S2, E11 - Lisa Price

Lisa Price is an abstract painter who makes and uses natural pigments and is based  in London, England. Lisa is a member of Crouch End Studios.  The episode was recorded in April 2022. 

Lisa's website and social media:
Website: www.lisamarieprice.co.uk
Insta: @lisapriceart

Crouch End Studios website:
https://crouchendopenstudios.org.uk/

Podcast details:
Podcast email: artiststalespodcast@gmail.com
Website: www.artiststales.net
Instagram: @artists_tales_podcast
Threads: @artists_tales_podcast

Transcript

0:01

you Welcome to Artist Tales, the podcast that features and celebrates artists from different walks of life. I'm your host Heather Martin, and in this episode I'm speaking with Lisa Price, who's an artist and painter based in London, England. Welcome Lisa. Hi, nice to speak to you. So tell me a little bit more about yourself and your artwork. So I trained as an artist at university, studied fine art. and graduated back in 2008. And since then I've been doing, well, I guess since I left university, I did a lot of freelance work, worked for some charities, doing lots of workshops in schools and mural paintings. And then more recently, I've opened a studio in Haringey, in North London, where I live. For four years, I had that studio and I was running art classes for kids and adults and also working on my own artwork at the same time. And then during lockdown, I had to kind of rethink how I was teaching and how I could also work still with the children, but also do my own work. And I had to do online stuff and then also it freed up a lot of time for me. So I was able to sort of focus on my artwork a lot more than I was in the past, just because of circumstances. And although I still do some art tutoring now, my main focus is my own artwork. So I guess for the past sort of two years, two and a half years, I've been focusing more on my own practice. And a lot has happened during that time, really, in my practice and how I've been working. So a lot of changes have happened, which have all been great and amazing. And I'm really enjoying what I'm creating. And yeah, I've learned a lot during the last couple of years, and it's been really interesting. And actually just recently moved studios. So now I'm in a smaller studio, still in North London. So I'm not. actually able to even do like big classes of teaching anymore because my studio is much smaller. So now I'm yeah really focusing on my own practice and trying to develop how I'm working. And what sort of painting do you do? So I'm an abstract painter, I actually create all my own paints myself. So I started out initially by making inks from plant materials but I wanted to make sure that my work has... longevity in its colour and the way that it's made. So I started to move gradually towards making paints from rocks and earth. So when I was out, especially during lockdown, when we were doing our sort of little walks that we were able to do, I started to collect some materials just in around London, processing them by crushing them into a powder and then I mould them and use a binder to create the watercolours that I use to paint. I have about I don't know, I think it's about 150 different pigments now that I have in my collection, all UK based because I haven't actually been able to go abroad to collect any pigments yet. But my work is abstract and it basically is really about using the materials to inspire the work. So depending on what pigment I find or what pigment I use will depend on the sort of work that comes out of it. Often you can pick up a rock and think it will be a certain colour, but once you've crushed it down and made it into a watercolour, it can be a completely different colour or tone. So that will influence the work that I'm making. And it started out by tracking my journeys that I was taking when I was collecting the pigments. So in 2020 and early 2021, I was working, recording my journeys that I was taking on my phone, using that to influence the sort of shape of the work. and then the pigment that I collect on those walks, I try to match and use that colour in the piece. And then more recently I've been working on birch plywood and I've been trying to work with the grain of the wood so that it sort of brings out really the essence of the wood but also the pigments that are used with it are also you know from our earth so everything really to me is important that all the materials are very sustainable. It's important that I have collected them or I do occasionally get gifts from people of rocks that they've collected while they're on holiday, which is also very nice. But mostly they're from myself that I've collected and I always only ever collect a very small amount. So when that pigment's gone, it's kind of gone. And I think that's quite special, really, the way that it's limited. And a lot of the work recently is about nowadays we can kind of have whatever we want whenever we want it. You can just go online, you buy whatever you want to have. And I think that's why collecting small amounts of pigment and having, you know, not being able to just have whatever I want whenever I want to use it, just go to the shop and buy a paint, I have to make it and then use what I have. So it's just about, yeah, working alongside the materials and seeing where they take me in my work. So what drew you to creating your own paints? So about four years ago, four and a half years ago, I actually went vegan and changing my lifestyle at home, but I wasn't really thinking about the materials or what I was using in my art practice. And the more I was changing things at home, the more that was showing up in my work and how I wasn't addressing the sustainability element of creating, but also thinking about our planet and thinking about how it can influence my artwork. So that really