How artists have responded to working in lockdown

This week marks one year since the start of the first UK lockdown and along with it the upheaval of our regular lives and familiar routines. Throughout the year, we interviewed some the artists who were shortlisted for the Jackson’s Painting Prize 2020, always including the question: “How has the lockdown affected your practice?” There was such an interesting variety of experiences and approaches to making work during this time.

Above image: Conrad Clarke’s home studio.

---

How has the lockdown affected your practice?

Conrad Clarke: “I work from home so for the most part there wasn’t really any huge change to my normal schedule. My husband was about because of furlough and he even joined me in the studio for a short while which was nice, if not a little cramped. I did start spending more time recording and sharing my day-to-day studio life on Instagram and that is something I plan to continue going forward …Also, like most people I had a huge studio sort out at the beginning which has made it so much easier to focus.”

 

Anne Carney Raines: “The lockdown has been pretty tough to navigate especially since It’s fallen directly in the middle of my MA course. I made a series of very small paintings at my kitchen table which did open up some new possibilities for me when I was finally able to move back into a slightly larger space with some peers recently. As artists, we have to be resilient and it’s just about trying to be creative and figure out new modes of working which can lead to exciting things.”

 

 

Michael Coppelov: “Lockdown has had a transformative effect on my practice. When it was first announced, I collected all my art materials and tools from the studio at Turps and moved them all into the garage at home, intending to continue my art practice as before. But, finding myself unable to face the canvases, I turned instead to the making of very small watercolour paintings.”

 

Richard Baker: “It has highlighted the importance of the physicality of painting and the need for paintings to be viewed in real life. While the internet is a wonderful tool, it cannot ever fully convey the subtle nuances of a painting. On a more positive note, lockdown has seen the birth of the Artist Support Pledge which has proved to be a game changer in the way artists sell their work and has been a genuine life saver for many artists.”

 

 

James Hayes: “At the very beginning of the pandemic there was a brief shock phase associated with the whole thing. After this subsided and the lockdown had set in, it’s true to say it didn’t significantly impact my day-to-day in startling ways, mainly because I work from home and there’s a degree of isolation and focus on my everyday surroundings inherent in the type of work that I make anyway.”

 

Judith Tucker: “As my studio is at the top of the house where I live, the space hasn’t been affected, it’s been great that I’ve had that continuity when so many artist friends have been disrupted. What has been less marvellous is that I had Covid 19 very early on in March and even now, in November, I still haven’t quite got over the lingering fatigue, so I haven’t made quite as many paintings as I would have hoped, but those that I have made have a real intensity.”

 

 

Michelle Heron: “I’ve never been busier and it’s actually been a really positive time for my practice. At the start we’d just moved house so I was feeling a bit exhausted but the lockdown felt overwhelming and I struggled to make any work. It felt like my head was wading through mud at times (it still does!) and that I “should” be productive now I have all this time. But then the wonderful Artist Support Pledge came along and it was such a positive turning point as it gave me something else to focus on… I’ve learnt a lot about pacing myself and managing my workload this year. I think I’m currently up to painting number 43 since lockdown which is incredible. I’ve worked on a much smaller scale which has surprisingly been physically challenging but has also allowed me to explore new ideas faster.”

 

Julia Medynska: “We have moved to Poland’s countryside to be with family. I had to start a brand new studio in a garage. It always takes some time to find a rhythm in a new space. But I think painting is one of those professions where we are used to sitting in isolation for a long time.”

 

 

Zohar Cohen: “It is a time for greater introspection that leads me to contemplate and think about the creative process in which I have been immersed lately. Other aspects of everyday life joined, like a intimacy of the personal life, such as family and home. This is an approach that somehow broadens the dialogue with painting too. The lockdown brought on me a compulsion for drawing. I made many of them at home.”

 

Ieva Kampe-Krumholca: “The biggest change was my subject matter alteration because of the travel restrictions. But my painting practice goes on as usual every day while my little one is napping. I assume that this will also echo in this years financial statistics, for me as for many artists around the world.”

 

 

Emma Colbert: “Lockdown has certainly changed things for many people, but to be honest my day to day work didn’t change a lot apart from logistically with postage disruptions etc. I spend a lot of time on my own in my studio, painting and video editing. If anything I did more of this and it seemed like the demand for the tutorials increased as more people were confined to their homes. Not how I want things to continue for the world, but strangely it didn’t have a negative effect for me as I had already moved much of my work online to accommodate my travels.”

