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Five Minutes with Iain Perry

Iain Perry discusses the importance of colour and shape within his work, as well as reflecting on another inspirational artist.

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Lover of travel and wildlife, visual artists Sarah Hardy is currently exploring photography, although she is a painter by nature.

What do you think inspires you to create art?

I would like to say the natural world, what I paint is mostly floral and cloudscapes. While these images partly get me started with ideas, it is more the colours and shapes, and the way each on is different. This is why I like painting clouds and flowers, as there is not a right answer. You can paint some lines or do some blobs and BOOM, you have something beautiful, that makes me so happy.

‘If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants’ – Isaac Newton

What can also inspire me is other artists. I can scroll through Pinterest or YouTube videos for hours and be so enamoured by what I see. I enjoy recreating artwork in my own personal style. I have so many boards on my Pinterest that include a variety of styles or subjects. Whenever I’m stuck with an idea, I know that I have something to help me.

Is your creative process planned or do you like to work more freely?

I usually start with a general idea as to what I want the final piece to look like. However I don’t force myself to stay with that mindset, some of my favourite pieces have been from mistakes or happenstances or a complete 180. That is what makes it fun for me, the fluidity of it all and that anything can (and probably will) happen.

Do you have an art sale that has stayed with you?

I did a painting as a trial for some new paints and colours and it wasn’t my favourite. I kept umming and aahing over it as to what I can do, but in the end I left it. I’m glad I did, I ended up selling it to someone who absolutely loved everything about it; the flowers, the colours, and the neon pink especially.

How would you advise an artist who is starting their career?

Have fun. This is meant to be fun and a way to express ourselves so make the most of it. Even if you don’t like a piece there is bound to be someone who will.

And if mistakes happen then embrace them, sometimes it is the mistakes that make a piece and show what it can become. I can’t even count how many of mine have had moments of “Oh no” or “whoops” (it mildly) happen but then ended up being some of my favourites because of the mistakes.

What do you find the most rewarding part of being an artist?

Having people admire my artwork and actually want to own it. There is no feeling like it. I have such immense pride and happiness when people want one of me pieces and then show their friends and talk to me about it, that I can’t help but smile.