The Art Buyer Gallery are thrilled to have talented artist Brigitte Girling join our Summer Collection. We spoke to the artist this Summer about all things art to get an insight into Brigitte’s creative practice. Continue reading to hear about Brigitte’s celebration of the everyday, her connection to florals, and what her biggest source of motivation is for getting in the studio!
View Brigitte’s paintings in The Art Buyer Gallery between July 3rd ~ August 8th and fall in love with her use of gorgeous colours & freeing composition.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling. Janice Issitt Photography.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling. Janice Issitt Photography.
We’d love to know a bit about your introduction to painting; have you always been an artist or did an alternative career come before?
No, I haven’t always been an artist, but I have always enjoyed being creative for as long as I can remember. I loved art at school but the curriculum didn’t allow me to do art at a higher level plus the academic subjects I was firmly told I must do! However, creativity doesn’t just disappear because a curriculum says no. And for me, despite following a more academic path, creativity reappeared in the form of gardening whilst I pursued a few years teaching. But as my family grew up and needed me less, the idea of working more specifically with flowers was a pull I couldn’t resist. So, I trained to become a florist and worked within the floral world as a freelance florist for around 10 years before opening my own floral design studio working only with locally grown, seasonal, pesticide free flowers. At this point I finally began to call myself an artist – nature was my muse and I always allowed the flowers to lead. In time, as the hard graft of floral events took its toll on my body, turning to painting felt a very natural transition. It was like finally coming home.
Pictured: ‘Floral Dance’ by Brigitte Girling.
Pictured: ‘Floral Dance’ by Brigitte Girling.
How did you come to discover your painting style? Did it evolve naturally, or did you spend some time experimenting?
When I was younger, I enjoyed detail. I loved pencil, realism and focussing on light and shade. I drew a lot of flowers. When life persuaded me in a different direction I didn’t draw or paint for years and when I came back to art in my early 50’s I knew I had changed as a person enormously. Life had changed me, and I only wanted to paint in a loose, free, style simply working from my imagination. I began with abstraction determined to avoid painting flowers, because everyone expected me to paint flowers! But quite soon I realised I really wanted to paint them just not realistically. Afterall, nature has already created and described the intricate beauty of a flower perfectly. Rather, I wanted to paint imagined flowers, plants and everyday objects imperfectly, portraying how they make me feel. I’d rather someone else decided what I have painted, what it is they see and feel in my paintings rather than me over describe it to them. I also spent some time exploring which medium I felt most in tune with but quite quickly it became clear that I didn’t have the patience for oil or watercolour much as I love the look, and acrylic plus seemed to be the most natural fit for me. As far as my style is concerned, I think and I hope it will be forever evolving. I like to try different things, see if it fits, but I already recognise that what I’m really trying to achieve is a more naïve, almost childlike feel to my work. I think, for the moment at least, that is pretty much fixed. It’s just going to take me a long time to get anywhere close to where I want to be and for that I’m grateful. It means I have found what I need to satisfy me creatively for the rest of my life now!
Pictured: Brigitte Girling. Janice Issitt Photography.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling Studio. Janice Issitt Photography.
You paint with a celebrative & joyful flair; talk us through what it means to be inspired by the beauty of the everyday.
I’m glad you see that joy in my work. I am always delighted when people tell me a painting makes them smile. I suppose I discovered with my years working with flowers that most people simply take everyday objects and nature for granted. With a rose they might simply see pink whereas I saw shades of pink with blue undertones, slivers of peach, flecks of red, crinkles, freckles, indentations, a caterpillar hole, spotting caused by a rain shower. I realised I was very interested in the overlooked beauty that most people just don’t see or feel. My still life paintings feel like a celebration of the ordinary beauty and comforts of life to me. The evidence of time shared, a gathering of laughter, chat, joy or sadness. The simple objects that bear witness to the everyday necessities of life and living.
What does a typical painting day look for you like in these Summer months?
I wouldn’t say any day is typical, but I do like to get all my art and life admin out of the way before I begin. My studio is at home and so distractions are everywhere, and I like to get them tidied up first. Walking my dog Hettie is essential whatever the weather. It clears my head, and I always see things that make me feel really happy. The first fledged long tailed tits bouncing along the hedgerow, the kestrels feeding their nestlings in an old oak tree. The first swifts returning, hearing the cuckoo. The corn fields slowly turning a golden yellow. A lovely shape or curious colour combination. After that I’m ready to head to my studio and start. Afternoons are my best painting time. I work in bursts then head outside for a wander round the garden before returning to add another layer. I work on several paintings at once, around ten in rotation – it keeps me fresh. Once I feel my energy drop, I stop. I can’t paint for hours I would just over work my paintings and they’d lose the energy and spontaneous feel of being in the moment.
