What inspired you to pick up a brush and start painting? I've   always   had   a   passion   for   colour,   shape   and   design   -   it always    fascinated    me.    All    I    ever    wanted    for    birthdays    and Christmas   was   the   latest   art   and   craft   kit   or   any   art   product going.   Like   all   artists   I'm   sure,   the're   a   need   to   express   this creativity and it's something that just had to come out.  My   earliest   memory   of   seeing   a   'professional'   artist   was   when my   dad   took   me   to   a   local   craft   fair   and   I   was   asked   to   help make   a   simple   print   by   dipping   string   in   paint,   placing   it   on   paper between   the   pages   of   a   very   thick   book.   I   pulled   the   string   free from   the   pages   and   on   opening   the   book   revealed   the   most beautiful   pattern   which   the   painty   string   had   left.      This   was   so exciting   at   the   age   of   7,   and   it   obviously   had   a   lasting   effect   on me. Did  you always want to be an artist? Well   -   it   was   the   one   thing   that   I   was   always   doing   as   a   child; drawing,   painting,   making   and   experimenting   with   all   sorts   of   art and    craft    activities.        I    was    lucky    enough    to    have    a    truly inspirational    art    teacher    at    school    who    encouraged    me    to experiment   and   learn   basic   drawing   skills.   I   used   to   rush   home from   school   excitedly   to   tune   in   to   ‘Blue   Peter’   to   watch   the latest   project   to   be   created   –   usually   out   of   washing   up   bottles and sticky tape as I remember! I'spose   art   school   was   the   natural   path   for   me   and   I   did   my   art degree    at    Winchester    School    of    Art    .        I    fell    in    love    with Winchester   and   went   on   to   set   up   The   Colour   Factory   Studios which   is   now   in   its   24th   year.   The   Colour   Factory   houses   7 artists,   and   it   has   a   gallery   and   teaching   room.   We   have   a   full programme   of   art   classes      passing   on   our   professional   skills   and encouraging    others    to    get    creative.    I    reckon    I    never    really      wanted to leave art school - so set up one myself! Do  you have a favourite subject? Food! The   connection   between   art   and   food   has   always   been   an obvious   one   for   me   and   it's   led   to   my   doing   commissions   for hotels   and   restaurants   all   over   the   world.      I've   just   completed several   huge   paintings   for   the   Four   Seasons   in   Dubai,      and bespoke   artwork   for   Royal   Caribbean   Cruise   Lines   along   with some other very beautiful 5 star hotel interiors.

What inspired you to pick up a brush and start painting? Did you always want to be an artist? Do you have a favourite subject? Do you have a favourite medium? You   say   ''everyone   can   make   art'   –   it's   like   it's   become   your catchphrase. Is it a just a line, or do you really believe it? Unlike   many   artists,   you're   very   generous   with   your   techniques and knowledge. Why is that? So tell me about the Artist in You! How did that come about? So what's next? What are your plans?

Do  you have a favourite medium? Hey - if  it's not moving – I'll try it! I   would   definitely   call   myself   a   mixed   media   artist.   Even   at   art school   I   flitted   between   the   departments,   eager   to   learn   about what     everybody     else     was     doing:     printmaking,     painting, design,   fabrics   -      whatever   was   going   on,   I'd   have   my   nose   in it. I absorbed everything like a sponge! I   use   a   combination   of   all   of   these   in   my   work   now.      I've developed   lots   of   techniques   over   the   years   since   art   school of   course,      but   also   in   my   professional   capacity   working   for clients.   Pushing   the   boundaries      of   art   materials   and   seeing what   they   can   do   has   always   interested   me.   Learning   how   to control    them    to    best    effect.    I'm    seldom    satisfied    with    just acrylics   or   oils   -   I   can’t   help   adding   an   extra   layer   of   effect   or texture   with   modeling   paste,   collage,   foils   or   printing.   Why limit   yourself   to   one   medium?      There   is   so   much   energy   and interest   in   combining   all   these   mediums   and   it’s   a   lot   of   fun finding    out    too!    I’ve    always    loved    artists    such    as    Robert Rauschenberg and John Piper. I find them very inspirational. You    say   ''everyone   can   make   art'   –   it's   like   it's   become   your catchphrase. Is it a just a line, or do you really believe it? Of   course   I   believe   it!   It's   inherent   in   us   -   we're   hard-wired   to create,   to   change   our   environment   -   whether   it's   creating   a garden,   doing   a   bit   of   diy,   decorating   the   front   room   or   making a   picture.   I   don't   just   believe   it   –   I   know   it   for   a   fact!      Everyone can   discover   the   fun   and   pleasure   of   putting   marks   and   colour on   paper   whether   they   think   they   are   any   good   at   it   or   not.     I've   proved   it   time   and   time   again   -   and   seen   people   amazed and even in tears. I   mean   –   what   is   art   anyway?   There's   something   there   for everyone   –   it   doesn’t   have   to   be   limited   to   painting   and   you certainly   don’t   have   to   be   a   Leonardo   to   enjoy   it.   This   isn’t about   technical   drawing   and   creating   the   perfect   perspective   - this    is    about    having    some    fun    and    at    the    same    time, developing   confidence.   We   all   had   the   ability   as   children   to create    paintings    completely    without    inhibition    –    so    let's rediscover    it!    Sometimes    the    sheer    pleasure    of    squeezing great   clumps   of   colour   from   a   tube   is   enough   to   inspire   a reluctant   artist.   Given   the   right   encouragement,   people   are knocked sideways by what they can achieve. Unlike      many     artists,     you're     very     generous     with     your techniques and knowledge. Why is that? Creatives   who   share   their   knowledge   gain   more   in   the   long run   than   those   who   harbour   some   ridiculous   fear   that   others will   come   and   'steal'   their   ideas.      I   get   real   pleasure   from seeing   beginner   artists   learn   how   use   a   particular   technique and   develop   it   in   their   own   style.      As   I   said   –   given   the   same circumstances,   the   results   are   always   unique.   That   is   unless someone   is   a   brilliant   forger   -   which   is   a   skill   to   be   recognised in its own right! Who   knows?   If   that   artist   at   the   craft   fair   hadn't   shared   some knowledge   with   that   wide-eyed   7   year   old   –   I   might   have ended up an estate agent. I    have    taught    many    people    over    the    years    and    it    always fascinates   me   how   you   can   have   six   people   in   the   same   room with   the   same   materials   looking   at   the   same   subject   under   the same light - yet end up with six completely different results. Everyone   has   their   own   'style'   if   you   like   -      even   though   they are    probably    completely    unaware    of    it.    As    a    teacher    it's endlessly   exciting   to   see   this   and   I   always   encourage   it   -   help people   to   develop   their   own   unique   ‘artistic   handwriting’,   if you will.

