{"id":1416191,"date":"2020-12-01T10:50:46","date_gmt":"2020-12-01T10:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/?p=1416191"},"modified":"2026-03-31T15:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T14:47:09","slug":"michelle-heron-artist-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonsart.com\/blog\/2020\/12\/01\/michelle-heron-artist-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Michelle Heron: Familiar Places"},"content":{"rendered":"

Michelle Heron was shortlisted for the Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize<\/a> 2020 with her work There is a light that never goes out<\/em>. With sensitive observation of texture and detail, Michelle immortalises shopfronts of bygone eras. Here, she tells us about where she developed her love of fonts, her unexpected productivity in lockdown and the qualities of the heavy body acrylic paint she uses in her work.<\/p>\n

Above image: <\/strong>Parkview Hairdressers, Kennington<\/em>, 2017, Michelle Heron, Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 cm | 11.8 x 15.7 in.<\/small><\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
There is a light that never goes out<\/em>, 2020
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on gesso panel, 40 x 50 cm | 15.7 x 19.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Michelle<\/a>
Work in progress: There is a light that never goes out<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: Can you tell us about your artistic background\/education?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I always enjoyed drawing and making things in my bedroom when I was a child but didn\u2019t come from a very artistic home, my mother painted when young but stopped after she had me so I felt like I didn\u2019t really have anyone to guide me. I studied BA Hons Fine Art at the University of Hertfordshire where I focused on suburban imagery as I was fascinated by the streets I grew up on in Norwich. My work has always been influenced by my surroundings and I feel like I need to paint familiar scenes to really dig into what it feels like to live there, to get beneath the surface. My painting has changed a lot aesthetically since my degree, becoming more photo realistic which wasn\u2019t a conscious decision. I think the more time I\u2019ve had to develop my practice, the deeper my focus becomes on my subject and the detail. After my degree I continued to paint but more as a hobby as I was working full time day jobs and never had the idea or ambition that I could make a living from painting.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
The Opticians, Penge<\/em>, 2019
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 cm | 11.8 x 15.7 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: Where does a painting begin for you? Can you take us through your process?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I have a lot of photos I\u2019ve taken over recent years of shops on my travels and sometimes an image will just jump out at me or has been in the back of my mind. It depends a lot on feelings. I think my feelings and emotions are what drive my process. So it could also be that I\u2019m excited to paint how the interior of a shop window appears to me or how much I want to explore capturing a particular mood, or thinking back to the moment I stood in front of that shop with my camera phone. I might also be inspired to paint light so I can make a more painterly work. I can get bored quite easily so I\u2019m always changing what I want to explore, to keep things fresh and exciting for me. I think it\u2019s why painting has always stuck with me as it\u2019s not always easy but I enjoy the struggle.<\/p>\n

I usually begin by painting a coloured ground on a gesso panel. I\u2019ve discovered some really smooth panels made by an Italian company called Belle Arti<\/a> and they\u2019ve enabled me to paint a high level of detail more easily. I use acrylics and on a smooth surface they\u2019re great for blending tones either with a dryish brush or my finger. I sometimes vary the colour of the ground depending on what excites me or what kind of atmosphere I want to capture. For example, with \u2018There is a light that never goes out\u2019 I wanted to capture the sombre mood of the story of the shop and using the yellow ground helped create the effect of a light being left on inside while it was closed. <\/p>\n

I then draw out the composition roughly. I don\u2019t like to spend too much time drawing, it\u2019s mainly to get the foundations right, I prefer to dive in with painting. While I\u2019m painting I tend to chop and change what I choose to paint, feeling my way around as I go.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Tabacchi, Venice<\/em>, 2019
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm | 19.6 x 23.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: What is it about a particular storefront that inspires you to paint it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I enjoy the stories I hear or read about the shops, the lives that have been touched by them. In the beginning it was more about their aesthetic – the old signage, the nostalgia for bygone days. But lately it\u2019s become an obsession, I guess I feel a responsibility to immortalise them. Also, living abroad and especially this year not being able to visit those familiar places, by painting them it has allowed me to visit \u2018home\u2019 and the familiar in my imagination which has comforted me in a way.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
William Gee Ltd.<\/em>, 2018
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 76 cm | 19.6 x 29.9 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: I love how your work celebrates the fonts (amongst many other things) of shop fronts from days gone by. Do you paint all the fonts by eye or do you have a catalogue to refer to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: Yes I prefer to paint the fonts by eye rather than using any tools. I think also why I don\u2019t choose to square up my paintings to draw the elements is to keep the painting \u2018mine\u2019 and maintain a human touch. I tried using a ruler the other day to paint tiles but I didn\u2019t like how unnatural it felt. It would feel too rigid and jarring to me. When I used to work in schools as an art technician I would spend a lot of time making the displays for students\u2019 work around the school and I became fanatical about finding unusual fonts for the headings. So I think those days might have set something in my mind to start seeking out shop signs with unusual fonts.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Regency Cafe<\/em>, 2020
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 13 x 18 cm | 5.1 x 7 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: Can you tell us about your time there and your studio? I imagine the store fronts are quite different?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I moved to Italy a couple of years ago with my Italian husband, just because we fancied a change away from busy London. I\u2019d always been curious about living abroad to get a different perspective on the UK. One week before lockdown we\u2019d moved to central Italy to run a bed and breakfast business but then obviously things postponed our plans. As we hadn\u2019t worked together before, I was finding it a struggle to concentrate with another person in the house so we decided to buy a shed to put outside as my studio. Having that distance and being able to leave work there has helped me to focus better and given me space to dedicate to my painting practice, not to mention stopped us from annoying each other during lockdown! It\u2019s funny to say this but it finally felt like I could take being an artist seriously. We live in the middle of the countryside so it\u2019s a bit of a change to London, lockdown didn\u2019t feel very unusual as we can\u2019t see anyone anyway!<\/p>\n

