CASE STUDY
Paul Fowler
Q As a professional artist of more than 30 years, what have been the most challenging times?
A Maintaining an income. The practicality of following your instinct without financial backing seems at the very least irresponsible and at best whimsical. When contracted to galleries, the process in many ways is straightforward, allowing the development of painting with an income, allows for total commitment and sets the pattern for working practice. Over the years the way galleries operate has changed; I have had to adapt and relearn digital formats, and artists and galleries have been affected by the pandemic. When not working with a gallery, income has to come from other work, which has an impact on the time available for the production and administration of my drawings and paintings.
Q How did you approach the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown?
A We were midway through classes when lockdown hit. We initially responded with videos on WhatsApp. When we realised that live classes were not going to be an option, we reinvented courses on the Zoom platform.
Q What was the most challenging aspect of teaching on Zoom?
A Very quickly we accepted this was going to run for a long period of time, and not be a short fix. We had to learn how to deliver exciting and engaging tasks that would encourage a response that could be completed by students at home and then shared a week later on Zoom. This required a great deal of work behind the scenes, most importantly the tireless hours of research and preparation required to balance the courses. As a result, the work that started to arrive
was stunning, sensitive, humorous and of an extremely high standard. Encouraged by the quality of all the students’ input, we launched the ‘Zoom Boom’ online exhibition as a celebration. A collection of hundreds of drawings and paintings from over a year’s projects and responses resulted in a resounding success.
Q What advice do you have for other artists about staying creative during challenging times?
A Get a studio! Staying creative, the challenge of making ideas work, the discovery of working through new thinking, the magic when paint works, when colour and form clash with imagination, are physically achieved in our own spaces. In our own studios, no matter how humble or grand. They are our thinking spaces, they exist within a different framework of time and therefore are essential for an artist’s practice as well as their sanity.
My working week is always divided into teaching and my painting practice, they feed each other. Ideas generated to support the teaching filter into my work, and my continued studio practice supports the teaching. I work on two or three projects at the same time, so I continually view and reevaluate my paintings. Paintings take many months to complete, as the images reveal themselves the work frequently changes and develops.
Q Did your practice change during the pandemic?
A Covid did have an affect. It did interfere with my usual processes. With exhibitions cancelled I have had to recalibrate what I am doing and why. It slowed me down and my response is only just emerging. Adjusting to a post-Covid situation I need to consider what is it I want to say, how I do it, and how it is being received.
All artists re-invent themselves, so it comes as no surprise that Covid will test us all in different ways, constantly questioning what we do and how we do it, and what our role should be. Time to get back to work!
Paul runs both Zoom and physical art classes at Pegasus Art near Stroud on a regular basis. You can purchase courses online at: https://www.paulfowlerartcourses.co.uk/ https://www.paulfowlerartcourses.co.uk/exhibition https://www.instagram.com/paulfowlerartcourses.co.uk/