Welcome to another...
SUNDAY STUDIO DAYS!
This week we will be featuring the studio of artsit & writer Rebecca Wilson also known as Lucky Sprout Studio.
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| Rebecca in her studio space |
We ask Rebecca:
When/how did you get into art?
I was always very happy making art but I never studied it formally. In graduate school I would paint as a way to shift gears from translating Latin. I started working as a self-employed designer a few years later doing book design, and I learned to do digital art so I could illustrate book covers. Over time I started to feel safer about doing more traditional art and now I’m painting full time. It was a long and extremely gradual process to build the skills and the confidence.
What’s a typical day in the studio look like to you?
I usually come in to the studio after breakfast and deal with admin in the mornings. Eventually I work on some painting or design projects. Every day is really different and will depend on things like upcoming deadlines, time of year, and how I’m feeling. I try to finish art pieces in a single sitting because I’m not great at continuity, so that usually means painting for a few hours straight. I like to clock out late afternoon and get out of the house for the evening!
Do you have a pet/friend that hangs out in the studio with you?
My studio manager is Blueberry. She is a lop/lionhead mix rabbit, and is a senior lady at 9 years old. I adopted her last year and am completely obsessed with her. She has a lot of attitude and only really likes me (guests are tolerated). She does a wonderful job of keeping me in my studio (I’m always afraid she’s lonely if I’m not here) and encourages me to take breaks from working for snacks and cuddles. She’s honestly been great at keeping me focused on my art. You can see how bunny-centric my work has become since getting her.
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| Studio Manager - Blueberry |
What’s your favourite thing/part of your studio?
Aside from my rabbit, who is an obvious choice, my favourite thing is probably the view. I have big windows that look out on a forest and I love watching the seasons change from here.
Do you listen to music/tv/podcasts while you work in your studio? If so, what’s your favourite!
Definitely! I don’t like working in silence. I’ve usually got YouTube on in the background. I like watching artist vlogs and content by other creatives; it’s like having co-workers, kind of!
Where do you get your inspiration?
Vintage picture books, traveling, and spending time in nature. I’m constantly mining my own childhood for inspiration, remembering TV shows I loved, books I read, and little details like the wallpaper in my childhood bedroom and the feeling of being safe in my bed. Safety, imagination, and nostalgia are themes I like to explore a lot.
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| Snaps of Rebecca's space |
Who’s your favourite local artist? / a local artist you admire?
It’s so hard to narrow it down, but I’ll pick two - Erin Hollingshead and Julie Pantoja (Julep & Trubbs Studio)! They both make work that inspires me so much. They work in different mediums than me typically, so I feel a bit of awe around their art.
How do you decide what to make/paint/draw?
Everything grows off the previous piece. I’ll paint a bird and some flowers, then really like how the flowers looked, so I’ll do a floral piece and add a bee in, then imagine a world of bees and try that, and so on and so forth. Sometimes I’ll paint the same thing several times until I feel like I execute the idea correctly. I don’t try and push myself out of my comfort zone, really. I just meander and see where it leads organically. I like to paint like I’m taking a leisurely walk. I can look back through my work and immediately know where I was on the “path” when I did it. I guess I see an invisible thread running through everything I make. I’m not sure if it translates to others. I used to worry about painting things cohesively or finding my “style”, like something that connects all my work. I gave up on that and decided I was the connecting factor. After accepting that, it all organically came together anyway, so now I just trust my intuition and know it will lead me somewhere fun and creative.
Do you have any advice to offer/ best piece of advice you’ve received?
The advice I’m trying to follow right now is to be clear about your overall goal and don’t spend too much time worrying about how to get there. Just keep trying the next right thing. There is never a straightforward path that you can plan so it’s best to embrace the strangeness of the journey, while keeping that overall goal in mind as your North Star. In retrospect it will all make sense. At least that’s what I’ve heard.
What is something people may not know about you?
I’m a huge wrestling fan. I watch many hours of it every week and have travelled several times to watch big events!
What activities outside of your art practice do you like to enjoy?
I love going to the beach, especially up in Kingsport. I’m always showing up at my relatives’ houses to hang out and go on little adventures. I read through a good stack of library books each month (mainly in my hammock if the weather is warm) and I love hanging out at home working on projects. Right now I’m painting a little wooden cabinet with an apple cut-out in the door. I thrifted it and I think it’s going to go by the front door.
Thank you so much Rebecca & Blueberry!
Drop by the gallery to see more work from Lucky Sprout Studio.
