Nick Lord is Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year 2013

10th December 2013 in Events, Interviews and Partnerships by Cass Art

The news is in and were all b sy celebratin! the s ccess "# $ic% &"rd, has been ann" nced as the winner "# t"ni!hts '%y Arts P"rtrait Artist "# the (ear) *ased in Cardi##, $ic% st died +ine Art at the ,niversity "# -in!st"n specialisin! in paintin!, c"lla!e and "# c" rse, p"rtrait re. $ic%s pri/es #r"m the art televisi"n sh"w "# the year incl de a 010,000 c"mmissi"n t" paint a th"r 1ilary 2antel and a years s pply "# art materials #r"m Cass Art. T" celebrate, we ca !ht p with $ic% in " r Islin!t"n +la!ship st"re t" hear ab" t it all, the e3perience, his w"r% and what the # t re h"lds4 First and foremost, a huge congratulations !o" does it feel to #e the "inner$ I ! ess its n"t really s n% in) At #irst it #elt li%e it hadnt really happened. Its really e3citin!5 Im intri! ed t" see what will happen in 2016. Alth" !h I ! ess when I nveil my p"rtrait "# 1ilary 2antel it will #eel li%e an end t" the e3perience. '"me"ne rec"!nised me "n the t be the "ther day, I th" !ht they were appr"achin! t" as% #"r directi"ns b t they %new me #r"m the sh"w which was weird) Looking #ack, "hat "ould you say "as your fa%ourite &art of the sho"$ (Nick takes some time thinking about the answer) Its s" hard t" say, b t meetin! 7"hns"n was s ch a privile!e Ive always admired him and what hes d"ne, s" bein! able t" ma%e a paintin! with that relati"nship already in place was incredible. 8# c" rse, Paris was ama/in! t"", spea%in! t" the e3perts. They s !!ested I l""%ed at Ce/anne and Id never really been int" his st ##, b t when y" spea% with s"me"ne wh" %n"ws s" m ch ab" t it, its really #ascinatin! t" learn. 1avin! the rec"!niti"n #r"m e3perts with re!ards t" my "wn w"r% was #antastic t"". Im %een t" learn and impr"ve, s" will readily ta%e "n b"ard the criticism.

For a #udding artist, "hat "ould your ad%ice #e in the &ractice of &ortraiture and &ainting in general$ 2y r" tine has chan!ed in the past year, as it was "ri!inally scribblin! away at ideas and event ally destr"yin! them. I painted the $i%e sl"!an 97 st D" It: in massive letterin! "n my st di" wall ; n"w whenever Im deliberatin! "ver an idea, I < st d" it) Its li%e enterin! this c"mpetiti"n = it was a sh"t in the dar%, b t when y" have n"thin! t" l"se, y" have t" ta%e a chance and see what happens. (" als" have t" disc"ver what w"r%s #"r y" , i# y" #"ll"w the instr cti"ns "n the pac%a!in! "r try t" imitate an"ther artist then event ally y" ll end p paintin! h"w s"me"ne else wants y" t" paint. (" have t" %eep the style that ma%es y" , y" . 'hat ins&ires you the most, "here do you look for ins&iration$ I listen t" a l"t "# hip h"p, s" thats where it all stems #r"m. Ive always been interested in that c lt re. >hen I was y" n!er, I went t" an e3hibiti"n by an artist called 'een, he sed t" paint "n the s bway trains in $(C. At an early a!e, the main artist wh" in#l enced me t" m"ve "n #r"m !ra##iti is an artist called C"n"r 1arrin!t"n. 1es a prime e3ample "# a !ra##iti artist t rned #ine artist. I l"ve Peter D"i!s paintin!s Adrian ?henie, and when I was 1@ I was l""%in! at the paintin!s "# 7enny 'aville, she inspired every painter "# that !enerati"n. 8ne "# my #av" rite artists ever is E!"n 'chiele, his drawin!s are ama/in!.

