Jenny Seals is based in Derbyshire. She is a 2D artist using mixed media to achieve small, atmospheric pieces that describe a place or person. She is fascinated by how our senses can retrieve a memory like the scent of new mown grass taking her back to her school playing fields or lying on the lawn at her family home. She is more interested in atmosphere than precise detail, hoping that the images provoke a similar response in the viewer to a sensual reminder of a memory. She often starts with an old photograph and weaves her mind around it to imagine the feeling of the person depicted. If it is a place, she will visit it and take her own photographs and then use the visual reminder of the photograph, with the feelings that she had, to make the finished piece.
Describe your practice for us:
I am interested in the atmosphere surrounding a particular person and place. I work in 2D, drawing, painting and experimenting with different materials to create small, layered pieces that I hope pique the viewers imagination. I am drawn to old family photographs and the memories that they prompt. I am interested in the ‘stories’ that the memories provoke, stories we all share and yet are unique to each individual. I like to bring my imagination into play when making the work, letting an image develop in its own way. I always have an end result in mind but am often surprised by the direction it takes.
How long have you been practising?
I have been practising since graduating in 2010.
What is the most interesting/inspiring thing you have seen/been to over the last month, and why?
I went to a solo exhibition of work by the Derby artist Keith Newlove at Artsmith Live in June. It was good to see how Keiths work is developing and to feel that energy that artists have to keep making work and getting it seen. It is always inspiring to be amongst your peers to offer your encouragement to them and to feel theirs in return. I admire the process and commitment to making the work and I admire the people offering exhibition space to new contemporary artists.
Which other artists’ work do you admire, and why?
I admire Howard Hodgkin and his unique paintings. I am fascinated by his working methods. He paints from his memory of a place, person, party, relationship etc. His paintings employ the most vibrant and exciting uses of paint that I have ever experienced. They have a physical presence and I get lost in their colours. The clue to the subject of a particular painting is in its title. This gives you another way into the work, helping to decipher the shapes and forms. I never get tired of looking at his work. I find it very sensual and stimulating.
Where can people see your work?
My work can be viewed on my online.
Jenny was first interviewed in October 2014.
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