was the catalyst for, like I said, when I started to make the inks. that was the first sort of introduction to making my own paints. And that was really the main reason why I started doing it. And it sounds like you started also painting on more organic, like on wood as well. So is that part and parcel of what, like, or an evolution of what you're doing with the paints? Yeah, I think actually, because before I was working on paper and now I'm working, like you say, on the birch plywood, I think that actually is more to do with the way the materials work. the way the paints work on the surfaces and I really wanted to be able to play a little bit more with the paints and on paper it's quite difficult to do that even if you use a really good quality thick paper you still sometimes if you're trying to layer watercolours in particular you're going to get some buckling in the paper so actually the wood itself was initially because I wanted to be able to layer the watercolours a little bit more than I could on the paper but then Receiving the birch plywood and seeing how different each piece that turns up is, that's what inspired me to then work with the grain of the wood. So it's actually quite a nice organic way of working that I didn't realise that it would go that way, just by changing the surface that I was working on. But yeah, I really want to use that connection of the grain of the wood and how, you know, that wood tells a story in itself. by having a life of its own originally, and now also using my paints where I've collected those pigments from the ground, from the earth, from my walks. So it's sort of telling a story between me and the materials. So it sounds like your artwork or your painting is very, very personal, like it's very much an extension of your experience. I mean, I think you can say that about a lot of artists, but. It sounds particularly so in your paintings. Yeah, and I guess it hasn't always been that way for me, for my work. But actually, the more that I paint and the more that I am spending time creating, I think it's really important that actually it comes from me. It comes from how I feel, it comes from my thought processes, it comes from my beliefs, and also it's really important. more so for me now to sort of try to be able to tell a story about sustainability but also about how we treat our planet. But in a nice way you know like a lot of artists that are trying to tell quite a serious story maybe their work is a little bit harsher or you know they want to hit a nerve and they want people to sort of sit up and have a look but actually personally that's not really the way that I would like to speak to people about these issues that I find very important to me. and you know everybody is entitled to have their own opinion on how they feel about things and I don't think anything should be forced on anybody and I think that my work because it's very subtle and it's quite delicate you can often look at it and think there's maybe not a strong meaning behind it and the more I have conversations with people when they you know when they're viewing my work it brings up a very natural way of talking about things that I find important and also most of the people I speak to also find important and it's a nice way to start a conversation about those issues. I think your answer kind of leads on a little bit to my next question about what you're trying to explore and trying to achieve with your painting and you've probably answered it a little bit but I'm just wondering if you could expand on that a little bit more? So I think that what's important is that I'm trying to sort of explore ways of speaking to people. about issues like climate change, sustainability, about how we consume, you know, about the way that we treat our planet. And I think that most people probably wouldn't initially see that, I guess, in an abstract piece of artwork. But once people know that I'm making my own paints, and the immediate question normally is why are you making your own paints, then it opens up those sort of answers to... what I'm trying to achieve in my paintings. And obviously I would like also my paintings to look beautiful and to be appreciated aesthetically. But I think because it's coming from my sort of own way of feeling about the world, it naturally will keep going back to those issues that I find very important. It sounds like you're getting quite a lot of engagement from people coming to look at your paintings. there's a lot of interest in what you do, and particularly once you start telling them you make your own paints and what you do. Overall, how's the response to your paintings? Well, I recently just did an art fair called The Other Art Fair, and actually it was the first time that I'd shown this new collection of work, so the work that was on the birch plywood. And actually the response was amazing, the response from people and the way that they have their own connections, that maybe wasn't what I was intending, or what I... was thinking while I was painting, but actually it's amazing how people can make their own connections, especially with abstract work, because it allows people to connect in the ways that they feel comfortable with. But yeah, I mean, most people go on walks, most people will collect sort of seashells and they're on a beach, but maybe not necessarily think about picking up a rock and knowing that can also make paint. And I think that mostly people's responses are very positive. Really, I've never had any wholly negative response. I think my work is, because it's quite subtle and it's not very offensive to look at, I would be quite shocked if somebody sort of said, like, I hate what you're doing because this is such a subject that it's not important to anybody. This subject is important to so many people, especially now, you