What is your biggest motivator to get to the studio and start painting?
If I’m honest, some days the motivation just isn’t there, so I try to trick my way in! I have committed to myself that I will paint something every day just a quick five minute piece on A4 cartridge paper. That usually helps me slide into thinking about what the paintings around me might need next and I’m off! It helps with the procrastination that can sometimes be very difficult to overcome. But most days, once I’ve cleared the decks, as I mentioned before, I’m ready. I love losing myself in the flow of painting. I go into my studio and face the messy mayhem of the day before and pick up where I left off. I feel very lucky that I don’t have to tidy away each day. That tidiness would be a bit of a wall to get over for me. I work best in a messy, cluttered muddle. Rather like my still life paintings!
Pictured: Brigitte Girling Studio. Janice Issitt Photography.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling. Janice Issitt Photography.
Are you a spontaneous & intuitive painter, or do you carefully plan your pieces?
I am, categorically, absolutely, not a planner! If I were to plan my paintings, I would get too tight which is not what I want in my work at all. I don’t do preliminary sketches or plan colours or composition. I just can’t work like that, so spontaneous and intuitive is most definitely me. However, because I am working towards more deadlines these days, I do like to sketch out very loose first marks on around 10 same size boards before diving in. Its messy, nothing set in stone, just ideas and marks. That way I can begin to work on them all in rotation knowing they will naturally look part of a series. After that I just keep moving around each board trying to keep as loose, fresh and open to happy accidents for as long as possible.
Pictured: ‘Stripy Jug’ by Brigitte Girling.
Pictured: ‘Stripy Jug’ by Brigitte Girling.
Do you know instantly when a painting is finished, or is the process a gradual realisation?
This is a hard question to answer because I just feel it. My body gets tighter somehow. However, sometimes it’s a sudden realisation and sometimes it takes a while. Some paintings are easy, they just seem to appear. Others are a real tussle. Interestingly though, the ones where the painting and I are having a battle of wills, often become my favourites. Ultimately, I now know that if I think I’m nearly done its time to stop and let it rest for a day or two or even longer. If I carry on, I’m in danger of overworking it and losing some of the life and freedom I want to convey. I don’t want to explain everything. When I come back it’s often indeed done, or it just needs a slight adjustment. Occasionally though, I realise that it’s a painting that will never satisfy me, and I need to start again.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling at work. Janice Issitt Photography.
Pictured: Brigitte Girling at work. Janice Issitt Photography.
What is your favourite part about being an artist?
I love being my own boss, curating my own workday, being free to make choices and just loosing myself daily in a painting process where my mind feels disconnected from the rest of the world. I can’t say I enjoy the admin, so I’ve chosen to see that as my job that pays the bills. The job makes space for the pleasure of playing with paint. I also just love seeing the delight my work brings to other people. Once I have finished a piece I am chuffed to bits when it finds a home. It feels like a beautifully circular way of passing on the joy I get from creating to others. That makes me very happy!
View the Brigitte Girling Collection
‘Glass Vase’ by Brigitte Girling
Pictured: ‘Glass Vase’ by Brigitte Girling
My Life In Art ~ Brigitte Girling
First piece of art you bought?
I don’t think I bought anything until my mid – late twenties. But around that time, I bought a painting. It is a watercolour of a very naïve landscape. No perspective, each field, hedge and cottage in non-naturalistic colours. There are little hints of detail, a cricket match, windmills, a hint of sea, roads and villages. All higgledy-piggledy and I just had to have it. I wonder if this is where my love of the wonky and quirky began. The amusing portrayal of the everyday moments in life. I still love it. It makes me smile every time I see it. It’s what I hope my paintings do! ‘Broads Landscape’ by artist Tim Curtis.
Pictured: ‘Broads Landscape’ by Tim Curtis
Pictured: ‘Broads Landscape’ by Tim Curtis
Favourite Artist?
Goodness what a question! There are so many, but I love Clare Basler, Elizabeth Blackadder, David Pearce, Mary Newcomb, Kate and Winnifred Nicolson, Alfred Wallis, Joan Eardley and of course Mary Feddon. Please don’t make me pick one!
If you could own any piece of art (even if you have to rob a bank or museum!), what would it be and why?
I think I would love to have a painting by David Pearce – probably one of his earlier landscapes. But actually, anything by him would be amazing to own.
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Thank you to the very lovely Brigitte Girling for chatting all things art with us! We hope you enjoyed getting an insight into her creative world as much as we did. All Brigitte Girling paintings can be found here. Happy shopping!
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