Artist JEMMA POWELL tells us how she combines a hectic home life with the challenges of being a full-time artist
HOW I MAKE IT WORK
Before I was a painter, I worked as an actress, but I have always painted from as early as I can remember. My husband secretly set up an Instagram account for my artwork as he felt strongly that to be an artist you must let people see your work. I was nervous and self-conscious when I found out, as I had never been so open before. But the response was very positive and completely changed my view on sharing my work.
Now, I really cherish Instagram. It’s wonderful to have a global community and a platform for my paintings.
My creative process begins wherever I am with my paints, whether it’s in my studio painting flowers, on my travels or out in the Oxfordshire countryside where I live.
My life is chaotic with three kids and four dogs and then my studio is next to the kitchen amongst the hustle and bustle of family life. Painting is my meditation: I need it to find stillness amongst the madness. If I have complete silence, I don’t feel I can channel what I want to say in paint.
I like to be surrounded by a support network of people, which allows me to make the art I want to make: work that is honest. I feel lucky to have found galleries that let me do that. They listen to me and are patient through times when I am not in flow and my output of work is slow. The important thing is to always trust that it will come back. It’s part of the journey and the rocky ride of being an artist.
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