Lucy Brydon with her Wullie 

Please introduce yourself

Hi! my name is Lucy and I live in bonny Scotland! I have been a primary school art teacher for nearly 15 years but have recently given up that work to concentrate on my own art business. I have several online classes at lucysartlab.com in gel printing and watercolour, as well as guest teacher slots in many online art courses. I exhibit my work locally and sell both locally and internationally!

Who are your biggest influences?

I love illustration and children’s book illustration in particular (think Arthur Rackham and the flower fairies for example) I also love the work of Brian Froud and Gustav Klimt, and I think my favourite art movement of all time is the Pre-Raphaelites.

What work do you most enjoy doing?

At the moment I am loving watercolor and gouache! I love painting glazed layers and tiny details I find it really relaxing.

Do you listen to any music/audiobooks while creating?

I love listening to podcasts while I work. At the moment I am a bit addicted to true crime podcasts and I also listen to creative art podcasts such as “creative pep talk” and “don’t keep your day job”, they are so inspiring for self-employed creatives!

What is your dream project?

I am doing one of them in August! I had dreamed for ages of hosting a retreat in a Scottish castle and in August this year I am fortunate to be doing that along with my two art teacher friends! Other than that I would love to do some retreats in sunny foreign locations such as Italy or Spain, and I would love in the future to own a house/space big enough to host my own retreats and art holidays.

Do you use symbolism in your art?

I’m not sure about actual symbols but I do draw inspiration in my images from my Scottish roots, incorporating hares and magical creatures that feature in Scottish folklore. I am also obsessed by the moon and forests and you can see this in my work I think!

What is the biggest challenge in your profession you have faced?

I think to be honest it is the fear of not having a regular pay packet! Although I think we just need to trust that something will always come along! Also I have a love hate relationship with social media. Its amazing in that it has connected us as artists to audiences and other artists all over the world, and opened up possibilities that we didn’t have before (such as online auctions) but it is also a total time sucker!

How did you start making art?

I have always made art I think! I remember when I was little I used to sit and draw after school. But for a long time I did more “crafty type” pieces. I used to do a lot of beadwork using tiny seed beads. Then when I became an art teacher I slowly got back into making my own art after several years of no drawing or painting. I was pretty rusty to begin with! It’s true that you need to constantly practice in order to get better.

Has your style changed a lot? 

Yes! I am terrible for not sticking to a style I like to experiment. When I started out I was definitely inspired by the mixed media collage girls type style and also did a lot of photo transfers, stamping etc. etc…Then I discovered gel printing and was smitten! Recently I have gotten into watercolour and I feel my work is progressing into a more illustrative style.

What does your daily/weekly artist practice/ritual look like?

I am not a good planner or good at sticking to a routine! This also depends on what I have going on at the time, so sometimes I am teaching in person classes and making and editing videos, sometimes I am creating original pieces or prints and products to put in my Etsy shop, and sometimes I am doing admin and paperwork (yuck!!) but I love the variety. I do wish I was more disciplined sometimes though!

Where does your inspiration and ideas come from?

I am inspired by nature, folk tales of Scotland, and children’s book illustrations. I love animals such as foxes and hares, and the moon and forests!

Do you believe it’s in your DNA, born of early life circumstance or a combination?

This is a tricky question I have no idea actually! I do believe that we have tendencies towards certain things (like art, singing etc) that is just in us somehow, but then those things are nurtured by doing them on a regular basis. None is born amazing at art it takes hours and hours of honing a skill which anyone can do, it’s just that the people that end up doing it have a burning desire to do it.

  Where do you create? How do you organize their work space?

I have a room in my house that I use as a studio. I used to have a studio space that I rented but that tragically burnt down in a fire a few years ago. Since then I have just worked in my house which is actually quite handy as I can work in my pjs if I want to. My room has everything I need for my art biz, workspace, shelf space for books and paper etc and my printer. I even have a day bed for mid afternoon naps. It’s pretty crowded and messy most of the time. I’d love a large spacious studio!

When creating does brand products or art quality items make a difference?

I think it depends what art materials you are using and how you want to use them. But for me, I definitely notice a difference in my quality when I use artist quality inks and watercolours for example.
For printing I love using Caligo safe wash inks or Golden Open Acrylics, and for watercolor I think having professional paints and good quality paper makes such a huge difference. I love Daniel Smiths and Schmincke and Arches or Hahnemuhle paper. That being said, if you are learning or just wanting to journal or practice do not be hindered by thinking you need to buy expensive art materials, You can create beautiful art just using charcoal or a pencil on paper!

♥♥♥  Giveaway  ♥♥♥

Lucy Brydon is giving away two fine art prints above and you can win! All you should do is:

1. Visit Lucy’s auction HERE and to comment on your favorite artworks! 

2. Come back and leave a comment with the title/s of your favorite artwork!

Lucy will announce the winner at the end of the auction on event page HERE.

Good luck!

* You can also find a post about giveaway at the auction page and to leave a comment there.

Big hugs and much love,

Olga,

xx