WONDER WALL

AV: “What does your son think?” HD: “My children, all of them are very proud. A lot of my friends said they knew. When I meet people they think I’m an artist immediately. It’s always been there, I guess, I just didn’t know it.” AV: “It’s cool then that you’ve found it.” HD: “I find it very frightening, because I think I might have not. I could have gone on how many years and never have known. And how many people out there are the same way? And we’re all told past a certain age it’s over. For women, it starts really young. If you haven’t done something past a certain age, by the time you’re 35 it’s too late. I think it’s sad.” AV: “What do you think has been the best moment on this journey so far?” HD: “When photographer Nick Knight found me, that was the scariest. I remember thinking: ‘I’ve done it now. People think I can paint. Idiots!’ (Laughs). I think Alessandro Michele having embroidery of my dogs on his jacket … just him, it didn’t go into production; he just asked his embroiderers to copy the dogs onto the back of his jacket. He told me he wanted to do it, but for some reason I never really think things are going to happen.” AV: “What is he like to work with? Obviously in fashion terms he’s a tsunami coming through the industry.” HD: “I almost think – it’s probably not the best thing to put in an interview – but I forget that it’s Gucci, it’s just fantastic. I know in the end it’s all got to sell and make money, but I don’t believe that’s the point he comes from. And I have a lot to be thankful for, because Alessandro really took a risk with me.” AV: “When I look at your work I think of that famous David Hockney painting of Celia Birtwell, Ossie Clark and Percy, in a way, the whole essence.” HD: “Yes … I like Alice Neel. I love Stella Vine. I love art that’s not trying to be clever, that looks like it doesn’t have much technique going on, you know, that looks like someone has just made up their own thing. I find it really hopeful. And Picasso, of course. Francis Bacon, because of his colours. And Otto Dix I love. And I love photography too, Diane Arbus.” AV: “Where would you love your paintings to be exhibited?” HD: “The National Portrait Gallery. Not that I have any delusion that would happen. In my dream world the National Portrait Gallery. I’m very much an outsider and the art world is still very distant. But there’s another, different art world that’s building up through Instagram and I’m really happy to be so heavily involved in that part. Every time one of my artworks goes out it makes me sad that only a handful of people will see it hung on a wall, but that’s the way it is at the moment. But we’ll see, because even that is organic. I’m hoping somebody will think: ‘We’ve got to give this woman an exhibition.’” AV: “What’s next for you … three days to go on this big painting?” HD: “Yes, three days to go on this. I’ve got quite a few commissions to do and then some special work for Alessandro. The next six, seven weeks is completely chock-a-block.”