know, referring to climate change. And I think that it's important that we talk about it more. And this is, in my opinion, a nice way to be able to have those conversations. And yeah, I think mostly I have a really positive response from people. And when you're speaking with people and they, you know, if they interpret it in a certain way, how much of those conversations can have influenced you then, you know, with your future work? Yeah, they can do. I mean, I think that... Sometimes it's hard to remember exactly what it is that's triggered a thought or a way of working and maybe it's buried a little bit deeper and maybe I think it's my own idea and actually it's a conversation that I've had with somebody else. And I think that's just part and parcel of creating. I think that you do pick up little nuggets from people when you have these conversations and they stay with you and they come out in their own time. in their own way and maybe not necessarily you would know that one conversation you had with somebody led you down a different path. Personally I know that those conversations I've had in the past about my work will have influenced how I create but while I'm creating it's more about my own thought process and my own sort of how I feel that day. You know it can come down to if I've had a very good day my work might... turn out one way and if I've had a very bad day, I mean, my works, because it's so delicate and I paint for the people that don't know my work, I paint very small dots, mostly in all my work. So it's not like I can have a bad day and then just sort of go crazy and paint like a really big splodge. That's just not my bag. But, you know, it will maybe change the colour palette or it might change, you know, how much detail is in that piece. So what motivates you to do what you do? I think that I've always really wanted to create and actually be an artist. I know that sounds maybe a little bit strange in terms of knowing when I was younger that I definitely wanted to be an artist. Like I was going through school telling all my teachers that I didn't need to learn any other subjects because I was going to be an artist when I grew up. And I completely wish that I'd learned a lot more from a lot of other subjects because they would come in handy now. But I think the motivation has always been there. I'm a very self-motivated person in terms of wanting to pursue my career as an artist. And I think also just wanting to be able to tell my story, but I've never really been amazing at writing or being good with words. So I guess that was my natural sort of outlet of how to sort of explain how I was feeling or the story I was trying to tell. And yeah, I guess since... I've been vegan, I've learned a lot more about our environment, but also how we treat each other and animals and a lot of those things are very important to me. So I think that's the main motivation in terms of being able to have the opportunity to talk about those different things that maybe people would shy away from or it doesn't, you know, naturally come up in a conversation necessarily. So... Yeah, I think that's probably the main motivation. And what are your influences on your painting and your artwork? I mean, you mentioned the veganism, but are there other kind of influences that you have? Well, I think there are obviously artists that have influenced me over the years, but also just nature in general. I think that is one of the big influences for me, being out in nature. And because I create my paints from rocks, I have a very good excuse to be out in nature and to go and find those things. And I spend a lot of time actually holidaying in Scotland and the Highlands and the Isle of Mull. And that's where I collect a lot of my materials to create my paints. So yeah, I think that is a huge influence. Just, I guess, because as an artist, you spend a lot of time inside painting, or I do, because my work especially takes a long time to paint. So it's a really good way to have a nice balance between the two and, you know, get out in nature, appreciate our world and, you know, look a little bit deeper and look in a different way that maybe most people would look when they're out in nature, you kind of look out to the horizon and often just looking at the floor for a good rock to pick up. But yeah, I think other artists... Friends, you know, influences I think in coming in many ways. And although the main sort of driving force, I guess, is being able to talk about our planet and how we should respect it, other people influence us all the time for many reasons. And I think, yeah, even just other artists that I know, you know, not even big famous artists, but people that are, you know, working super hard and trying to achieve their goals. I think that's actually a big influence on me because it makes me want to also push myself harder and do as much as I can and see where I end up and see where that goes. I know you're a member of Crouchin Studios. How important is that for you and how much does it influence you and your art? So actually I'm a I'm part of Crouchin Open Studios and also another artist organisation called ArtCan and they have both been hugely influential but also really inspirational because you are surrounded by such a huge creative kind of group of people in so many different ways, you know, I have my own way of working but when you're with these artist groups like Crouch and Open Studios and ArtCan, you're able to connect with artists that are working in completely different ways to yourself. you know, sculptors or installation artists, photographers, and they definitely influence me, but also support me. And we try to support each other. And I think that's really important because I do think there's this, not always, but can be in the art world, this sort of