 

Emma Towers-Evans: “Critically, lockdown has made it nearly impossible to get new photographs. As a result, I’ve spent time going through old photographs and have found some gems. My drawing of Anna for instance, was from reference photos taken over a year prior to me creating the drawing in April. I hadn’t had the time to sit down and create this piece as I knew it would be a time-consuming one – I wanted it to be big. After drawing Anna, I’ve drawn more larger works that I don’t think I’d have given myself time for had we not been on lockdown.”

 

 

Tim Goffe: “At the beginning of lockdown I took to cycling into central London for my exercise hour. It was totally deserted — shuttered shops, no cars, no people. London looked empty and very grey. Subconsciously I must have been searching for some reassurance in a new and uncertain environment. Then I noticed accents of red, standing out amongst the greys — post boxes and phone boxes. They became symbols of more familiar times, with systems set up by benevolent governments that cared for everyone and invested in infrastructure. I found comfort in their presence. With help from the Artist Support Pledge I made a series of small paintings using these red symbols of a past more reliable world.”

 

 

Angelina Davis: “I lecture in a college and although I had to continue to work I was forced to create a studio at home as my studio in Aston closed. This meant that I had everything that I needed to make work whenever I could between online teaching and it became a very productive time. I created models, sifted through lots of archive material and without many of the distractions of daily life immersed myself in thinking about the work that I had been creating up until the lockdown. In some ways as we come out of this I feel the conflict of commitments once again and have to return to a more rigid approach to the studio, fitting it in around other things and making the time that I have there count.”

 

 

Charles Inge: “The biggest change has been losing my Soho studio. So for the time being I’m full-time on the Isle of Wight which is a wonderful place to be. However I really miss the community of artists in the old London studio.”

 

 

Maddy Buttling: “My working process is quite introspective, so I have fared much better than many of my peers. Luckily my practice is very transportable. At a pinch I can pack my whole studio and paintings in a backpack. But I’ve missed the interaction of the studio space greatly, you’re constantly learning from the people around you, and of course, the campus at Chelsea is beautiful. I suppose the lockdown placed a heavier emphasis on the relevance of time and place in my paintings, something one could not escape in that period. The same room, the same dog, the same thing, different time of day.”

 

 

Boris Garanger: “I was very productive during the lockdown. I was working on several canvases at the same time. I worked on canvases that were quite different from what I am used to painting.”

 

Neil Callander: “It’s been logistically difficult to work—my studio is on campus which is shut down and I have not been able to access it for months. Our world is changing rapidly, and being inside the moment it’s hard to know how the moment will affect me.”

 

 

Jan Mues: “Despite the somewhat dark days, it has actually had a positive influence on my painting routine since there was less distraction during the day.”

 

Angela Bell: “The pandemic has had a massive impact on my practice in a number of ways. Firstly, I was unfortunate enough to contract the virus in the early days and I was very ill and well below par for the first few months. After that I had a number of commissions to work on and I also took part in the Artists Support Pledge scheme which was a really fantastic initiative which provided both a focus and an income which was wonderful. I have been as busy as ever during lockdown and I think more people are investing in art and realising the joy it can bring. Having the kids home 24/7 and dabbling in home schooling alongside providing entertainment has certainly kept me busy and while I haven’t been producing gallery work I have been able to paint a great little series on vintage library cards. I have also taken part in the Portraits for NHS Heroes developed by Tom Croft which is a project to honour our amazing NHS workers. I have been truly touched and humbled by the levels of professionalism and compassion our NHS workers have displayed, they really have been exemplary and I wanted to do my small part in thanking them.”

 

 

Lena Brazin: “I was lucky enough to establish very important contacts before the lockdown happened and so I felt massive support from people that have been following my art practice. It is still very hard financially, but when you have your priorities set nothing can really stop you from doing what you love the most. The painting holds the second most important spot in my life, after my own and my family’s and friends’ well-being. I have been fortunate to be able to continue working during these few months of uncertainty. I am grateful for my part-time work and partial studio rent relief. I also felt like I needed a break from the crazy fast-paced lifestyle of a big city, so this slowing down really was a welcome change. I have found my inner peace again and I feel like I am entering into a very creative, consistent and prolific period in my life. I moved to a new studio the day before lockdown and I am very happy with it. I also must give a shout to Artists Support Pledge initiative which generated an astonishing amount of income for artists around the world including myself. It really helped me to survive these unexpected circumstances.”

