Art Attack: Jenny Ullyatt

Watercolour artist Jenny Ullyatt, well known for her fun and splashy style, will be leading a workshop at the Easingwold Art Fair this year. We take the opportunity to find out more about her work and painting techniques…

When did you first start painting?

I’ve painted since I was a child. I always loved it and just didn’t stop! My mum, Pamela Barton, took up painting when I was a teenager and subsequently had an art gallery with my step father, Michael Farmer. This gave me a fantastic opportunity to display my work – and ‘steal’ lots of exciting art materials from the shop!

How did your style develop?

I like my paintings to have lots of movement and life in them, even when I’m painting still subjects. I initially started in oils and pastels which have a lot of texture to them – I aim to get that into my watercolours too. I splatter and use my fingers, the wrong end of brushes, palette knives, whatever I can get my hands on to create shapes and patterns. I paint quite instinctively, drawing on sketches and from memory, and I aim for paintings that look fresh and not overworked.

What do you like about using watercolours?

I love the fluidity of watercolour. It’s a great ‘lazy person’s’ medium – the water and pigments do much of the work for you. They flow and mix, and create gorgeous shapes and patterns in a way that would have to be done with deliberate brush stroke in oil. I also like the translucency of watercolours – they seem to glow like stained glass.

Where do you like to work?

I have a studio in our house. I think if you have a space that’s just for painting, then you paint more. I also paint with my step-father at his studio in Northallerton. It’s great to have someone who’ll say ‘that’s not working’ or ‘try this’.

Do you have a favourite among the paintings you’ve done?

I’m always painting in my head, so my favourite is always the one I’m about to do next. If I had to pick one I’ve done it would be ‘Journey to the Hills’ as I had lots of fun playing with new techniques in this.

Do you enjoy running workshops?

I love running workshops. They’re always brilliant fun to do and there’s a great energy when you have a room full of people all working on something together. I also learn a lot from teaching. It forces me to verbalise both the techniques I’m using and the reasons behind my decision making. Until I started teaching, this is something I hadn’t thought about at all, and it’s helped me to improve, and look at my own work differently.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

Experiment and play! Children do this without a second thought and with watercolour, I always think it’s better to risk making a mistake – you might end up with something totally fab. And while it’s great to learn from others, don’t be constrained by other people’s rules and techniques – everyone is different. Do what you enjoy, the way you enjoy doing it and you can’t go wrong.