Into the Artist's World with Fiona Carver
What first inspired you to start making art?
For as long as I can remember I have been drawing, painting, making or designing things. It wasn’t something I made a conscious decision about, it was just what I did all the time. My grandmother was very good at drawing and I used to love watching her sketch faces and people for me, and my mother also went to art college so I just grew up knowing I’d do the same.
Who are your biggest artistic heroes or
mentors – five please
Oh gosh, well there are so many, five is very hard!
I get inspiration from artists and designers from lots of different eras and genres as well as current artist friends whose opinion and advice is invaluable. However, the work of early to mid 20th century artists has a big influence on my practice so with that in mind, it would be:
William Nicholson
Lucian Freud
Euan Uglow
Giorgio Morandi
Vanessa Bell
How has your personal style changed over time?
When I went to art college in Edinburgh, I trained as a furniture designer. I adored it but by my early thirties I’d begun to experiment with printmaking which gradually led to oil painting. I enjoyed painting with oils growing up but had no formal training in that area so it was an exciting challenge to explore what was possible. At first I only painted plein air landscapes, then one year I took part in the Strada Easel Challenge, a challenge to paint from life every day in January. I spent the month focusing on still life and it felt absolutely where I should be. I still paint outside quite often but still life is where my main practice lies. I enjoy the slower pace of studio work and like how my design background influences my set ups and compositions.
What does your daily studio space or workspace
look like?
I have a studio at home which is wonderfully helpful. It is somewhere that I can come and close the door and not worry about anyone else. I’m not very good at putting things away and there are usually lots of things on the go at any one time - still life set ups on one surface, paintings balancing on another whilst somewhere else I might have some frames in various stages of progress. I love books of any kind and get huge pleasure from looking through them or even just looking at them sitting in the bookcase. So, needless to say, I have various piles of art books about the room – some making very good weights for when I’m gluing canvas to board!
Is there a specific time of day when you feel
most creative?
I find morning by far the most productive time of day and when I feel most focused. I will drop my children at school and then go straight to my studio with a cup of tea and begin painting. I’ve learnt that if I wait to have breakfast first, I get too distracted by other things and find it hard to settle properly. After a late lunch, I usually spend the afternoon doing practical bits such as framing, making linen panels or general business admin.
How do you know when a piece of artwork is finally finished?
The million dollar question! I suppose it is just instinct - when it feels right. Like most people I have had times when I’ve gone too far and regretted it, but the great thing about oils is that you can scrape away or change areas if that happens. I never like to spend
too long on a painting as I start to lose concentration and my mind is already jumping to what might be coming next. I love the work of Euan Uglow but he would spend years on the same piece of work which I could never do!
How do you handle creative blocks or moments of self-doubt?
Over the years I’ve learnt what works for me and that is a combination of three things. I spend time looking through my art books, both practical painting books and exhibition catalogues, I talk through ideas with my closest artist friend, and then just force myself to keep drawing and painting and push on through, which really helps. Self-doubt is hard and I used to get imposter syndrome because my training was in design rather than fine art. But everyone I’ve met through painting has been so friendly and encouraging, it made me realise that our different paths are one of the things that makes our work interesting.
