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Jake Mullins

How did you come to paint in oils? What is it that draws you to this over other mediums?

I prefer working with oil paints primarily due to their unique properties. The slower drying time allows me more flexibility to blend colours and refine details over extended periods, spanning days or weeks. This extended working time is crucial for achieving the quality of blending that I find challenging with the faster-drying acrylics. The slow drying time of oils also makes them ideal for layering and glazing techniques, enabling me to build up layers and create subtle transitions between colours, a feat not easily accomplished with other paint types.

While I've experimented with paints like acrylic, watercolour, gouache, ink, enamel, and spray paint, I consistently return to oil. Each type of paint has its unique benefits suited for particular styles, and there are situations where oil paints may not be the optimal choice. However, for my artistic practice, oil paints remain the go-to option, and I haven't looked back since making the switch from acrylics.

Where do you pull your inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from wandering through towns and cities, exploring public spaces that captivate my attention. Whether it's a potted plant, a piece of furniture, a tiled wall, or even a peculiar safety sign. these encounters shape my creative process. Sometimes, they happen spontaneously, while other times, I intentionally plan visits, like my trip to the Harrogate Turkish Baths. When a specific space intrigues me, I capture it through numerous photos from subtly different angles and, if I have a sketchbook, make sketches. Later, I narrow down the images to a single one that becomes the foundation for my paintings.

How did studying art at Uni change your perception of creativity? Did this affect your painting style?

Studying Fine Art at university rather than pursuing self-learning has significantly shaped my perspective on creativity. The exposure to various artistic styles, historical movements, and cultural contexts through mentoring sessions, lectures, and guest speakers expanded my thoughts on creativity and how to approach creating and analysing art.

The Fine Art program emphasized giving and receiving feedback during group critique sessions. These moments were crucial for providing valuable insights into our practices, requiring us to explain and sometimes defend our artistic choices. Engaging in this process helped articulate ideas, foster critical thinking, and deepen our understanding of ourselves and our work.

Above all, being at art school meant having a dedicated space to make art. The encouragement to experiment with different mediums, processes, and ideas allowed us to enjoy the act of creating. While specific techniques like how to paint with oils weren’t explicitly taught, the freedom to experiment and practice ultimately led to the development of our technical abilities and individual artistic styles.

How do you find balancing your working life with finding time to be in the studio?

Balancing my work life alongside my studio life proves challenging, with fluctuations influenced by both external events and shifts in my own mindset. During my university years, I took on a part-time weekend job at the Leeds City Art Gallery Café, allowing me to earn a bit while immersing myself in an artistic environment. This provided opportunities for art-related conversations around ongoing exhibitions. After completing my course, I expanded my work hours to four days, covering living costs and leaving time for creative pursuits.

Securing a studio space at The Art House in Wakefield in the latter half of 2017 marked a significant step. Moving to Wakefield, I found another café job at The Hepworth Wakefield, enabling me to sustain my living expenses, engage in art discussions, and reserve some free time for artistic endeavours.

With the onset of COVID, my path shifted, leading me into the realm of specialty coffee during lockdown. I now work in an independently run coffee shop, serving specialty coffee to the residents of Wakefield and beyond. While not affiliated with a gallery this time, my four-day work schedule allows me to maintain a balance between work and studio life.

The café, though not part of the art world, attracts a diverse range of creative customers, including tattooists, graphic designers, app/web developers, venetian plasterers, musicians, photographers, performers, and more. Each individual becomes an opportunity to listen, be inspired by, and learn from in this vibrant and varied community.

Do you keep all your creativity to your studio, or do you sometimes work at home or outside?

I’ve come to realize that I struggle with painting anywhere other than my studio. Distractions like computer games, YouTube, food, and hobbies easily pull my focus away, hindering productivity. The studio serves as a dedicated space free from these distractions, allowing me to create art without the interruptions I’d encounter in a home studio.

In the studio, I can leave things out, create a mess, and fully immerse myself in the process, something challenging to achieve at home. The journey to the studio is part of the mental preparation, providing time for reflection and gearing up for a creative mindset.

While my primary creative space is the studio, I explore various creative hobbies at home. I enjoy crafting physical and digital creations, constantly learning new skills. At home, I engage in activities like whittling wooden spoons, binding small sketchbooks, and returning to the hobby of painting Warhammer miniatures. Additionally, I experiment with making simple 2D video games, 3D modelling in Blender, creating digital fonts, designing greetings cards, and editing gaming video montages.

