Tell me about yourself. What inspired you to pick up a paint brush? How has your flair in art evolved into a career?

My name is Abi Whitlock. I'm an acrylic artist who works and lives in Bristol. From a very young age, art was always something that featured heavily in my life. My mother was an art and DT teacher and always encouraged me in my enthusiasm for creativity, but I never saw a career in Art itself as something I could make a reality until I became ill during my second year of university. Unfortunately, in the end, I was too poorly to continue with my studies. After that, painting became a real lifesaver when I didn't really know what to do during this time and also wasn't really capable of doing anything else. That's when I realised that I wanted to take my art further and make it more than just a hobby.

Your paintings focus on the human form and how the mind and body are affected when immersed in water. What fascinates you about this concept? When did you first start creating these pieces and how have they developed over time?

Water has always fascinated me as a concept for as long as I can remember. As a child I was pretty obsessed; I used to ask to go to the London Aquarium every time it was my Birthday for several years; my childhood dream was to become a marine biologist and my favourite program as a child was Blue Planet. While the obsession, did - thankfully - mellow itself out eventually, that core interest still remained into adulthood. What I love most about water is its ability to take you to another place entirely. Being submerged is like entering another world; a private little microcosm of peace where you can feel miles away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and all your worries are washed away. It's silent and still and you become almost weightless (both literally and metaphorically). I try my best to capture the dreamlike otherworldliness in my work.

I first started creating work centred around the theme of water back in 2015. My early paintings were much more photorealistic than the work I'm currently producing and I also had a tendency to be much more focused on replicating the exact patterns and details I saw within the water. I now work in a much freer, less constrained style - adding bolder, more vivid colours to my pieces and exaggerating certain details to make images that seem less lifelike and more surreal. Some of my latest work features acrylic pouring as an integral part of the composition and these works have a much more abstract feel to them whilst still maintaining that touch of realism I've always been drawn to.

How do you approach a painting? Describe your creative process from the start to finish of a piece.

I'll usually work from several reference photos that I will have taken at an earlier date. In summer I will do photoshoots at various different swimming pools and sometimes (if I'm lucky enough to go abroad that year!) the ocean. Back in the studio, I'll create a basic line drawing on the canvas in pencil so I can map out where I would like the figure to be within the piece and then I will begin blocking out the canvas using the darkest colours that I will be using in the painting. From there, I will layer detail on top - usually using lighter and lighter colours as the piece progresses. My favourite part is at the end, where I get to add those minute details that the viewer has to get close up to see. I like every part of a canvas to be filled with interest.

You have described swimming as a form of escapism, how do you suggest this in your art? Is painting a form of escapism for you?

Painting is definitely a form of escapism for me. I can get lost in a piece for hours and not realise the time until my stomach starts grumbling! I think being able to focus and occupy that part of the brain that's normally prone to worrying about things, going over and over an endless mental to-do list or taking you down a rabbit hole where you can feel like the world is falling apart is the great thing about being creative. Or alternatively, if you feel like it, you can express those worries and fears on the canvas - it's completely your prerogative!

How do you achieve a hyperrealistic style? How is this approach fitting with your subject and the narrative of your work?

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I think it's all about noticing and including details in your work. The more detail you pack in to an artwork, the more believable and rich in visual stimulation the image will appear, and somehow, also more lifelike. A little tiny pinprick of white to create sparkle here, or adding a fine rivulet of dark brown to represent the idea of a single strand of hair caught in a current can make a huge difference. On top of this, keeping paint application, shading and colour gradation smooth really help to achieve that realistic effect.

What would you like people to think about when they view your artwork?

I'd say I'd want them to feel like for just a tiny moment, they were beneath the water along with the swimmer. I'd like them to feel like they were submerging themselves; having to close their eyes and hold their breath; that for a short while they, too, would be transported to a tranquil place where they can just be entirely themselves, in solitude, without any pressure from outside forces.

Who is your favourite artist? What would you ask if they were sat next to you right now? Do they have an influence on your work?

One of my favourite artists is Shaun Tan. He's known for doing dream-like, surrealist paintings that are used as illustrations in books. His work has quite a different feel and subject matter from my own, but I love the quirky, sometimes slightly ominous feel behind a lot of his works. If he was sitting down with me now, I'd love to ask how he comes up with the concepts behind his paintings. They're all so unique and unlike anything I've seen before.

I wouldn't say his work has had an influence on my own, but surrealism is definitely a style of painting I would like to explore more in the future.

Are you currently working on any new projects? Would you say you are quite an ambitious individual?

At the moment, as mentioned before, I'm working on a new series of works which centre around acrylic pouring. I'm really enjoying letting go of control, and allowing the paint to do what it wants on the canvas and then rolling that back and having the challenge of incorporating the resulting explosion of colour and pattern into the piece. It's always fun trying to meld the crazy kaleidoscopic marbling into the realistic portion of the piece without it looking jarring or out of place.

As for events, I'm taking part in Fresh Art Fair in Ascot in a few months so I need to have plenty of work ready before then!

I wouldn't say I'm an ambitious individual, all I require to feel fulfilled is that people take something away from my work, even if it's just making their day a little brighter for a few seconds!

What are the five things that you would recommend to an artist to have in their studio?

Firstly, a daylight lamp. These are really useful both when the light is changeable during the day (e.g. going from bright to overcast) or when it's getting dark in the evening and you still need to keep working with the same quality of light. Without the lamp, I find keeping colour mixing consistent in variable lighting a lot more difficult.

Secondly, a strong and secure easel that can hold a range of canvas sizes. I, myself, don't use a traditional artist's easel but instead an old architect's drawing board from the 1960s. It's much heftier and more sturdy than a standard easel and thus can hold much larger canvases without the risk of toppling over. I wouldn't be without it.

Thirdly, a DIY palette made from a Tupperware box. For acrylic artists, there's absolutely no point forking out for an expensive palette. A great way to keep your paint from drying out throughout the day is simply by using a takeaway container. Fill the bottom of the container with water and then use the accompanying lid as a palette. When you aren't using the palette, place the lid on top of the container so that the paint faces down towards the water. The moisture created by the water evaporating will keep your paint from drying up for hours.

Next, something to listen to - music, an audiobook, a podcast; anything to keep your brain occupied while you work is really helpful, especially if you're working on any less tricky parts of the painting which require less focus. It can stop your mind from wandering.

Lastly, a comfortable chair. A chair with proper back support is essential. If, like me, your going to be sitting for hours on end while you paint, then your spine comes first! Invest in a chair with proper lumbar support and you won't be sorry later.

Why do you think art is important in society?

I think a society without art would be a very miserable, lost and insular one indeed. People have always had and always will have the need to both create and view art as a route to which they can express themselves, be this creatively, emotionally or even politically. Even something as simple as coming home to at the end of a stressful workday and using art to relax can be important. Art can bring up feelings in people they might not have realised existed, can help people to appreciate the beauty in small things, can allow discovery and understanding of others who may be different from oneself and can lend a whole new perspective on the world. Without art, I don't think we would be human.

https://www.abiwhitlock.co.uk

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Abi Whitlock