So tell me about The Artist in You! How did that come about? Well   I   did   a   one   off   for   Fleet   Street   Productions,   and   Steve Grant,   the   director   –   saw   something   in   me   and   developed   the concept   for   the   series.   I   have   always   wanted   to   be   a   Blue Peter   presenter,   so   I   jumped   at   the   chance!      Steve   did   what they   call   a   'sizzle'   –   a   sort   of   'trailer   for   the   trade'   –   and   he   and his    exec    producer    Jim    Reeve    went    off    to    a    TV    festival    in Cannes   (no   less!)   to   see   if   there   was   any   interest.   The   rest   is history! Filming   a   TV   series   is   *&@/$%   hard   work   but   it's   exciting. Being   in   front   of   a   bunch   of   cameras   takes   a   bit   of   getting   used to,   but   I'm   lucky   to   work   with   a   brilliant   director   and   a   small, tight   production   team   that   makes   everything   pretty   relaxed.   My great    friend    and    fellow    artist    Rachael   Alexander    has    been involved     from     the     very     beginning,     and     she     kind     of metamorphosed   into   the   line   producer   so   I   have   a   director   and a   producer   who   really   understand   what   I'm   doing.   Well   -   most of the time, anyway!   I   love   working   in   the   studio   and   also   filming   on   location.   We've been   to   some   great   places   and   it's   brilliant   to   create   artworks inspired   by   locations   in   the   UK.   One   of   my   most   memorable has   got   to   be   the   dahlia   field   in   Sherfield   English   in   Hampshire. A    warm    sunny    late    August    day    and    so    beautiful    being    in amongst   thousands   of   colourful   flowers   in   my   favourite   vintage dress   sketching,   whilst   being   filmed   by   a   drone   camera   above my head! And   then   there   was   the   day   filming   with   Raymond   Blanc   in   his garden   at   le   Manoir.   The   heavens   opened   and   we   had   to   dig up   some   beetroot   up   for   a   painting.   It   poured   all   day!   We   were all   drenched   and   my   hair   was   ruined   –   but   that’s   the   glamorous life of TV filming for you!  The   great   thing   about   having   a   TV   series   is   that   I   can   reach   a much   wider   audience   and   get   the   message   across.   Everyone can   make   art!   The   show   is   packed   tight   with   so   many   different projects, there really is something for everybody. So what's next? What are your plans? Well    –    we're    already    working    on    season    2!    I    have    some commissions   to   fulfil   for   some   terrific   clients,   and   there's   never a   dull   day   at   the   Colour   Factory.   Then   there's   the   exhibitions and the shows -  life is busy, to say the least! If    you    have    any    questions    for    Jenny,    you    can    contact    her through

or via email: contact@artistinyou.tv

 THE ARTIST IN YOU! is produced by Fleet Street Productions Ltd, London. Directed by Steve Grant  |  Presented by Jenny Muncaster Distributed by Espresso Media International email: contact@artistinyou.tv  |  Site Policy and Privacy Statement © Fleet Street Productions Ltd 2018    All Rights Reserved