For this month’s Artist Spotlight I have interviewed artist Jacqueline Wild of Glitter and Earth! Ms. Jacqueline is a faerie artist who currently lives and works in Cornwall. She was kind enough to treat us to an inside look into her art, and share a bit about her upcoming children's book The Shop Keeper's Apology.
First of all, I love the name of your studio, Glitter and Earth! Can you share a little about the meaning behind the name?
Thanks Autumn! I wanted a name that expressed a little bit about my work. I love playing with glitter and I think that glitter is very fairy like. I nearly chose "glitter and mist' as the town where I live is renowned for its mist, but I liked the groundedness of Earth and the way it balances the more ethereal nature of glitter. Being environmentally conscious is also important to me too.
I'm always interested in finding out what inspires fellow artists to create. What would you say are some of your main inspirations?
It's hard to express sometimes, as the need to create feels like something bubbling away inside of me. There is a certain energy that feels special and it makes me want to share it. Nature is a big inspiration... I'm blessed to live near the ocean and the exceptional rugged Cornish cliffs. I grew up in South East London though, and so, I love the energy and buzz of the city. Inspiration comes from pretty much anything that has a sense of beauty to it. I particularly like faded glamour, a sense of decadence that time has worn away.
What are some of the medias you enjoy working with most?
I have experimented with most, but apart from glitter work, I am predominantly working digitally now. I love working on my IPad so much! It's like this is how I was always supposed to create my work.
I'm interested in your creative process. When you begin a new painting or drawing, do you begin with the concept fully in mind, or let things develop on their own?
My process has really changed over the years. When I started it was a matter of playing with paint on canvas and waiting for the picture to emerge. It was like waiting to be guided and I had no idea of what the end result would be. Now, however, I am a lot more focused! I am designing and sketching work to a greater degree than I ever have done, and since I've started illustrating for children I have had to learn a lot of new things to enable me to get my vision on paper.
I really enjoyed your 100 days of fairies project. Could you tell me a bit about what inspired you to start the project and how it has affected your work since?
Thanks Autumn! It was such a great experience! I had no idea that the project would lead to me publishing a book. The 100 Day Project was something that I came across on Facebook as another artist I followed mentioned it. I liked the idea of having this focus and I wanted to start experimenting with shapes and patterns some more, so I thought why not?
I have a two year old daughter, and so to begin with I was doing little sketches when she was eating or playing. But it wasn't until I discovered Procreate (an app on the IPad) that I was really able to start developing the pictures on a whole new level AND continue working on them whilst Tabitha slept on me.
The fairies took on a life of their own after that!
My work since then has grown from what I learned and I now have an iPad pro and pencil, so I can have greater control of my pictures.
I've noticed you are working on another book. How exciting! I'd love to hear a bit about the project and your thoughts on illustration.
Yes! I am working on a fairy tale book called The Shopkeeper's Apology by Theraysa Gapasin which has a very 'classic' feel to it. It's been wonderful to work on and I've loved bringing somebody else's vision to life. This has been another very different way of working for me as you are creating a series of pictures that need to flow and work as a whole, not just one off experiments. It's been a great experience and I really hope to carry on and work on more children's books.
Do you have a favourite fairy tale?
That's a hard question! I'm re reading lots of fairy tales for Tabitha now and so I get to enjoy them all over again. I recently read The Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, and that was lovely!
Is there anything you'd like to mention or give a shout-out to?
I'd like to mention Will Terry for his You Tube videos on creating children's books! He has posted an invaluable amount of information and I have learned so much about the industry and the process. If anyone is thinking about going down this path then I would recommend looking him up.
I'd also like to thank you, lovely Autumn, for taking the time to interview me and your support of my work! It's much appreciated!
Thank you Ms. Jacqueline.
Above is one of my favourite pieces by Ms. Jacqueline from her 100 days of fairies project.. To view more of Jacqueline Wild's art head over to www.jacquelinewild.com And don't forget to visit her facebook page where she shares all her latest projects and art. Her book 'Glitter and Earth: Tales of Magic and Wonder' is also available on Amazon.