How do you feel about working on your commissions?

Commission work can be challenging for me, particularly because of the subject matter. It’s not so much about the time pressure, as a bit of urgency usually motivates me to get into the studio. The difficulty lies in the fact that often, the commission requests I receive are unrelated to my usual paintings. I prefer to paint what I naturally create, and while it’s flattering to be asked, sometimes the subjects are completely different from my typical work, and that’s where I find myself at a crossroads.

However, I recently took on a fantastic commission that aligns with the themes of my practice. It involves painting a contemporary domestic interior featuring a staircase designed by the homeowners. The homeowners, who have moved to a new house, want a painting to keep the memory of the staircase alive. I found the concept beautiful and aligned with my artistic themes, so I gladly accepted this particular commission. While my approach to commissions varies case by case, those that resonate with the themes of my practice always catch my interest.

What are your artistic goals for the future?

In the short term, my goal is to complete the Harrogate Turkish Baths series that I started in 2019. The project has been ongoing, impacted by the COVID pandemic, and I’m eager to wrap it up. I have one more left and its almost drawn out, so it’s a case of finishing that and then putting the paintbrush to the canvas.

Looking ahead, I’ve always planned to create more series inspired by places I’ve visited. I have source material from Milan, Amsterdam, and various hotels across the UK that I’m considering for future paintings.

In the long term, I’m intrigued by the idea of exploring how AI can generate spaces based on written text prompts. Given that my work often depicts familiar yet nondescript public and private spaces, it would be fascinating to experiment with generating ‘fake’ spaces using AI. I don’t see it as a replacement for my painting process, but rather as a beneficial avenue to explore alongside my traditional methods.

What inspires you to keep creating, and how do you overcome any creative blocks?

My motivation kicks in when I conceive an idea that swiftly transforms into a project, fuelled by a compelling urge to bring it to fruition. Often, a single idea for a painting evolves into a series of interconnected concepts with the potential to form a cohesive collection. The passion for the project becomes my inspiration to persist in creating, and I dedicate myself to seeing it through to the end.

I’m still navigating how to overcome creative blocks, a challenge faced by all artists in various forms. Despite not painting, my creativity persists through engagement in other creative projects, often reigniting inspiration. I consistently make an effort to visit the studio, engaging in conversations with fellow studio holders to keep the artistic dialogue alive. Additionally, I attend exhibitions and immerse myself in the gallery environment to stay connected with the creative scene.

How have you managed to make a creative studio?

Fortunately, the studio I was assigned at the time turned out to be a stunning and inspiring space! With beautiful green tiles along the back walls, a well-kept parquet floor, and large rectangular and circular windows providing ample natural light, it was once a library before being repurposed into artist studios when I moved to Wakefield. I often ponder the genres of books that might have lined the shelves where I now paint, imagining the thoughts of those who browsed the blurbs for prospective book loans.

Over the years, I’ve rearranged the furniture in the studio to optimize the use of space. My Dad and I built a storage rack on legs, allowing me to neatly store paintings on top and tuck cupboards underneath. This addition keeps my paintings and equipment tidy, organized, and secure while occupying less floor space. I’ve divided the rest of the studio into two halves – one with a graphics desk for ‘clean’ work like drawing, framing, and admin, and the other with a second-hand dinner table for messier tasks like priming and painting. This setup allows me to switch between tasks without constant cleaning and tidying.

To keep the space vibrant, I display finished paintings on the walls and maintain a small shelf with books from artists I’ve discovered along my artistic journey. Some artworks from friends are scattered around the studio, visible from my old computer chair as I swivel 360 degrees. To stay motivated, I have an ‘Inspo’ corner with images of work from my favourite artists, both current and historical. Sitting in silence, I often contemplate and analyse these images, using them as a reminder to approach my own work with less rigidity, especially during moments of self-doubt.

How long have you been painting and how did you get into it?

I’ve been creating art and crafting for as long as I can remember, and my parents played a significant role in nurturing that passion. Both are incredibly creative, always encouraging me to explore various activities.

