and for my submission I painted myself in the room I’ve been using to make work in. It has odd little doors which make me feel outsized. The walls seem to be a very different colour depending on the time of day. I was drawn to paint myself in the new room because it was unfamiliar. I wanted to picture myself working there.
Art Materials
2. What materials and processes did you use in your winning painting?
My painting was made using watercolour on paper, which I stretched beforehand so that I could apply washes smoothly. (although I find the way watercolour paper cockles if it’s left unstretched appealing too.) As a watercolour artist, I personally prefer quite thick paper (at least 300 gsm). It will withstand me manipulating the pigments quite roughly, and I usually use hot pressed.
I did a tiny drawing on a scrap of paper to determine the composition and then built the painting up. I layered broad, diluted washes, concentrating on colour and tonal relationships and letting it emerge gradually. If I want to reintroduce soft-edged highlights later I do it by scrubbing at the paper. I use a damp, firm brush and lift away the pigment with tissue. As a watercolour artist, I usually like to have several paintings in progress. It stops me worrying too much over any one of them.
3. What is your preferred medium and which brands do you favour?
I like to use watercolour, oils and graphite. I’ve been enjoying making animations recently too. I don’t really have a preferred medium, but I like making work on paper, perhaps because I’m a drawing student. It has a tactile appeal for me. The way the blankness of the paper can become part of the image is interesting. The watercolours I use are Winsor and Newton. I like quite a few brands of paper (Fabriano and Saunders Waterford) and usually buy Faber-Castell pencils. Recently I’ve been trying to consider the environment more carefully when I buy things.
Artist Competitions
4. Do you enter art competitions frequently? What do you think is their value?
No, hardly ever! Since I’ll be leaving university relatively soon it seems important to be proactive in trying to make my work visible. I probably ought to have begun before now. The opportunity to have your work seen as a watercolour artist and get feedback from a larger audience is exciting. It seems really valuable.
5. You are studying at Falmouth School of Fine Art. What projects do you have on the go at the moment?
I’m going into my final year on the BA Drawing course so I’ll be working towards my degree show. We start the year with a project which we’ll negotiate with our tutors. I’m not completely sure what this will be yet. I’m interested in using the close attention involved in painting and drawing to discover curious qualities in everyday things. Domestic imagery and the figure feature a lot in my work. I’d like to make images which are suggestive of narrative, so perhaps a project which will involve exploring those things.
6. Do you have a plan for what you’d like to do after graduation?
I’d love to do anything which would enable me to continue developing as a watercolour artist, drawing expert and to continue making work! I’m considering applying for a masters degree. I will definitely be looking out for opportunities that could help me to achieve a career as an artist. (although I’m not sure that can be called a plan).
7. Do you have an artist mentor? A tutor, famous artist for example.
My friends on the Drawing course have been very supportive and inspiring. I’ve learnt a lot from them over the last two years. I’ve always been really lucky in my art teachers. When I was studying on the Art Foundation at Bath College I had some wonderful mentors in the teachers in the print department. They helped me to clarify my interests when I couldn’t myself pinpoint them and made me feel at home. I’ve found the life classes at Falmouth invaluable. They give me strategies with which to approach my drawings. I’m very thankful to the life drawing tutors there too.
Artist Resources
8. What websites or resources can you recommend to support artists? For example, do you use Instagram a lot and do you find it useful? Particular framers or art groups you’d like to give a shout out to.
I know I’m really susceptible to getting distracted by social media. In the past I’ve tended to avoid it as a way of showing my work, but I’m sure this is a mistake on my part. I realise how useful it can be. I like that online platforms can give an insight into an artist’s process. You don’t get that from looking at a single image. I’ve recently got an instagram account (my username is @km98jackson). I’m going to be more active in using it.
9. Would you like to sell paintings and be represented by a gallery?
Yes, that would be wonderful!
10. Are you excited about your painting being exhibited at the Mall Galleries, Town Hall Arts and Guildford House Gallery? What does it feel like to win such a prestigious award?
It’s a lovely surprise to win the award. It’s great to have the opportunity to exhibit. It’s so nice to think that my painting will be travelling around and not just getting slid into one of my portfolios. I’m really looking forward to going to the exhibition myself and seeing what everyone else has made. I’m sure it’ll be inspiring.
Katherine’s painting will be exhibited at The Mall Galleries, London SW1 from 17th – 22nd September. Sunday Times Watercolour Competition website for more information.