I spoke to artist, Heidi Nowak (a.k.a Pencil Girl) about all things art and about why imagination should never be lost, ahead of this weekend’s FrontroomTotterdown Art Trail.
What inspired you to study art and enter the art world?
“My mum inspired me! I definitely relate to that old joke, “well, my mum says I’m cool…” She encouraged me to view the world in a different way and she loved seeing me explore and wonder around that world with a pencil in hand. She also showed me that every medium is perfect and that there’s no such thing as mistakes. So I use whatever I have at hand and don’t feel restricted by my mediums or like there is a limit to my creativity. Travelling has also been influential; I went from producing huge abstract paintings when I studied Fine Art in Australia, to small illustrations on paper because of space and being on the move. From there I started teaching myself about editing my artwork (although I still have so much to learn), and expanding my skillset. Like currently, I’m really enjoying using watercolour to express the conversations in my head. Medium is 100% dependent on so much, but I see the importance and focus on embracing the challenges of the everday; there’s something satisfying in this, you reflect the world you move in.”
Who are your artistic influences?
“Apart from my mum I’m really influenced by Dr Seuss and Quentin Blake. They seem obvious and cliché but I think they’re potentially obvious influences for a reason. Dr Seuss is an artist and writer that I’ve felt a huge love for since a very young age. He is so animate and engaging; I remembered every word to a documentary called ‘In search of Dr Seuss‘ from my childhood (if you haven’t seen it I recommend that bad boy!) his creativity has struck and stuck with me. I think mainly they inspire me because I’ve always been a lover of children’s books that capture and appeal to the adults too. Imagination shouldn’t be ageist; I’m so happy to be part of a world where people are beginning to realise this.”
You’ve moved around the world – what is positive and different about the Bristol art scene?
“The art scene in Bristol is why I’m still here! I absolutely felt welcomed the minute I first visited the city and I moved here within a few weeks of this because it’s just brilliant. I’ve been in places before where creatives are everywhere, but there’s something more welcoming and accepting about Bristol creatives, which is a really encouraging atmosphere to be immersed in.”
How is your personality reflected in your work and how do you overcome creative blocks?
“My creative blocks and the personality in my creations sometimes go hand in hand. The people closest to me have seen the blocks, and when they come they are no fun at all… They usually happen because there just isn’t enough time in the day. I still work a full time job that isn’t in the art world. Bills are bills and sometimes this takes more of my attention that I would like to give to other things, such as my artwork. But if I don’t draw I get jittery, and when I finally get the chance to my personality explodes into it. The piece of paper in front of me is a wonderful way to map the tensions and the beauty in life; my frustration at adult life tends to come out a lot – usually in a joke or a character that I like and make friends with in my head. Although, these bursts of imagination sometimes leave me with the worry, “ahh…this one’s a hard one to explain…” I think it’s probably natural for any artist though to feel like sometimes your creativity won’t translate. On a practical note, I’ve tried to find a life-work balance to help ease creative blocks. I’m up two hours earlier than I need to be each morning, and when I get home from work I do more drawing if and when I can.”
(Heidi at work. Photo credits: www.pencilgirl.co.uk)
Do any exterior influences inform your artwork?
“Outside influences come from conversations I have now and then, or from the things I observe around me, even just simple things that I notice day to day. I hardly watch the news but sometimes something big will happen like Brexit or Trump’s Presidency and I can’t help but to express something about it. Or, I’ll hear a story from my friend about how she carries her keys in her hand on the walk home because she is afraid, and I can’t help but poke at this story and interpret why. Or maybe I’ll have seen my cousin get mad that she can’t use an escalator because it’s bust, and she’ll say something ingeneously hilarious like “they’re not broken, they’re just stairs now…” and this will make me laugh so much that I just have to get it down. Anything that wakes my brain up is worth putting out there. My art is all my own conversation in the end anyway.”
(photo credits:www.pencilgirl.co.uk)
Where has Pencil Girl been exhibited prior to the Totterdown Frontroom Art Trail?
“Cox and Baloney Tearoom on Cheltenham Road has the biggest display of my artwork to date. The girls that run the place have been a huge support to me; they allowed me to let loose and paint characters all over their walls and vintage furniture. When I first got greeting cards printed of my work they were the first to invest and sell them in the shop, I can’t thank them enough! I’ve also had a great response from everyday people I’ve come across; a lovely couple trusted me enough to paint their son’s walls with under the sea characters, and another couple I met who were building their dream home in Victoria, Australia, invited me to paint a huge owl on their wall. I feel so blessed to have people want to have a creative burst of imagination in their own personal space! In terms of actual exhibitions, I’ve piggybacked on group shows around Bristol amongst some really cool creatives, such as last year’s ‘FourFive exhibition’ at 123 space, Stokes Croft. This weekend’s art trail will be a display of a collection of my work and in my own home. They’ll be paintings available to purchase, but most of all this creative event is an opportunity, or an invitation, to come and take a visit for a day into your imagination and get to know the current variety of art that’s coming out of Bristol and its creatives!”
The Totterdown art trail is a free event running from 19th-20th November in artist’s homes across the Bristol postcode.
To see Pencil Girl’s work exhibited and for more information on this weekend’s art trail see the follows this link and for more information on Pencil Girl visit Heidi’s website.