Glenn Hernandez: Reflective Mark Making

Glenn Hernandez won a Jackson’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work Aberration. In this interview, he discusses feeling divided between two versions of his life, the importance of spontaneity in his work, and how the political climate in the US impacts his creativity. Above image: The artist in his studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Glenn: I’ve been drawing and painting since I was five years old. My parents always encouraged it. I also love music and singing, in particular I love choral music and opera. I started out as a vocal performance major in college but I couldn’t get beyond my music theory courses so I fell back on studio art as my major. My earliest interests in art were more centered on illustration, especially the work of Golden Age illustrator Arthur Rackham. It wasn’t until I took my first art course in high school that I was exposed to fine art and the work of painters like Lucian Freud and Frank Auerbach. Nonetheless, my career as an artist has often been commercial. I’ve been an art director at game and animation studios, I’ve worked as an illustrator …

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A Directory of Art Charities

Art has the power to heal, uplift, and transform lives. Across different settings and experiences, organisations are using visual arts to open doors, spark connections, and support wellbeing. From creative workshops for people living with dementia to platforms that celebrate the artistic talents of children in underfunded areas, charities are using art to make a real difference. From initiatives that protect the environment through creativity to those that champion the work of neurodivergent artists, many projects are creating meaningful and lasting impact through the arts In this article, we’ll introduce a selection of charities doing exceptional work through art worldwide and provide references so you can contribute. Each organisation reflects a shared belief: that creativity has the power to include, to elevate, and to inspire. Above image: artist Afonso Rocha at work     A Directory of Art Charities   Art Charities in the United Kingdom Art For Youth An annual exhibition showcasing emerging artists while raising funds for UK Youth. Over 37 years, it has generated over £2 million to support millions of young people facing disadvantage, with all sales and donations benefiting both artists and vulnerable youth across the UK. Art for Charity Founded in 2012, Art for …

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Richard Goold: A New Nostalgia

Richard Goold won the Jackson’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work My Father and Mr Cheese Planting Standard Roses. In this interview, he discusses drawing with Tesco highlighters, adapting his way of working since becoming a dad, and the significance of hessian. Above image: Richard Goold in his studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Richard: I’ve always painted from a very young age, more so than drawing, even. My mother is a painter, so I grew up going to the National Gallery with her and messing around with paint while she painted. It’s something I’ve always done and wanted to do for as long as I can remember. I went to UCA Farnham to do my fine art degree and had some great tutors and visiting lecturers. This was a great environment and place to push my practice. Going it alone after uni can be daunting, but I’d met some great people who helped in the years following.     Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals? Richard: My studio days look very different …

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Sally Muir: A Series From The Subconscious

Sally Muir won the Planographic Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Beyond Black 15. In this interview, she discusses her love-hate relationship with pastels, the ephemerality of tissue paper, and how monotype lets her explore new paths. Above image: Sally Muir in her studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Sally: I applied to art school when I was 17 and got rejected. I did various other jobs, mostly in publishing and bookshops, until I met my business partner, Joanna Osborne, and we became knitwear designers. That’s what I did for over 30 years, and then decided to try art school again and was accepted this time. So I did a year of foundation and then five years part-time at Bath School of Art and Design (where, coincidentally, I had originally applied). As I needed to make a living when I left, I started working to commission as a portrait artist, painting children mostly. Occasionally, I was asked to include a dog. Gradually, dogs took over, and I started to specialise in dogs, visiting my local dogs’ home and drawing the dogs there became the basis of a year-long project; drawing, …

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Sara Rossberg: A Luminous Obsession

Sara Rossberg won Joshua Donkor’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Emergence. In this interview, she discusses preserving the transparency of her layers, drawing as intensely as painting, and looking for detachment in her subjects. Above image: Sara Rossberg sitting in front of her painting Presence – Two in her studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Sara: I announced at the age of nine that I wanted to be an artist, much to the dismay of my father. After graduating from school in 1971, I entered art college, Staedelschule, Academy of Fine Arts in Frankfurt, Germany. During my second year, I was awarded a scholarship that included one year of studying abroad. So, after the end of my course at Staedelschule, this brought me to London in 1976. Initially, I enrolled at Camberwell College of Art and Crafts to study paper conservation with the intention of learning a skill that would provide me with an income while painting. Within weeks, I hated the course, gave up the whole idea and switched back to painting. As I was unable to move to a postgraduate college, I was given permission to …

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Practical Advice For Overcoming Creative Stagnation

Whether you’re a professional or amateur artist, all of us experience creative block at some point. In these moments, it can be helpful to remind yourself of the routines and techniques you can use to get yourself out of a rut, and ways to deepen your daily creative practice in order to keep the stagnation at bay. Reinforced by pearls of wisdom from previous Jackson’s Art Prize winners, we’ve outlined and collected some of the best advice to help you find your flow. Above image: Eleanor Johnson at the V&A Museum, London     Seek Outside Inspiration Perhaps the first route to inspiration as an artist is to look outwards and ask, ‘What are other artists doing? What have they done in the past? How can they help me realise my own findings?’. While many artists share studio spaces, those who work alone may need to look a little further afield for creative dialogue when in a rut. As Abi Whitlock, winner of the People’s Choice Award, says “Working alone the majority of the time can lead to you becoming quite creatively stagnant and stuck in your own thoughts and patterns of working.”   Head to a gallery to see …

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Eline Brontsema: The Fun in Finality

Eline Brontsema won the Relief Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Stadtbad Spandau Nord. In this interview, she discusses the physical demands of woodcutting, allowing for spontaneity within her process, and the beauty of working slowly. Above image: Eline in the studio     Josephine: Could you tell us about your artistic background? Eline: I’ve been drawing my whole life, and from a young age, I wanted to go to art school. After high school, I enrolled in the preparatory program at the Minerva Art Academy in Groningen. I was looking for an art program where I could learn technical skills. I was always drawing, but I also wanted to learn to paint well. Ultimately, I didn’t find what I was looking for. So I started studying Philosophy at the University of Groningen. That was fun, but after I finished, I still wanted to be an artist. After working for a while, I finally enrolled in the art academy, the Klassieke Academie in Groningen, the Netherlands, in 2014. Including the preparatory program, the study took six years. I graduated in 2020. This was what I’d always wanted!     Josephine: What does a typical working day …

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