When did you start your creative practice and why?
I always loved art but knowing exactly what I wanted to do with that love was difficult. I spent all of my twenties raising my four children then when I was in my thirties I did an evening class in A level art and from that got a place at the University of Derby studying Illustration. It took me a little while after finishing my degree to find my style but after going on holiday to Cornwall I decided to enter the Derby Open Competition by creating a happy painting of Derby like those I had seen in the beautiful seaside towns of Cornwall. I really enjoyed the process and was happy with the outcome, my painting got into the exhibition, was sold and I was commissioned to do another and that was the start of my bird’s eye view paintings.
How would you describe your artistic style to someone unfamiliar with your work?
I am inspired by children’s book illustration, and I think my style shows this. I like to create little stories with the characters in my paintings, and you will often see the same characters appearing in different pictures.
What themes or ideas do you find yourself returning to most often?
I like to paint local familiar places the most as they are also the places that I tend to sell my art but I also love to paint the seaside so any opportunity I get I will do this.
What is your creative process from idea to finished piece is it always the same?
First of all I research the area I will be painting, if possible, I go and take photographs and walk around the area to choose the street and building which appeal to me most. I then draw out the main road or street and draw the buildings up along it; I then work out from those buildings and draw in everything that will be in the final painting including people. This part of the process takes the longest, but it is really important in achieving a balanced final image.. Next I paint everything in watercolour, the painting looks very different at this point before I add the ink details. I use a dip pen and ink to add all of the details as the final stage of the process
Is there a particular piece of yours that feels especially meaningful? Why?
I painted the large picture of New York while recovering from chemotherapy to treat breast cancer in 2016. It took me a long time but it is special to me as it was a sign that I was getting better.
What do you find challenging as an artist, and how do you overcome these challenges?
I think time is my biggest challenge. I think it’s really important to make sure that you give yourself time to create. It feels like a kind of therapy when I am able to devote a solid amount of time to painting and getting ideas down onto paper is extremely rewarding.
Do you ever have creative blocks, how do you keep motivated?
Yes its really hard to feel motivated all of the time, I find that if I have a period of time where I have been unable to get in my studio due to other commitments its really hard to get back into creating again. The busier I am, the more ideas I have which can be frustrating if I don’t have enough time to put them down on paper!
Who are the artists (past or present) who have strongly influenced you?
I am very influenced by children’s book illustrators especially Shirley Hughes, Raymond Briggs and Quentin Blake. I love the tenderness of their mark making, the way it conveys emotion so clearly and the obvious story telling that happens within them.
What tools, materials, or techniques are essential to your practice? Is there a colour you just couldn't do without?
I love my Schmincke watercolours. I use watercolour pans and do tend to use the same colours in my paintings. I think the colour I would miss the most is purple as it is around us in nature a lot more than you would imagine, it is great for adding shadows and tone to a painting and far more interesting than black.
What is your website and how do we find you on social media?
My website www.rebeccamorledge.co.uk
Facebook Rebecca Morledge Illustration & Art
Instagram: Rebecca_morledge_art