'hat has #een the #est ad%ice you(%e #een gi%en, and "hat(s resonated "ith you from all the )udges( feed#ack$ The < d!es br tal h"nesty was A ite easy t" ta%e beca se I #"c s "n impr"vin! my w"r% and learnin! #r"m mista%es. At "ne p"int they said t" me that they werent %een "n my si!nat re d"wn in the b"tt"m c"rner "# the piece ; which str c% a bit "# a ch"rd beca se with my bac%!r" nd in rban art, ta!!in! and identity bec"mes A ite a theme. * t I c" ld see h"w it mi!ht l""% a bit "dd i# the main b"dy "# my paintin! was leanin! t"wards a m"re traditi"nal style. They really l"ved the l min"sity in the '"phie Dahl p"rtrait and the te3t re in the ?avin 1ens"n "ne. As I said, its imp"rtant t" ta%e criticism int" acc" nt, and n"t < st e3pect every"ne t" l"ve it as m ch as y" r m m and dad will, b t %eep tr e t" y" r "wn style. *an you take us through your "orking &rocess$ I s ally !et int" the st di" ar" nd 10am, i# Im w"r%in! "n a p"rtrait I set mysel# a tar!et, and I need t" !et all the #acial #eat res d"wn in "ne sittin!. I always start with the chin and the lips, then the n"se and w"r% p, I d"nt %n"w why) 'tartin! a paintin! is the hardest thin!. I s pp"se its the #ear "# messin! p strai!ht away, y" need t" have the patience t" tr st that it will w"r% " t. I li%e t" se synthetic Pr" Arte 'terlin! Acrylic +lat br shes, and se di##erent si/es t" help create depth. Ive < st always pre#erred the mar%s made with #lat br shes #"r a Bbl"c%y l""%. I thin the paint with !el medi ms t" increase transparency. 8ne "# my t t"rs said, B>hen y" re paintin!, what y" re paintin! is an ill si"n, sin! di##erent br sh si/es and paint thic%ness helps t" create that ill si"n and ma%es the w"r% m"re sc lpt ral. I

tend t" w"r% at a lar!er scale which all"ws me t" physically m"ve the paint ar" nd "n the canvas #"r m"re !est ral br sh mar%s and als" adds m"vement t" the w"r%. I havent !"t the patience t" d" really #ine w"r%. Alth" !h I d" w"r% #r"m ph"t"s and ma%e drawin!s as well, I se Derwent '%etchin! Pencils and 'eawhite s%etchb""%s. I thin% its imp"rtant t" have the s%ill "# bein! able t" draw, b t at the end "# the day Im a painter, s" the drawin! and the ph"t"!raphy are really < st t""ls t" in#"rm the paintin!.

'hat are your &lans for the future, life after Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year$ *e#"re enterin! the c"mpetiti"n, my #riend ph"t"!rapher 'c"tt C"le and I were be!innin! t" c"llab"rate. $"w Ill have m"re time t" w"r% "n that, and t" e3pl"re m"re "# what I en<"y. 8bvi" sly the P"rtrait Artist cash pri/e means that I can rent my st di" and b y materials m ch m"re easily, s" the press res "## t" ma%e paintin!s #"r m"ney. Ideally, instead "# speci#ic c"mmissi"ns, s"me"ne w" ld c"me t" me #"r a paintin! that was p rely me and my style. (" can chec% it m"re "# $ic%s w"r% "n his website and #"ll"w his ne3t m"ves "n Twitter. Cass Art pr" dly s pp"rt P"rtrait Artist "# the (ear, and wishes $ic% the best "# l c% in the # t re ; n" d" bt well be #eat rin! his w"r% a!ain s""n) +riginal Source, htt&,--""".cassart.co.uk-articles-nick/lord/is/sky/arts/&ortrait/arti st/of/the/year/2013/cass/art/#log.htm