Alan Smith Artist Talk

• Working non-art related job is normal, could actually feed (income) creatively
• Botanical illustrator, Department of Illustration, Swansea
• Starting to find other ways to demonstrate ideas, more fine art, moving away from illustration
• 12 months working in Germany
• Things can drop on you, learn to take opportunities, don't knock chance
• Opportunity to go to America, drove across country, camped in mountains for 3 months
• Lucas Samaras
• Experiencing life isn't not making art
• Traveling a lot, looking for somewhere rural, big enough for ideas of artist community
• Large enough to both live/work in, and room for other artists to stay
• Allenheads - small village, 200 population, old schoolhouse, rents out spaces/rooms
• Skills learnt to maintain studio in New York (plastering, electrics, wall building etc)
• Wherever he goes, builds environment - studios, house etc.
• Caving - took canvases into caves to 'draw'
• Microscopic images, samples taken from suit
• Working with scientists
• Marcus Coates - Birdsong first made in Allenheads on residency (Dawns Chorus)
• If you are on a residency, take time to think before you start creating
• The right question is needed, not the right answer
• Always try something out, if it doesn't work it's fine, can learn from it
• Taking time to consider where you are, 'decompression period'
• All life experiences go into your ptential as an artist
• Fin a way of making sure you have funding instead of moaning about lack of it