Interview Questions

Aswell as the arts challenge, for which I am combining textiles, art and photography, there are many other parts to the gold arts award. One of which is to interview artists and find out how they got to their current position etc.
I decided to interview three artists, one textile artist, one photographer and one artist. I have yet to interview the textile artist and photographer but I have interviewed an artist. This artist is called Louise Stebbings, she is my art teacher at an art class I attend. She focuses mainly on linoprinting and drawing/painting. These are the questions and her answers.

How long have you had a career as an artist?
Twenty seven years.

When did you first realise your passion for lino printing and how did you discover it originally?
I first discovered lino printing at an art foundation course in Cambridge and my passion went from there.

How did you start off working straight out of college, and then what changed (if any) to make you self employed?
A past tutor told me of a job that I should apply for. I was taught for several years before becoming self employed. It was just circumstances at the time that made me decide to become self employed.

Was linoprinting something you always wanted to do, or was it found through another medium?
Linoprinting was a part of all printmaking which I had loved for a while.

Where do you take your inspiration from?
I take my inspiration mainly from life experiences.

What qualifications have you gained and have they been useful?
I have gained a BA honours in Fine Art; a Postgraduate qualification in printmaking and a Postgraduate certificate in ed. These are all useful for teaching.

Do you take part in any exhibitions?
I have exhibited extensively in the UK in solo and mixed exhibitions.

Do you attend any form of artists group and if so which and again what do you gain from attendance?
I have attended several in the past, most of which have been useful for contacts and feedback on work.

What have you learned from being in business that qualifications did not include?
I have learned vast amounts from being in business that none of my qualifications included.

For someone starting out in a career in arts what advice would you give?
You must be persistent and patient.

What future plans do you have for yourself and your work?
I wish to better my techniques and get my work out to a wider audience.

This completes the questionnaire for artist Louise. Just textile artist and photographer left now.
Meghan