I interview….Freya Barton, an artist
1. Who are you and how did you become an artist?
I am Freya Barton, I’m 39 and live in West Berkshire with my husband and children. I work as a full time artist, painting still life, landscapes and some whimsical imagined works. I have sold my work internationally and only sell original paintings as I like to feel like my work is moving forwards.
My degree was in Textile Print Design from WSA and so my path to painting full time has its foundation in playing with pattern and colour. This still comes through in my paintings today.
My inspiration comes from my love of colour, folk art and playing with composition of still life. In my recent works I am enjoying working with the concept of nostalgia and manipulating the shapes and colours of landscapes.
My paintings use vibrant playful colours and play with perspective with elements of pattern and 2D imagery. My decorated pieces pull from the traditions of Folk Art and I enjoy drawing inspiration from generations of folk painters before me.
2. What’s your advice to others starting out as an artist?
Practise and play with materials, experiment with how they work and don’t give yourself a hard time if you don’t create a masterpiece each time! Practise is definitely the key to finding your style and to improving your work so really the more hours you can put in the better. Lessons are learned from the mistakes.
3. What does a brief day in your life look like?!
My working day fits around my children and school runs etc. Once I get home to my studio I make sure I have a coffee and put on a podcast or audiobook and then I get to work. I might prep some canvases ready for another day just to loosen up and then start working on some layers of another piece.
If I am working on a still life I might have some flowers that I am working from so that puts a time frame on how quickly I need to finish a piece. Otherwise I often come back to work or jump between different pieces depending in what direction my ideas are flowing that day. I’ll always fit in answering emails or IG messages at some point and also often post something to Instagram (as this is my main platform I sell work through). If I have work to post out I will spend quite a bit of time carefully wrapping a painting ready to send out.
4. Who is a person you look up to and why?
My husband Alex. He is such a capable person and so good at doing life! He can cook and is an amazing gardener as well as working hard at a full time job. He is often juggling a project/renovation we are doing on our house as well as being a great father to our children! I am much more chaotic and distractable and so he achieves double the amount I do in the same time!
5. Name your biggest professional highlight?
When I was still a student I created a silk scarf design which was printed and sold by Liberty’s - that was a fun experience. I honestly feel so happy whenever someone buys one of my paintings. It is such a honour that they have chosen to have my work on my walls.
6. Favourite book and why?
Any book by Louise Hay. I find her advice inspiring and thought provoking.
I’m not a much of a reader as I have a very limited attention span so I listen to audio books instead whilst I paint. My most listened to books are Agatha Christies Poirot books. We even named one of our dogs Agatha in her honour!
7. Favourite podcast and why?
I’m currently listening to various podcasts about the US election. Americast is probably one of my favourites. I tend to binge listen to things so once my interest in this has peaked it will probably be something completely different!
8. What’s the one thing you try and do every day for yourself?
I’ve found this one difficult to answer. One of my children is Autistic and so I feel like I always need to be ready for whatever the day might bring up. This means I don’t have a routine really. The only consistency in my day is coffee - my day always involves drinking lots of coffee.
9. What’s your guilty pleasure?!
Too much coffee! Chocolate (I think I eat some chocolate everyday) and a rummage in a junk shop.
10. Favourite holiday destination?
Cornwall. We have a little house on the Roseland peninsula so we spend as much time there as we can. We would like to live there full time one day.
11. What is your earliest child memory?
Seeing my younger sister in her carrycot with a mop of dark hair! I think I was probably only about 3.
12. What do you think is the key to happiness?
Gratitude, health and finding the magic and pleasure in the small everyday things.
13. Window or aisle seat?
Aisle, I’m an anxious flyer!
14. What’s a super power you wish you had?
The power to pause time. I never have enough time to do everything that I would like to get done and sometimes life feels like its moving faster than I’m happy. A pause button I could hit whenever I want would be amazing!
15. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Its better to regret the things you have done rather than regret the things you haven’t done.
16. What’s the number one mistake people make when they create art?!
Not investing in good quality materials. It can seem unnecessary when you can buy much cheaper alternatives but you really do get what you pay for when it comes to art materials. Good quality paints will be much more vibrant and have a better texture and depth of colour for example. It can also put children off creativly if the materials aren’t helping them to create to the best level they can.
Find Freya’s work: https://www.freyabarton.co.uk/
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