What do you use to draw on the silk?
Technical drawing pens, indian
ink & silk paint.
What fabrics do you use?
All natural sustainable ones; Honan, antung & organza silks,
cotton organdie & velvet.
Do you use any speciality products? I
used to use Rolls Fabrifix or spray starch to slightly stiffen
the fabrics prior to drawing and painting.
What do you use to paint on the fabrics?
Fabric paints on opaque silks, & silk paints on diaphanous silks. The brands
I favour are Pebeo Setacolor Transparent, Marabou Fabric Paint, & the metalic
paints from Polyprint in Belfast. What sewing machine do you use?
A Bernina
830 Electronic Record, purchased in 1981.
What machine embroidery threads do you use?
Madeira Classic (all weights) & Tanne, & occasionally their FS & Supertwist.
Where can I see your work?
There is a list of places on my CV page
http://www.paddykillerart.co.uk/cv2.html
also on my Gallery & Public Collections & Exhibitions pages
http://www.paddykillerart.co.uk/pubcoll.html
http://www.paddykillerart.co.uk/gallery.html
http://www.paddykillerart.co.uk/curexhib.html
How long did it take to.......?
The usual question, to which I have to say that it depends whether it is a
single piece or a new body of work, how big it is, what the budget is etc.
The research takes the longest ammount of time (& is the most exciting),
looking, drawing, sampling, & selecting. The actual making of a piece
is short in comparison. Also, if the piece was done years ago, I have no
idea!
How long does it take to make a counterpane?
3 to 6 months.
Where do you get your inspiration?
It depends on the era again. In the 70s it was landscape; the 80s ranged from
hothouses, gardens, statuary & design, to ceramics, & the 90s & noughties
continued my interest in the human figure. I look at painting, sculpture, prints,
ceramics, whtever could be associated with the work I am doing at the time.
I relish commissions; they are a challenge as they can turn me in a new direction
of discovery, such as when working on the commission for a life-size portrait
of Mary Tudor a few years ago, I recreated her clothing with drawing. Thus commenced
a new body of work informed by lace, embroidered, woven, and printed textiles,
some of which are from public & private collections, eg.Temple Newsham in
Leeds and the Textile Department at the V&A. Who are your favourite artists?
It depends on the era. In the seventies it was the Pre-Raphealites;
in the 80s & 90s, Renaissance painters; in the noughties it is
anyone who draws in detail.
Of all the work you have done, which are
your favourites?
The self-portrait, One Peugeot, Two Persians & Paddy will
always be a favourite, because it includes my cats. Apart from
that it would
be Researching Grandfather. What made you become an artist?
My family & the fact that Halifax was a textile town when I was
a child & all my family worked in the industry in one way or
another. My father, who was a member of the Fabian Society, taught
me to
draw & paint
when
I was very
small.
He
took me to
galleries
&
museums throughout Yorkshire & Lancashire. My grandmother
taught my to embroider when I was 5. I made my
first
skirt on
the sewing
machine when I was 8.
I was taught Art all my way through school
by my now great friend Vicky Watling (Bottomley). So I naturally
went on to do it as a career, a precarious occupation at the best
of times!
What do you use your computer for?
Eveything! Uploading & manipulating images, drawing, planning works, accounting,
correspondence, giving talks. I use a tablet & pen instead of a mouse. My
computer is my sketchbook & the internet, my library.
What operating system do you use? Mac
OS X Tiger, and Panther for older apps.
What software do you use most?
Adobe: Photoshop,
In Design, Illustrator
Macromedia: FreeHand, Dreamweaver
iWork and iLife
Microsoft Office
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