Please can you give me an introduction about yourself

Hey! I’m Ali, I’m a UK based artist/illustrator from Lincolnshire, currently living in York. I’ve lived in 3 cities in the last year and a half (Lincoln, Liverpool and York), where I’ve been able to build my exposure, exhibit in exciting places and meet lots of amazing artists!

I’ve recently exhibited at Bloom Building (Birkenhead) Micklegate Social (York), Cityscreen Picturehouse Cinema (York), Bold Street Coffee (Liverpool), Dot Art Gallery (Liverpool) 92 Degrees (Liverpool and Manchester), Editions Gallery, Egg Cafe (Liverpool) and Angel Coffee House (Lincoln).

What inspired you to paint?

I draw and paint what visually inspires me, ranging from places I’ve visited, portraits, pet portraits, home interiors and architecture. Since I started fully persuing my art practice in 2017, I’ve created artworks based around compositions that I find aesthetically pleasing. I like to recreate an image that offers plenty of intricate details. As well as using my own photographs, I draw inspiration from other peoples images on social media. My current inspiration is drawn from fashion, interiors and decor, and the bulk of my recent work has been based around rooms in people’s homes. In the first lockdown of the Covid pandemic 2020, I started a series of works called ‘Quarinteriors’, where I used other content creators photographs as inspiration. My aim was to draw on the themes of loneliness, self love and care, appreciating your own interior space and company and making the most out of the situation we were in. I’ve since continued to produce interior works drawing on these themes.

Describe your creative process; from start to finish of a painting. Where do you find your inspiration?

I find most of my reference material from instagram, and I will also use my own photographs of architecture and places I’ve visited. I generally have 3 stages to my art process - I draw out my paintings in pen first, then I will paint over in Windsor and Newton inks. At the end I will work over in white acrylic pens and pro marker pens to enhance the colour and light balance.

What is your favourite piece of work and why?

My current favourite would have to be ‘Cafe Terrace At Night’ by Van Gogh - the blues and yellows are just divine in it, and I always appear to get lost in the composition. It’s inspired me to create similar night time scenes and colours in my paintings. It led to one of my favourite paintings I’ve done, ‘Blue Monday’ of Liverpool early last year.

What do you think makes your work unique?

I think what makes my work different from other artists is the way I ‘amend’ my artworks after the painting process. Ink has a mind of its own, so any accidents I will draw over using some ‘white pen magic’ (as I like to call it) and I enhance the colours with pro marker pens.

How would you describe your artistic style?

I’d describe my style as quite sketchy and loose, due to the mark making from the pens and inks I use. I’ve learnt to draw looser over the years, which makes my work more expressive. My style is not super realistic, but more stylised, rather giving an impression and interpretation of the photograph that I’m copying from. I have two main styles - my more painterly style using Windsor and Newton inks, and my other style is line drawing using uni pin pens and pro marker pens. Often I will combine the two.

Who is your favourite artist and why? Do they have an influence on your work?

So many female artists inspire and motivate me. I love the works of Molley May, her drawings are so pure and playful, and she inspires me to be more adventurous in my line and mark making. I wish I could be as prolific as sketching as her! I am also constantly in awe of my good fellow artist friend Lorna Morris, whose classical hyper realistic paintings never cease to amaze me. I was lucky to be able to exhibit alongside her in our joint show ‘The Interior’ at Dot Art gallery last year in Liverpool. I’ve also been lucky and honoured to meet many other supportive female artists on social media that have inspired me find my own aesthetic and voice, and also develop my personal practice.

Are you currently working on any new exciting projects?

Yes! I’m actually just finishing up a project called ‘Think Pink’ where I’ve depicted several pink compositions to recreate through painting and line drawing. I will be exhibiting them later this month at The Micklegate Social (opening night is the 17th March - all are welcome!)

Why do you think art is important in society?

I believe art is important to society in many ways. Looking at and/ or creating art can be a good form of escapism, and it can also be used as a form of therapy. Having hobbies are important for our own mental health and well being, and I know for me, completing a painting or drawing gives me a sense of achievement and accomplishment.

Check out Ali’s Etsy shop for original paintings and prints.

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/alihillustration

@alihunter__

ARTIST INTERVIEW: ALI HUNTER