Estelle Day's main interest is in painting portraits and more recently still lifes - but also do detailed pen & ink drawings. Day takes inspiration from people, everyday objects and from nature. One of Estelle Day's portraits is currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery for the BP Portrait Award 2017 exhibition.
1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?
Probably Realism.. and Figurative Art
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
Anywhere, as long as I have good lighting and all my materials to hand.
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
Varied! Sometimes an idea will pop into my head and I will know straight away what I want to create and the whole process is very straightforward. Other times, the creative process will be much slower and will require a lot more planning and thought.. and patience.
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
It would be impossible to choose just one.. the ones that stand out are Courbet, Manet, Freud, Hokusai and Hammershoi.
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
I would be a photographer.
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
Mostly music but sometimes it's nice to have Radio 4 on in the background.
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
Anything by Hammershoi.
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
It would have to be the National Portrait Gallery.
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
To remember to step out of your comfort zone.
10) What is your favourite book of all time (fiction or non-fiction)?
Impossible to choose just one, I have too many favourite books.
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non-traditional art setting, where would that be?
I have a thing about trees and so I would probably choose a woodland area somewhere.
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
Not easy to pinpoint one particular thing but I was always encouraged to think outside the box and try new things,
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
In my studio, hard at work of course!
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