Tell me about yourself. When did you discover your passion for art?

My name is Colin Powell. I currently live in Scarborough after living in York and growing up in Keighley, West Yorkshire. While growing up I spent a lot of time with my grandma, I would spend hours watching her create beautiful pieces of embroidery which she would have framed. My mother was also artist and liked to draw, so we would spend time doing that together. Art and design were the subject I was drawn to at school and I went on to study the subjects at York St John’s university. At the time many of the biggest opportunities would have meant moving to one of the big cities, which I didn’t want to do. I also became a manager within M&S, which I poured my focus into. As the years passed and I started a family with my wife, I had less and less disposable time for my creative passions. I still loved art but didn’t invest the time in myself to create very much over the prevailing 20yrs.

The majority of your works depict buildings in your hometown, Scarborough. Why do you feel compelled to paint your surroundings? What fascinates you about the architecture in the town?

My family and I moved to Scarborough 3 years ago, and while we were finding our people in Scarborough I decided to attend some classes at North Yorkshire Art School (an inclusive school near our family home). I initially did some linoprinting, which I found therapeutic. I wanted the prints to represent Scarborough so I sketched some local scenes which I found interesting (the lighthouse, The SJT, some boats in the harbour), so I started sketching around Scarborough. I really loved the process of Urban Sketching, many of these initial scenes I then reproduced on a larger scale in mixed media on canvas or board. As my work has developed I am now supporting others by leading an urban sketch group through the Art School.

Our hometown of Scarborough is steeped in history and is recorded as being the first seaside town in the UK. It celebrates its 400th birthday of Spa water being discovered in the town in 2026.

This rich history has helped shape the town, and the buildings/ architecture reflect this. While there is such a diverse style of building throughout the town, I do have a particular fondness for the Victorian architecture which is on display through our streets. I absolutely love the detail and embellishments that they used to add to every building.

Similarly to an individual, buildings have character. How do you capture this in your work?

Our buildings across Scarborough have so much character and I always tell people who join my classes to “look-up” while walking around town. We are pre-programmed to look at the branding of the shop/ restaurant etc, however when you spend time looking beyond that you see the details within the architecture, many of which are truly special. The craftwork on shop in our home settings amazes me, for example the ornate cast iron drain pipes or the gargoyles on the front of the grand hotel. You can also walk down the high street of e.g Huntriss Row, there is such a variety shapes and styles of building and I try capture this in my work.

Thinking about your piece, 'Scarborough Harbour', what was it about the harbour scene that you were drawn to in particular? Describe your process from start to finish of this painting.

The harbour is one of my favourite places in town. I love the hustle and bustle of the day alongs side the unique blend of buildings, boats, the sea and the sky. For the piece Scarborough Harbour I took my urban sketching group to the harbour as it offers a limitless amount of subjects to capture. I was really interested by some fishermen working on their boat and decided to re-create this, using mixed media in my sketch book. Following this class I really liked this particular scene and decided it would look great on a canvas while using some artistic licence. Acrylics make up the main body of the painting, but I also wanted to make this piece more tactile so I recreated the lobster pots by sewing them. I also love colour so played around with the colours on show in the cobbles, I also recreated one of our magnificent seaside sunrises.

Why do you enjoy using mixed media to create your pieces?

As an artist I love to experiment and adapt my approach to my artwork, I also love to reuse and recycle by incorporating different objects into my pieces.

For example some of my linoprints that are not as polished as I would like can be used in other pieces, or I may use things I find while walking around Scarbough e.g. seaglass and sand. I think the different mediums used provide more interest and sometimes challenge the viewer. Overall I believe it is that when we are curious and experiment that we learn new techniques and what works.

What is your favourite part of your painting process? Which is your least favourite part?

My favourite part of creating a piece is often the prep work. I like taking the blank canvas/ paper etc and laying down the initial sketch to see how the composition will look. I may create a border, lay a base colour etc…

This is in direct conflict to my least favourite part of creating a piece, which is deciding when a piece is finished. Like many artists I am a procrastinator and struggle to call a piece finished. I can spend an endless amount of time tweaking a part of a piece which may not even add any value to the outcome. I feel sometimes I have to force myself to walk away from a piece.

**Unexpected Guest at The Dress Rehearsal**

What are your future aspirations as an artist? Do you have any ideas for your next piece?

Having not created for several years as life took over, I am now in a position where I want to create and see where my artwork can take me. The last 12 months in particular have been great and I have had several solo exhibitions which I simply would not have imagined when I first picked back up my sketchbook 2 1/2 years ago. I have taken the philosophy of saying yes where possible and want to grasp all possible opportunities and experiences.

With regards my next piece, like many artists I have a million and 1 ideas in my head. I currently go with what I am drawn to create in the moment, along with creating some commissioned pieces for people. I do however really enjoy recreating harbour scenes.

If you could go back in time and watch the process in real time of an artist creating a piece of work. Which artist and piece would it be, and why?

‘Coming Home From The Mill’ by LS Lowry

Lowry amongst others is one of my biggest influences. I feel I have some similarities in terms that we are both self taught, I am still learning. My pieces are also naive in composition, however I like to think you would recognise the scene I am trying to replicate.

I love how Lowry makes a scene so full of life, humour and energy. I would like to see how he captures these scenes and manipulates the tools he had available. It would be great to understand how he selects his scenes and how he uses the great northern architecture and people within these pieces.

Why do you think art is important in society?

I firmly believe that art is SO important in society, not only for the intended audience but the creator too.

There are endless forms of art in our society. They act as a form of therapy/ escapism which is so important in a 24/7 world. Taking time to either create or consume art relaxes you, it gives you a platform to express yourself. Art can challenge you and it also helps you transport to another place.

I see the benefits first hand as I see the development and enjoyment people get from joining in my urban sketch sessions.

Colin Powell

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Colin Powell