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Talking with Gill Whitehead (Venue 7 - Odell’s Coffee Shop)

One of the newcomers to the 2015 Rochford Art Trail

Rochford Life: Gill, the Trail leaflet describes you just as ‘a Painter’

Gill: Yes, I suppose that is right. I do like to paint but I have tried loads of arts and crafts, starting with glass engraving years ago, and then cake decorating and pottery but life drawing is what I really like doing but I don’t think I can plaster the walls of the coffee shop with those.

RL: How do you feel about showing on the Trail?

Gill: A little scared because it is a new experience. I have shown at the Southend Art Club at the Cliffs Pavilion for the last couple of years and also at the Great Wakering Art Club, and we’ve always had good responses at the exhibitions there.

Introducing some of the newcomers to the 2015 Rochford Art Trail as they tell their story

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You can also see Gill’s work at Venue 7

RL: So you’re not so much a beginner at exhibiting your work, so why are you feeling a bit scared?

Gill: Well it’s only been in recent years and it takes a bit of time to get confidence. It was only because a neighbour nudged me to do it that I said I would.

RL:  Have you had any contact with the Rochford Art Trail before this?

Gill: Well I have attended it most years and I absolutely love it. It gets you into some of the shops you might not have gone in otherwise. It gets you into the small shops and chatting to the shopkeepers and I love it. It’s one of my favourites. I did one of the walkabouts a couple of years ago with Max Dolding and really enjoyed it.

RL:  So you know what you’re getting into, then?

Gill: Oh yes, I’ve been and looked and I’ve always thought, I would like to do this, but that is as far as it has gone. It’s not until someone likes a painting enough to buy it that you think, oh maybe I can do this. It’s a lovely feeling. I think I’ve probably sold about five in the last year or so.

RL: And that had added to your confidence. That is lovely. Do you turn out a lot of work each year?

Gill: No, I’m not like that; it takes me ages. I work quite slowly until I really get a grip on something and then I like to do it fairly quickly but I tear lots of stuff up and start again. I can’t alter things so if it goes wrong, it’s gone in the bin!  If it’s a canvas I might go over it but if it’s a water colour that’s different.

RL:  So, I haven’t asked you, how long have you been painting?

Gill: Oh, quite a while; I attended adult classes for quite a long time. I suppose I’ve painted on and off for the last thirty years, but it dropped off but then kicked off again when I was a teaching assistant at a primary school which I left about three years ago. The last six years that I was there I was lucky enough to be a specialist learning assistant and I used to deliver the art lessons to the Key Stage 1 children with a colleague.  We used to do the younger ones for six years and used to take turns in standing in front of the class delivering the art lesson and helping the children and it was absolutely wonderful.  I think that was my outlet for those six years and then I started again as a serious hobby three or four years ago. I had done it before but that started me off again.   

RL: How do you choose your subject?

Gill: Well, as I said I like life drawing. There is nothing like going to life classes to hone your skill, following the lines and looking for the tone; it is such a good exercise and your subject is there in front of you. I struggle with thinking what to do, I’ve not got a good imagination, so when I see something, when I’m just standing there and see something good, I take a photo and work from that. I like doing portraits, particularly of older men because I love the contours of the face and the lines. I did my late father-in-law and used it to take part in the exhibition of arts and crafts created by the students of Southend Adult Community College which was held during Leigh Art Trail week at the Community Centre in Elm Road - and won the people's choice' there. It’s following the lines. I have tried doing a daughter of a friend of mine but I’ve have had five goes at doing it and I just can’t do it because she has such a pure smooth face.   

RL:  You said you wouldn’t do life figures for Odell’s, so what will you do?

Gill: Well, I’ve gone off into another direction. We were on holiday, I think it was last year in North Devon, and attended a demonstration by a mixed media artist and I just loved it, I was tearing up tissue paper and plastering it on with acrylics or inks or whatever you like, and I’m just enjoying that at the moment, having fun with that, so that’s what I’ll be doing. I been doing some of the Pier. I’ve got a couple of scenes from Copenhagen and a bridge in Amsterdam where I’ve used the same technique, so that’s what I’m enjoying doing at the moment, that sort of thing.

RL: Well, OK, Gill thank you so much for sharing. Every artist has a different story to tell; thank you for sharing yours. That’s lovely and seeing some of this new style in your studio I can’t wait to see more on the Trail. I will be in Odell’s! Thank you again and I hope you enjoy this year’s trail as a participant and an observer.