SHIVER PRESENTS
TAMSIN WILSON
SHIVER PRESENTS
TAMSIN WILSON
SHIVER PRESENTS: TAMSIN WILSON
Tamsin Wilson is a London based Fine Artist specialising in oil paintings which most recently, focus on finding beauty in waste. Tamsin finds her inspiration through noticing interesting or strange details in ordinary places, which brings to life incredible studies of colour, shape and pattern in everyday life, that often go unnoticed. Wilson grew up in Staffordshire and later moved to Loughborough to study Fine Art Painting at University, graduating in 2007. Often working on oval canvases, Tamsin’s work has an otherworldly feel to them, her ability to create magical imagery from overlooked items makes her artwork truly unique.
Throughout this exhibition we will be sharing her images daily, talking about her thoughts and inspirations behind each piece and sharing an interview with Tamsin, discussing artistic influences, podcasts, getting in the zone and more!
ONLINE EXHIBITION
'Nova' by Tamsin Wilson
20cm x 25cm
Oil on Oval Canvas
"Part of my studio practice is having multiple paintings to work on at the same time, some intentionally more experimental and expressive than others - often working from no reference image. In this piece I was utilising the flow of oil paint, layering colour and texture to create something transient – smoke or mist, or light rippling on the surface of water." - Part of a series relating to phases of matter – solids, liquids, gases, and others.
'Torrent' by Tamsin Wilson
30cm x 40cm
Oil on Oval Canvas
"Painted from a photograph I took at the calcified waterfall and hot springs at Bagni San Filippo, Italy. A solid white cascade that resembles snow or ice in form, streaked with peach and pink. It was one of the strangest places I’ve been, a beautiful alien landscape that looks frozen despite the baking hot sun." - Part of a series relating to phases of matter – solids, liquids, gases, and others.
'Gemini' by Tamsin Wilson
22.5cm x 30cm
Oil on Oval Canvas
"Working in a mould making workshop for years I became fascinated with moulds. In this case they are handmade silicone and fibreglass vessels for making reproductions of art and furniture. The moulds themselves have an interesting visual language. They are simultaneously cruder looking, yet often more intricately crafted than the objects they form. They degrade with every use, and eventually destroyed in the casting process, so they are often unacknowledged and undocumented."
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'Laguna' by Tamsin Wilson
30cm x 30cm
Oil on Oval Canvas
"Laguna is the study of a vividly coloured piece of petrified wood. The textures of wood remain but the colours have been formed through mineralisation and solidification of the organic matter." - Part of a series relating to phases of matter – solids, liquids, gases, and others.
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'Galaxie' by Tamsin Wilson
35cm x 27.5cm
Oil on Oval Canvas
"Working in a mould making workshop for years, I became fascinated with moulds. In this case, they are handmade silicone and fibreglass vessels for making reproductions of art and furniture. The moulds themselves have an interesting visual language. They are simultaneously cruder looking, yet often more intricately crafted than the objects they form. They degrade with every use, and eventually destroyed in the casting process, so they are often unacknowledged and undocumented."
Shop NowINTERVIEW
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
I grew up in a village in rural Staffordshire, and I’ve lived in London for 10 years now. Even though nature is not always depicted in my work, I think growing up in the countryside very much influenced the way that I interact with my surroundings. As a child, I spend a lot of time watching insects in the grass for entertainment!
WHAT IS YOUR ARTISTIC BACKGROUND?
I studied Fine Art Painting at Loughborough University, graduating in 2007.
WHAT IS/ARE YOUR FAVOURITE MEDIUMS?
Oil paint on aluminium is now my absolute favourite. I first painted on aluminium last year and it sped things up considerably, though It was also challenging as I had to alter my techniques. When I need faster drying results, I really enjoy the intensity of watercolour inks.
WHO/WHAT WOULD YOU SAY YOUR KEY INFLUENCES & INSPIRATIONS ARE?
My friend recently pointed out to me that I notice interesting or strange details in ordinary places, and I think my inspiration usually comes from that. A sense of ‘other’ is present in a lot of my work, and this might be related to growing up mixed race in an all white community, but I’ll need to get a therapist for a second opinion.
Artists I’ve more recently discovered - Lydia Pettit, Roxana Halls, Josephine Halvorson, Kajahl, Sarah Slappey, Olivia Sterling, Maisie Cousins, Sam Bakewell, Kensuke Koike. My earlier art influences are Glenn Brown, Neo Rauch, Michael Borremans, Erwin Wurm, and Charles Freger.
Do you have any musical influences that inspire your work? Or any particular artists/songs you like to listen to while working?
I listen to audiobooks and podcasts constantly when painting. I’ve re-listened to a lot of fantasy during the pandemic - Phillip Pullman, Terry Pratchett. I’ve really enjoyed The Isolating Podcast with David O’Doherty. Music tends to go on later in the day when my concentration is waning. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings have been the latest go-to for motivation (and possibly some dancing).
DO YOU HAVE ANY HABITS OR PERSONAL RITUALS YOU DO IN ORDER TO GET IN THE ZONE FOR CREATING?
Get up early, have a clean desk, an audiobook, reference images, turn my phone off, and a cup of tea. If I have a break in concentration I try to exercise for a bit, but unfortunately, I also really hate exercise, so I often water the plants, harass the cat, or be distracted by my phone, and then get back to it. The main thing for me is to have a lot of uninterrupted time.
2020 HAS BEEN A CHAOTIC YEAR TO SAY THE LEAST, WITH TIMES CHANGING SO RAPIDLY AND OUR LIVES BEING SHAKEN UP DRAMATICALLY, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES IN YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS OR MINDSET?
I’ve had more time than ever to produce work which has been great, though my concentration has also suffered. I started the year aiming to do an exhibition a month and I’ve managed 5, which I’m happy with. I’ve also been able to do more commissions, which is lovely.
Check out this playlist by Tamsin to hear what she's listening to right now.
I’m doing good! I’ve had a couple down days and dealing with PMS during this whole thing has been an interesting experience to say the least. I was away from January, and was meant to come home April 30th but, obviously, had to come home earlier. That was weird as I had to be isolated in my room for 2 weeks so as not to put my family at risk, I had some rough days during that. I’ve been working on something every day, and every now and then I come up with something that I feel proud of enough to show people. I think it’s important to keep your brain active and creative right now, not just for artists but for everyone, it stops you going completely mad.
HOW DID LOCKDOWN AFFECT YOU CREATIVELY?
It has been wonderful to have a purpose and focus that hasn’t been affected by lockdown restrictions. At times, the anxiety of what was happening in the world was too much to work alongside, but on the whole, it’s been a very productive time for me.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH YOUR WORK?
I have always appreciated beauty in waste, which is a theme of recent paintings, and feels increasingly related to climate change and the environment. I view my work as a series of experiments rather than something with a given outcome. The process of painting is as important to me as the result.
WHAT DOES ART/YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS MEAN TO YOU?
Making work, and painting in particular, feels like the most natural thing to me. I don’t know what I’d do without it.
To see more of Tamsin's work, visit her artist's page or check out our online shop
SHOP
'Gemini'
by Tamsin Wilson
£780
'Torrent'
by Tamsin Wilson
£468
'Nova'
by Tamsin Wilson
£468
'Laguna'
by Tamsin Wilson
£468
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See our first
exhibition
See previous
exhibition