competitive, like I'm gonna do this before this person, or I'm not gonna help them because that might not then help me. Whereas I think completely the opposite way. Like I really feel like, If we help each other and we offer up opportunities to other people, you know, in your artist's circle or group, then that will come back for you. So I recently set up on my Instagram account, I recently made a guide that you can make, which is basically an open call guide to sort of help other artists to find exhibitions and open calls to exhibit in. And I often look for free ones because there's lots and lots of open calls that charge artists to apply to. And personally, I don't feel like that's the right way to do it. And so I'm actively looking for open calls that are free. But also, I had this folder in my phone of all these open calls that I wanted to apply for. And then I had artist friends messaging me privately, sort of saying, do you know? if there are any good exhibitions coming up that I can apply to. And I thought, well, why am I sitting on this? Why is why am I giving this to myself? Like being able to be in these sort of groups and share and share with each other. I think that just opens you up to many more opportunities than keeping everything close to your chest and not sharing. I'm a photographer and I'm part of London based photography group, and I find the same where I find it quite good. in terms of networking, I say networking, and that's very business-like, but it's kind of seeing what other people do, what you get encouragement to do things, and I tend to be quite shy about my artwork, and get that bit of encouragement, I think has been really quite helpful. So yeah, I know I do like those groups as well, and probably have a similar, in some ways, a similar experience as you do. But what sort of challenges have you faced? I mean, obviously there's been COVID, and I think like a lot of people, it's kind of thrown a lot of people, you know, most people sideways, but I'm just wondering, you know, challenges generally, whether it's COVID or not, or other things that you've, any other challenges you faced? Yeah, I mean, I guess most recently, losing my studio that I had was a big challenge for me. So I had, as I explained, I had... a business where I was teaching and that was the bulk of my income at the time. And then the landlord decided he wanted to make my studio a flat, because it used to be an old shop, so I had this beautiful big window and I was in a very lovely community where everybody was super supportive. And then within a month I had to move. So the most recent challenges have been just to sort of readjust and find my feet again, moving to a brand new studio. I completely had to stop my business that I, you know, had been going very well for the past four, four and a half years, which I set up from scratch on my own. And yeah, that was, that was a huge challenge recently because it means my, you know, it's important to everybody, but it means my finances are different. So where my energy is going. where I feel like it should be going into my artwork, sometimes it's more worrying about, you know, the bills or things that you don't, which everybody has to care about and everybody has to think about, but it puts more pressure on my artwork than I really want it to have. I don't want to feel like my artwork should provide for me when, you know, if you're putting all that pressure on, then it sort of stifles your creativity. So it's finding now a new balance between it. But I think also just challenges generally in the art world. I've found most recently that I feel like a lot, as I was saying, a lot of the open calls, I feel like they're not set up to help artists thrive. I feel like they are set up to help that particular gallery or business thrive. And there are very few gallerists or... you know, organisations that are really, that I've found that are really looking out for the artists and trying to lift them up and create, you know, and give that artist that platform in a way that they deserve. And yeah, the challenge for me is finding the sort of the exhibitions I want to be part of or finding the ones that I feel suit my own values, as well as finding the exhibitions that also give you a good platform and give you that space to show your work. So I think that's why recently I did the other art fair because it meant that I could put my work out to lots of people all at once. And I think where I would like to go this year is to kind of create some exhibitions of my own and not rely on other organisations or other galleries to find me or me sort of seek them out and hope that I get into their exhibition. I think that we can all as creatives, you know. make scenarios happen for ourselves and that's what I'm planning to do this year. Set up a few shows of my own to try and kind of get past some of those challenges where you know all you want to show your work and you want people to be able to see it because that's you know the point for me is to be able to allow people to see what I've been creating so hopefully that will be a hurdle that I can get over this year. And how do you envision you doing that? How do you envision kind So I'm always looking for spaces that either are already galleries and are looking to have artists in there or maybe spaces that aren't necessarily usually used for gallery spaces and doing a few little pop-up shows. I have curated a show in the past and I did that actually with ArtCan and they are very supportive and I think I'll probably be doing another show with them this year with a gallery that I went to visit. a couple of weeks ago in Hackney. And yeah, I think it's more about necessarily networking, but meeting people, having conversations with people, being quite open and seeing if they kind of are on your