- Structure and shape can be the building blocks of any great work of art, however the composition does not always have to be representational. :
Our Head of Art Luke Baker recently had the privilege to sit down with Little Van Gogh artist Alan Cooper, where they discussed his many inspirations, as well as his constant exploration of different mediums and techniques.
Where do you find inspiration?
I generally find ideas from either studying or being inspired by other artists, observing colour combinations from nature and all media including film and print. I often crop my previous paintings/illustrations which gives me a fresh outlook. I also scan some of my paintings, bring them into Adobe InDesign/Illustrator, crop them and overlay them with other images and then using layer effects to see what imagery arises. I enjoy chance in my work. When I am lacking in inspiration I may consider imagining a merging of styles of two or more significant artists.
How has your practice changed over time?
I’m constantly exploring different mediums such as oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolour, as well as the surface for it to go on. Recently I have been playing around with making my own watercolour ground so I can paint watercolours on board (so I don’t need to stretch the paper – as I’m lazy!).
Landscape 2
Landscape 37
Who are your biggest artistic influences?
For this range of landscapes with palm tree acrylics, I would say Richard Diebenkorn, David Hockney and Piet Mondrian. For other work I’m inspired by other artists depending on the subject and medium I’m using.
What’s the purpose or goal of your work?
To keep getting better and being able to show work to a wider audience. It would also be a bonus to sell my work to extremely wealthy clients!
Does creating art help you in any other areas of your life?
Painting makes me happy! It also gives me an opportunity to listen to music and podcasts when I’m splashing paint everywhere.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
Don’t drink tea near your watercolour painting. Don’t use a scalpel when you are in bare feet. Beware of Low Odor White Spirit – it can still give you headaches or worse. Buy the best materials you can afford so that then you can’t blame the materials as an excuse when you do a bad painting. Mistakes are fine, they are what you learn from.