Italian shops are so beautiful and many have maintained their old signage. The light here is different which changes my palette. Although I\u2019ve not really had the time to paint many yet, I kind of feel like I\u2019m more drawn to painting places that I\u2019ve left. It\u2019s been interesting though to see the differences in culture here regarding shopping habits and maybe why high-streets here aren\u2019t all boarded up. Although that might change after this year. Italian shops have mostly kept their individuality in that you\u2019re still more likely to find a town centre with a butchers, a bakery, a pharmacy, a bar, a clothes shop or a tobacconist rather than a one-stop shop that caters for all.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Ramsgate Models<\/em>, 2019
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 cm | 11.8 x 15.7 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: How do you set up your palette. What can you tell us about your use of colour?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I pretty much stick with the same six or seven colours and mix all the variants from them. I like to limit the decisions I make so it allows me to focus more on the actual painting. My staple colours are: Burnt Umber, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Red, Naphthol Crimson, Cadmium Yellow Light, Titanium White and Mars Black.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Manzes Meat Pies<\/em>, 2018
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm | 19.6 x 23.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: What are your most important artist\u2019s tools? Do you have any favourites?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I like to keep things simple, even my fingers are a useful tool for smudging paint on the panel. I guess the most important tools are the paints. I love using professional heavy body acrylics, they give my work a cohesion but they also have deceived some people into thinking my work is oil. I used to use oils but prefer not having any strong odours as I\u2019m quite sensitive to smells, light and noises. Plus I think acrylics give another quality that\u2019s hard to achieve with other mediums. <\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
J.Evans, Dairy-Farmer Fitzrovia<\/em>, 2018
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm | 19.6 x 23.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: How has the lockdown of the last few months affected your practice?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I\u2019ve never been busier and it\u2019s actually been a really positive time for my practice. At the start we\u2019d 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. Plus it felt rewarding to be able to offer some joy to others. It did become quite overwhelming at one point though as I was swamped with commissions. But I\u2019ve learnt a lot about pacing myself and managing my workload this year. I think I\u2019m currently up to painting number 43 since lockdown which is incredible. I\u2019ve worked on a much smaller scale which has surprisingly been physically challenging but has also allowed me to explore new ideas faster. Not to mention providing valuable income since our business suffered. It\u2019s also been so lovely to connect more with people via Instagram and I\u2019ve made some new friends and collectors. I\u2019m really excited at what I can achieve now I\u2019ve seen what I\u2019m capable of. I do feel though I\u2019m in a privileged position as a full time artist without kids, I’m in awe at how my artist friends have been able to produce any work whilst juggling parenting this year.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Coin~Op, Brixton<\/em>, 2016
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 25.5 x 30.5 cm | 10 x 12 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: What are your art influences? Who are your favourite contemporary or historical artists and why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I\u2019m mostly drawn to work by Edward Hopper, George Shaw, David Hockney, Rachel Whiteread, Caroline Walker, Turner, Rembrandt and Edgar Degas. Whether it\u2019s because of how they paint light, mood or their ideas around the familiar or mundane. I was greatly influenced by Lucian Freud\u2019s portraits during my \u2018A\u2019 Levels despite the difference in subject matter.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Bearly Trading, Penge<\/em>, 2019
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm | 19.6 x 23.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: What makes a good day in the studio for you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: I usually have rituals to get me in the mood so I\u2019ll make a cup of builders tea and put on a podcast that usually lasts an hour. By the time it\u2019s ended I\u2019ll be in the “zone”. I find it almost impossible to work without something on in the background. Usually music gets me in a certain mood that helps me to connect with what I\u2019m painting. I found it hard to enjoy painting if I\u2019m not invested in it emotionally in some way. I tend to procrastinate a lot but I\u2019ve found I work better if I\u2019ve got a clear horizon, so I\u2019ll tend to get admin and life jobs done in the morning so I\u2019m free to paint the rest of the day. A good day is where I feel like time has stood still and I can stand back from a painting surprised at what I\u2019ve achieved. It gives me a buzz but makes me feel grounded.<\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Works in progress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Michelle<\/a>
All Stitched Up, Ramsgate<\/em>, 2019
Michelle Heron
Acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60 cm | 19.6 x 23.6 in.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clare: Can you tell us where we can see more of your work online or in the flesh?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Michelle: At the start of the year I was planning my first solo show in London but moving house and Covid stopped that. So maybe next year if things get better I\u2019ll try again. I don\u2019t have any plans right now as I\u2019m happy just focusing on making a new body of work and commissions. I find if I have too much pressure or projects it stifles creativity. I currently have 3 paintings in this year’s ING Discerning Eye Exhibition which this year is online and can be seen here: www.ingdeexhibition.org<\/a> until December 31st. I also have a body of work on show at The Dragon Gallery in Petworth: www.thedragongallery.com<\/a>
\nApart from those I show my most recent works on Instagram a few times a week: @michelleheron.art<\/a><\/p>\n

Website: www.michelleheron.co.uk<\/a>
\nTwitter: @mheronart<\/a>
\nFacebook: @mheronart<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Michelle<\/a>
Michelle in the studio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

Submissions for Jackson’s Painting Prize 2021 are now open. To enter or find out more visit our competition website<\/a> and sign up to our competition newsletter<\/a> to receive the latest updates about Jackson\u2019s Painting Prize.<\/center><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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