‘Artists can shine a light on things that might otherwise be overlooked’
James Needham was born in England and now lives in Australia. He works from a shared warehouse studio in Sydney, with his whippet Tilly for additional good company 'whilst he plays with sticks and coloured dirt'. His portraits, figurative works and still life paintings are held in collections around the globe.
Where is your current studio? What would be your dream studio?
My current studio is in a warehouse in Marrickville, Sydney. Over the past few years I’ve alternated between working from home studios and having a separate studio. I’m a fan of both situations so in an ideal world I would have 2 studios available depending on the work I was making, as the studio environment makes such a difference to the type of works produced in them. If pushed I’d have a New York loft style studio and the front room of an Edwardian town house as my 2 studios! Do you prefer to work in silence or does certain music inspire you?
I mainly work in silence, when I listen to music it’s often because I have a lot going on in my head and need to stay focused on my work. I find classical music and techno equally effective at concentrating my mind on painting.
Studio life can lead to isolation, how do you address this/ keep a balance?
My whippet Tilly comes to the studio with me every day, she’s the perfect companion and I couldn’t imagine working without her. One of the benefits of having a studio in a shared building is that there’s always someone around for a chat if you’re feeling lost or lacking in motivation and of course being a portrait painter I’m often working from life so I have someone to chat to as i work. What is your favourite/ least favourite part of the creative process? Like most painters I enjoy starting paintings much more than finishing them! Having new ideas and throwing paint around with big brushes in the early stages of a work is a real joy, whilst resolving them can be torturous and frustrating. The majority of paintings don’t live up to your early expectations of them and leave you feeling flat and disappointed, the positive from this is that it drives you forward to try again. Do you have a personal mantra or quote which serves to motivate you?
I think its hard to beat Dory - “just keep swimming”
How has your style evolved and what contributed to the changes? When I was first learning to paint I learnt by looking closely at artists I admired, trying to work out how they did it and then copying their work. Over time they all mix together and your own style starts to form as do your opinions on what makes a good painting How does your work respond to social trends? I think good art has to reflect the society it was created within, so social trends naturally become themes in your work, intentionally or otherwise. In my work I try to avoid elements of nostalgia or timelessness at all costs, I want my pictures to be firmly rooted in the here and now. What do you hope to convey through your work? As much as I can I want my work to be an honest, unvarnished reflection of my experiences in life. I want to tell stories that may not ordinarily get told and paint things that may not usually be deemed interesting enough to turn in to art.
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