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Six of the Best, Part 11


Part 11 of an interview series in which I invite artists to respond to six questions about art, process, and creativity (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3,Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10). Today's artist is UK-based painter Jina Wallwork -- who, according to her Google Plus Profile, has exhibited her work alongside people like Jeff Koons, Yoko Ono, and Grayson Perry. You can see more of her visionary paintings here.

"A Soul Entering the Universe for the First Time," acrylic on canvas, 50" x 40"

Philip Hartigan: What medium/media do you chiefly use, and why?

Jina Wallwork: I mainly use paint or ink. Both contain great fluidity but can be controlled and structured. I enjoy finding a balance between control and release. There is a massive range of use in these materials and I discover more possibilities each day.

Philip Hartigan: What piece are you currently working on?

Jina Wallwork: I'm working on a series of drawings. It’s a very intuitive process.

Philip Hartigan: What creative surprises are happening in the current work?

Jina Wallwork: It is difficult to know where a piece is going. I find myself balancing shapes and structures. I don't have a picture in mind before I start, and I never know where a piece is headed. It is a path of constant surprises, but that is the nature of creativity. There isn't excessive analysis, just instinct and a feeling that permeates your work.


"Tree Loop," acrylic on canvas.


Philip Hartigan: What other artistic medium (or non-artistic activity) feeds your creative process?

Jina Wallwork: I also write. It is a part of the images I create. Creating art is like talking to your own soul. There is information within the painting that reveals aspects of who you are, and through writing I attempt to understand what each image reveals so easily as a visual. It’s an act of trying to translate your own visual language into a written language.

Philip Hartigan: What's the first ever piece of art you remember making?

Jina Wallwork: It was a drawing of a toy dog. As a child I had a tendency to draw my toys. There were some toys that I drew before I ever played with them—a strange process of studying them first, perhaps.


"Construction", mixed media


Philip Hartigan: Finally, and you can answer this in any way that's meaningful to you: why are you an artist?

Jina Wallwork: I don't know what it means to not be an artist.

If you liked this interview, and you'd like to keep up to date with the series, why not Subscribe, or sign-up via Google Connect, using one of the options over on the right? Thanks, and keep creating.
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