My mum, a craft enthusiast, used to organize after-school clubs where I often served as her “guinea pig” to test engaging sessions. She taught me the basics of arts and crafts like drawing, watercolour, collage, knitting, sewing, and more. Our home was filled with craft supplies, and as I grew older, she taught me the importance of resourcefulness and minimizing waste. Even now, she continues to indulge in knitting and crochet, creating a Christmas wreath each year.

My dad, coming from a family of hobbyist artists, was equally creative. He led a Beaver group, devising weekly workshops and often using me as a tester. From making Halloween costumes with paper mâché to becoming a local hero in crafting birthday cakes, he introduced me to various creative endeavours, including woodworking and using jigsaws. These skills now come in handy as I create my own canvases.

They exposed me to art exhibitions and museums during our travels, encouraging me to observe, read, and contemplate. Always supportive, they have dedicated their time to assist with my projects, imparting valuable lessons and skills for which I am eternally grateful.

Do you feel social media has a role in your artwork? For example, do you tweak art or processes to make it ‘shareable’ /push certain work to look for commissions or comments

I’ve become less preoccupied with social media lately, mainly because I’ve been painting less and have fewer updates to share, not due to any issues with social media itself.

During my first year of university, I thought a lot about social media, especially Instagram, and made conscious choices about my work because of it. I used to paint mainly on square canvases to align with Instagram’s old square format, thinking it would present my work better on the platform. Now that Instagram allows rectangular images, I’m less strict about using square canvases but still aim for a similar aspect ratio.

It’s essential to acknowledge the downsides, particularly the trap of excessive comparisons. I can easily talk myself out of pursuing something or harbour negative thoughts about my work due to comparisons. Remembering that each person is on a unique journey is crucial. Online glimpses can’t replace the enriching experience of physically visiting an artist or an exhibition.

I strongly believe that social media, including platforms like Instagram and TikTok, offers incredible power for artists, makers, collectives, and organizations to showcase their work globally. These platforms provide an excellent avenue to share processes, techniques, ideas, and exhibitions, serving as robust tools for self-promotion and marketing. With just a click, you can access tutorials on platforms like YouTube or reels, making information more accessible than ever. Social media enables artists to connect with a worldwide audience, fostering relationships with peers, galleries, and art enthusiasts. Platforms like Instagram also act as dynamic portfolios, allowing artists to showcase their work, share insights into their creative processes, and illustrate the evolution of their art over time.

What’s the coolest item you have in your studio?

In my studio, there are some pretty cool items, like a storage rack my dad helped me build for efficient organization of paintings and equipment. There’s also a unique sign reading ‘See You Next Tuesday’ from my friend Steve, who’s training in signwriting. Additionally, I have a box of paints used on the Xanadu painting by Lothar Göetz, which I collaborated on in 2017.

However, the absolute coolest possessions in my studio are canvases and paintbrushes from David Hockney’s studio. During my second year at university, the Fine Art department received a generous gift of canvases, paints, brushes, and easels from one of David Hockney’s Yorkshire studios. The university distributed this equipment to painting students over five years, and I was fortunate to be one of the recipients. I received a couple of blank John Jones canvases and some large paintbrushes, which I used for paintings displayed at my degree show. While there’s no official proof that these items are from Hockney’s studio, it’s a pretty cool story, especially since David Hockney is my painting hero.

What’s your funniest painting story or memory?

The funniest moment occurred during a Bob Ross painting party I hosted with friends at the end of 2023. A Bob Ross painting party is a tradition I’ve enjoyed a couple of times. It involves agreeing on a Bob Ross episode, and then we all paint along with it. Borrowing easels from The Art House, I gathered canvases, brushes, and paints, neatly arranging each colour on a palette for the event. Huddled around two laptops, we counted down from 3 to press play simultaneously, aiming for synced-up videos. Pausing every 2 minutes, we progressed through the episode, creating a cloudy sky, a snowy mountain, and some happy little trees.

Within 6 minutes, one of our group managed to get blue paint all over their blouse sleeve, and by the time we paused for dinner, they were quite covered. We opted for Vietnamese food from a nearby place. Back at the studio, we realized we had no cutlery, so I improvised chopsticks using wooden sugar stirrers from The Art House Café. We laughed about the situation as we ate.

Despite the group’s lack of painting experience, everyone successfully followed the video, proudly standing next to their finished paintings by the end of the evening. While Bob Ross does it in an unedited 30-minute episode, our journey took almost 6 hours, but we had a fantastic time along the way!

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