 

 

Christopher Cook: “The first effect of the lockdown was to make working in the studio difficult, because my concentration would wander to thinking of what was happening, and those it was affecting. Studio artists are generally very good in their own company, and can make the most of silence and isolation, so this was unexpected. Gradually the beauty of the English landscape, without people, traffic or amenities, charmed me out of the depression, and I began to make works in the spirit of Samuel Palmer, one of the first artists to inspire me as a young student.”

 

Hilary Burnett Cooper: “To be honest I have hardly painted during lockdown as I’ve had children home from school and working and homeschooling don’t mix well.”

 

Krzysztof Kowalski: “I’m an introvert and I like to be alone so the lockdown itself wasn’t really a problem for me. I make a living from painting so I work from home anyway. However, I must admit that in the beginning it was pretty scary. I’m in the group of higher risk of developing COVID-19 and when it all began I was terrified. After a few days I stopped watching the news because I was not able to do anything calmly. However I had to pull myself together quickly, because I prepare new tutorials for my students every month. So I couldn’t just stop painting at all. It was a very difficult time also because I was in the process of renovating my new home (I still am actually). Due to the virus everything has been delayed or cancelled, so it’s been quite a stressful time. After some time, when I got used to the new situation.”

 

 

Raina Goran: “Apart from the obvious drawbacks of cancelled exhibitions and closed galleries, in many ways I have found lots of positives. My studio is in my home so I have been able to continue working throughout the lockdown period. I got involved with the Artist Support Pledge which was a great motivator, knowing that other ways of selling work was so limited at the time. I live in the countryside and had a heightened awareness of the stunning colours of spring during my walks which inspired a new series of paintings. With travel restrictions, I realised I had a problem photographing the landmark sites for my current series but then I made an amazing discovery that I can work from images that I find on Google Earth which transport me, magic carpet style, to close up views of any landmark in the world. I have recently completed a painting of The Statue of Liberty using this tool. I also appreciate the value of the internet and how easy it is to connect to a wider audience.”

 

 

Tom Climent: “I’ve been lucky in that I don’t share my studio, so I’ve been able to keep working during most of the lockdown. I’ve found it quite intense really, to be able to focus solely on my work without any other distractions, it’s definitely been a productive time.”

 

Alastair Gordon: “Like many artists I have been juggling studio and teaching commitments with homeschooling my daughter and trying to make a living. I also run a charity with friends that mentors early career artists. We’ve been busier than ever. My studio time has moved to evening sessions and painting late into the night. Lockdown has afforded me valuable time to reflect on my practice and deconstruct a few things. The work has changed a lot. I’ve incorporated more collage into my paintings. The marks have become more intuitive and spontaneous. As I’ve wrestled with what’s happening in our world the paintings have reflected that and become more restless, responsive to the moment, with all the fervour, frenzy and solitude it brings. I believe it’s important for artists to keep experimenting, break new ground and be mindful of the times in which they live.”

 

 

Jean Paul Beumer: “The lockdown has affected me tremendously. I haven’t been able to make art at all because all creative energy is being used to survive.”

 

 

Robert McPartland: “I live with my partner, Stephanie Tuckwell, who is also a painter, and we have our studios at home, so our practice hasn’t really been affected at all. We buy our materials and tools online, so that’s been fine. Painting is a solitary business, and in a way I’ve been in lockdown for 10 years! Before lockdown We got up early and went to the gym three times a week and we miss that, though we now run in the park nearby and do yoga/meditation every day. More than anything we miss being able to see our grown up children, who don’t live nearby.”

 

Robyn Litchfield: “I’ve been very lucky to be able to access my studio during lockdown though the pace of my practice has slowed considerably. After the initial adjustment to the tensions of living amongst coronavirus I haven’t found it too difficult. I work best in isolation but I’ve missed the stimulus of exhibition events, meeting other artists and the access to London’s amazing galleries. I started by working through ideas in small watercolour works on paper alongside finishing larger paintings already in process. I always find preparing surfaces to be very therapeutic and satisfying, so I was pleased to have stocked up on materials and to be able to do so. As time has flown by in a blur I’ve begun to think of the crisis as an opportunity. It has been a time to think in the present, not planning for an unknowable future. We are like monks suspended in our existence with a chance to ponder ourselves and our lives. In that respect I can see that my practice and its research into the experience of the migrant or explorer travelling into the unknown has a correlation with this period of uncertainty and turmoil.”

 

 

How has the lockdown affected your practice? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.