wavelength. And maybe they are also interested in you using their space. I think there's plenty of opportunities. You've just really got to look hard for them. And yeah, I think that it's possible. to sort of put on these shows. And it's nice to see other artists doing the same thing as well, because a couple of friends recently have let me know about shows that they're putting on that they have set up themselves and doing a small pop-up and they're doing it locally and they're doing it in a shop that used to be, I don't know, a tile shop or, and they're in between having tenants. These are great opportunities to just put on a show for the weekend and see who turns up, see who sees your work. So yeah, I think it's about having those conversations with other people, with artists, with friends, with family, with whoever you're talking to. If you are telling people you're looking for a space, more often than not, somebody will know somewhere that you could probably use. And it sounds like it's a very organic way of doing it rather than I'm going to go to a gallery, which is perhaps a bit more established. I think that's a nice way to do it though. And I feel like the different spaces that might come up through that sort of organic process, they might be a little bit more interesting. They might be a little bit quirkier. They might not allow certain work, but then makes the creation of a show more interesting because you might need to have more sculptors than, you know, 2D work. So, yeah, I think sometimes, and also as a viewer of artwork too, it's nice to be in a space that isn't necessarily just for white walls. It's nice to be in a space that... maybe has a story of its own or it's had a past life and it doesn't feel like you know you you're just walking and they're quite intimidating you know galleries can be intimidating for people that don't go to them often and I really feel like art should be accessible to everybody and everybody should feel comfortable going to see shows and artwork and not everybody does and not everybody feels like they belong there or they should be allowed to go in so if you make these spaces more comfortable or you make... the environment that you're showing your work in, if it's more comfortable for people, then yeah, you're going to see different people to going to a, you know, a legitimate gallery space. Yeah. And I struggle with the word legitimate gallery space. Yeah. Because I probably, well, not probably, I do agree with you. I like more accessible art rather than, you know, kind of the stuffy. Yeah, and don't get me wrong, I really love all these beautiful big gallery spaces, that they're there for a reason and they show the work off really well. But also there's something quite special about being in a space that maybe wasn't made to show work. You kind of work around the environment. I think different venues have its place, you know, and its audience. Yeah, exactly. You have kind of answered my question. My last question a little bit actually, you know, what's next? So, you know, you've already said what's next for the next year, but, you know, past this year, you know, where do you see yourself going? Because certainly you've mentioned that, you know, you've had to change studios, you know, your COVID has kind of thrown things off course in terms of teaching, that sort of thing. Are you able to say, or do you have a sense of where things are going? Or is it still fairly early days yet? Yeah, I mean, I think that... I know I probably won't be in London forever and I think that exploring different areas of the UK to live in is a possibility and being closer to Scotland probably is where we spend a lot of time there and it's a very peaceful and relaxing place to be so probably in I don't know for sure how long but I would imagine that somewhere where you know, I might end up being. I would love to have a studio, a big studio in a big garden somewhere. That would be a lovely place to create. You know, you have a studio at the end of the garden where I'm surrounded by the woods and nature, which would be awesome. But I guess, yeah, just right now, it's just seeing how things are progressing on their own. And I'm a bit of a believer in everything happens for a reason and... I might have lost the studio I thought I loved, but maybe being in the new studio will open up doors to different opportunities. So yeah, I kind of just one step at a time for now. I have got a couple of, well I have a show on now. I have the Crouch End Open Studios, which is in September. I also have with the new studio that is called Collage Arts, they have an open studio that's in October. I'm going to be putting my work in a show in the Netherlands in November. So a lot of the stuff is towards the end of the year. Maybe might be doing the other art fair in July. And just recently found out that I have one of my paintings shortlisted for the RA. So I'm fingers crossed I might have a piece in the Royal Academy summer exhibition, maybe. So that would be very cool. I was going to say that the RA is the Royal Academy. Yes, the Royal Academy summer exhibition, which every artist would love to have their work in. I very luckily had two pieces in before in 2019, but since then I've applied for it every year. I apply for it every year. So it's probably one of the only shows that I pay for to submit my work to because it's such an amazing exhibition, you know, it's such an amazing gallery. It's an incredible experience. So yeah, luckily had my work in there before and maybe, maybe this year, maybe not, but quite cool to be shortlisted. Congratulations. Thank you. Well, thank you. This has been a such a lovely conversation. So thank you, Lisa. Thank you so much. And I've really, really enjoyed speaking with you and it's been such a pleasure. So thank you for having me.