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Jemima Spence

Have you always painted in oils, or have you experimented with other medium?

I have tried a few different mediums and learnt that none are better than the other, they just do different things. My painting style is quite traditional and oil gives me the colours and textures I want for this, but I do love using acrylic for more graphic or illustrative work because of the clean bold lines and small details you can get. My studio is freezing in winter so oil dries really slow, but now that it's hot I'm currently trying to work quicker before it dries.

Does your work stay in the studio, or do you paint from home at all?

Larger work stays in the studio, and I do pretty much all sketching or small studies from home. I like figuring things out from home when I'm chilling, then knowing what I'm going in to work on in the studio. Also, I am a bit of a time obsessor and try to use my time practically. It makes sense to me to sketch at home in a book, and paint large in the studio where I have all my supplies and can be messy.

Tell me about your creative process, do you always try and capture single moments or do you have a plan for some of your art?

My process always starts with an observation, usually something small and insignificant. Generally, I take a photo there and then to help me recreate the observation later on, or I make a mental note of what it was I liked so I can include it in a painting somehow in the future. Sometimes I have an idea in mind before collecting references to support it, but I rarely work like this because the nature of my work is documenting things I’ve already seen, if that makes sense. Planned pieces never turned out as well as unplanned ones either for some reason.

How do you take on a piece of art?

In terms of tools, I start with a big soft brush and make a wash of colour on the paper/canvas. This turns a big white space into a blotch of colour which makes it a lot less scary to start painting on. I then sketch out whatever it is that I’m painting using a square shaped soft brush. If you press this brush flat you can make really clean, angular lines and I like this effect for my initial sketch. Once I’m ready to start adding colour I switch to hog brushes. These are when I get the proper brush marks I want. I like that you have the ability to control them, but also, they kind of limit control over the painting as a whole too. This makes completing the painting comfortable but also exciting because there ends up being details that I didn’t intend for. I mix colours as I paint, and I bounce from one part of the piece to another as my focus drifts. I never, and I mean ever, wash my brushes. This is because they aren’t dirty, they just have the wrong colour in it.

How long have you been painting? And how do you feel your art has progressed through this time?

I’ve definitely always been a big creative and loved drawing in and out of school. I found some sketchbooks from my childhood – some were absolutely hilarious, and the more serious ones were just observations of life and the people around me, so I guess that’s why I’ve turned back to that way of working as an adult. Apart from school, I’ve been painting seriously with the aim to make a career out of it for I’d say 3/4 years . I finished a graphic design/illustration degree in Liverpool last year and tried loads of stuff out there including animation, but with the pandemic and being at home I turned back to painting. My tutor in the final year was ace, she really helped me develop my painting skills even though it felt like I was on the wrong course by that point. I’m lucky to have an amazing support system around me and be able to practice what I love obsessively.

Have you had any creative challenges?

Creative challenges for me are briefs haha. I really struggle to make work based off a pre-set theme or idea, and I’m much better at finding meaning or ideas within work after I’ve done it. I like to paint what I see and that’s pretty much all there is to it.

How do you stay motivated and inspired during creative blocks?

I am the worst person ever during a creative block. I have realised I get them when I’m burnt out, but it’s really hard for me to accept I’m burnt out from doing something I love doing, so I always try carry on regardless and make it worse for myself. I’m trying to teach myself to chill out and stop taking things so seriously all the time. Ultimately, mental rest is as much part of the process as working is, I’m an overthinker to the max for sure. My family keep me motivated, so do other forms of art which I consume myself like films or music.

How do you stay occupied while painting? Do you just listen to music, or do you listen to any podcasts, shows etc as well?

I listen to music while painting a bit, but to be honest I stay focused more with a podcast or audiobook, which is weird because if I put one on when I’m not painting, I can’t concentrate on just that and won’t take in any of it at all. I love listening to other people’s mundane life stories. Soft white underbelly on YouTube is one I find really interesting, although it can be quite heavy. ‘We’re all insane’ is a new one I like too. Book wise, I am still learning to find good ones but I like a big range; sometimes a thriller, sometimes a ‘boring’ historical one. I don’t listen to much art related stuff although maybe I should haha!

What advice would you give to aspiring artists who are just starting their creative journey?

Don’t compare yourself to what’s on social media, trust your gut and learn to say no. I have definitely been guilty of comparing myself to other people on social media and then being afraid to post anything because I feel bad about my work and self. I think this is sadly normal but the trick for me is to be so into what I’m doing myself that what others are doing just makes me happy for them rather than envious of them. I’ve also learnt that my gut/ intuition knows best. If something doesn’t feel right don’t do it even if you think you ‘should’. Personally, I am most creative when I just do what feels right in the moment and forget about what I ‘should do’ or what others will think.

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