Welcome to the first What Artists Like, a new artist-led series, created and edited by Masters Artist Nicola Wiltshire that shines a fresh light on the New Blood Art collection.
There is a long history of artists supporting artists. Whether it’s through sharing exhibitions, work spaces, or collecting each other’s work, artists are often the first to notice when someone is making waves.
“Degas is so passionate over Cezanne’s studies, what do you think? “
Camille Pissarro in a letter to his son, 1895.
Van Gogh famously sold only one painting during his lifetime, but he was very involved in the Paris art scene. He swapped work with many of his contemporaries, including two sunflower paintings for ‘On the Banks of the River, Martinique’ by Paul Gauguin, who was already well-respected at the time.
And then we have Matisse and Picasso, who were famous rivals. Towards the end of his life, a bedridden Matisse asked to borrow Picasso’s ‘Winter Landscape’ to study. Matisse refused to return the painting and it hung permanently on his bedroom wall until his death in 1954.
As an artist who collects, I’m so fascinated by these stories and curious about how our taste shapes the work we make. I’m excited to oversee this new series for New Blood Art and to delve into the question: what do artists like and why?
We hope this series will flesh out the wonderful artists who are represented by New Blood Art, allowing you to experience them beyond their photos and Artist Statements. Each guest Artist Curator will nominate the next, which will help keep things fresh and hopefully lead to some exciting re-discoveries.
I’ll go first to get things rolling, with my selection of works I’d love to live with. And I’ve nominated Errol Theunissen as the next Artist Curator, so keep your eyes peeled for his selection (read now What Artists Like #2)
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Nicola Wiltshire
What Artists Like #1
Eleanor Dunning
15 x 21 cm | 5 x 8 in
Mixed media on paper
£180
I love anything by Eleanor Dunning. Her style is instantly recognisable and her subjects conjure up a wonderful 60’s aesthetic for me, which is nostalgic and fun. I particularly love her works on paper. They have a rawness and energy about them, which works so well with the ceramics she’s painting. She’s really captured the wonkiness of these handmade objects in a way that is both timeless and fresh.
Claire Shakespeare
66 x 46 cm | 25 x 18 in
Mixed media on canvas
£790
I’ve admired Claire Shakespeare’s work for some time. Her style is delicate and subtle, but also bold and full of power. I imagine her working in an energetic and intuitive way. I’m not sure if she does, but the thought alone adds a lot to the work. Like each piece is a slice of her imagination. I chose Fridge Underlay because I love the colours, but also because I’m intrigued by the use of negative space. I’d enjoy trying to figure out how the work was made, so know it would have longevity.
Madeline Rolt
56 x 64 cm | 22 x 25 in
Acrylic on wood
£230
This is an artist I’ve never encountered, but a thumbnail of her work caught my eye. I love the folky feeling to all her work, but the colours and ambiguity of this piece make it my favourite. Clicking through to the extra photos, I was surprised to see it was how big it was. It’s great value for how much it would add to a room. It’s painted on plywood too, so it would be interesting figuring out whether to frame it or not.
Isaac Aldridge
26 x 26 cm | 10 x 10 in
Oil on canvas
£430
I was first drawn to this painting because it’s such a celebration green. There are so many great colours applied in interesting ways. The text is graceful, appealing and mysterious. It looks like half of a note, with the other half translated into paint. Very intriguing. I absolutely adore how sculptural the painting becomes when seen from the sides. The red, scribbled patterns add so much to the surface of the painting. It looks like great quality canvas too, so would have a really material presence in any room.
Sophie Cat Baker
Masters Artist
25 x 30 cm | 9 x 11 in
Oil on canvas.
£550
This painting has a more abstract feel than Sophie’s other work. It reminds me of the edge of a forest – where trees are sort of scattered sporadically, before growing closer and closer together the deeper into the forest you go. The painting manages to be both stimulating and peaceful. I think the effect would change a lot depending on my mood. I can see many of my favourite paint colours in here too, all mixed in a way that conjures up a memory or a dream.