Gilly Spottiswoode
After studying Fashion & Textiles at Leicester Polytechnic (as was), specializing in Footwear Design, I graduated with immaculate timing just as the British footwear industry moved the majority of production abroad. I worked as a shoe designer for a short while but then found myself as a management trainee at Harrods and discovered that I LOVED retail.
Long story short, we moved to Cornwall 28 years ago to raise our family and I have very recently just given up my job at the Post Office to concentrate on my art. Over the years I have experimented with many mediums but for me it was love at first cut when I tried lino printing.
Having been trained in the fashion industry with very quick turnarounds, I tend to use my sketchbooks as places to record snippets of pattern or colour rather than as places to sketch. I write copious notes in them as ideas occur to me and the odd partial design may make an appearance. I tend to refine my ideas on cheap printer paper using my lightbox as this makes separating the layers of the lino cutting easier.
I had an idyllic childhood in Africa and the Middle East and the colours, patterns, sounds and smells have embedded themselves in my soul. I can't sing for toffee but always work with music and tailor my playlist to suit the piece that I am working on.
Where's your favourite place?
A: Definitely my garden, preferably with sunshine and several cats.
What's your favourite book?
Anything by Terry Pratchett. A very clever man who managed to weave the most amazing stories around some very serious topics with humour.
He tackled class, racism, abuse of power, sexism, war, religion, death etc. etc with a shrewd and wry observation.
What irritates you?
Pretentiousness.
Who do you most admire?
People who pick themselves up over and over again and just get on with it.
What motivates and inspires you?
I am very aware that I have been given the luxury to concentrate on my artwork so I feel guilty if I don't get into my studio.
I surprised myself with the inspiration when I gave it some thought. I am very inspired by the written word, poetry, song lyrics, nursery rhymes, a great line from a book.
I thought it would be more visual...but there you go....me in a nutshell.