I am a realist painter and mother of two. My work is the dialogue between myself and the world, and represents my little slice of truth within it. I work primarily with acrylic paint on hardboard.
I completed a Fine Art degree in 2007 and immediately began exhibiting in a number of different galleries around the UK, as well as painting commissioned portraits. When my first son was born in 2012 I put my career largely on hold, never expecting to spend the next eight years tangled up in infertility and the depression that can and often does follow. During this time I took to painting landscapes on location and in my car due to lack of studio space, but found over time that this was a valuable practice that freed me up in my handling of paint, time and composition. My second son was eventually born in 2020.
I exhibit both alone and with a group of other women artists, all mothers too. I currently have some paintings showing in a gallery in Sydney, Australia.
Where do you work? What does your space look like?
I work on location or in my car, or when painting either self portraits or still life I have a very small space I’ve managed to carve behind the baby’s crib. I have everything I need jumbled into this space including my huge easel and my grandmother’s old battered armchair, which has now appeared in numerous paintings and hopefully always will! I’m limited here to working when the baby is absent so can do nothing at nap times or after bedtime. I long for a studio!
Is there a creative routine that you swear by?
When I’m in the middle of working on a long term painting I try to return to it at every opportunity. During this time lots of other important jobs tend to get abandoned but I’ve found the longer a painting is left in the early stages the harder it is to return to. As for my landscape and location work I find the best routine is no routine – I grab the opportunity as it arises which keeps both the work and my interest fresh.
Can you tell us one surprising aspect of your work that changed after you had children?
I’ve always been very serious about my practice but tended to go through long periods of procrastination and disinterest. Since I had children however my focus has sky rocketed. My time to work is now so limited and precious that I seize it and try to make the best use of it as I can. Similarly my attitude has improved enormously so that I’m able to view mistakes or a bad painting day philosophically and either turn them to my advantage or let them go and move on. Unthinkable before!
Do your children participate in your art and what form does this take? Physical action / inspiration / the subject of your art?
They do because they’re my immediate world. My youngest son has appeared in two self portraits, both as a babe in arms and during my pregnancy, and it turns out my eldest son is very good at sitting for drawn portraits. I look forward to painting him properly one day! My eldest son has also very recently discovered art for himself, having never really had an interest in it, and I’m fascinated by his progress. The choices he makes are worlds apart from my own and give such different and often beautiful results that I find it hugely inspirational for my own practice.
At what stage did you begin to take your work seriously?
I’ve always taken my work seriously since even before my degree, but becoming a mother has raised this considerably. I think I’m better able to take myself seriously from this new responsible position. I think too there’s the element of watching the world move on while I’m at home with my two and suddenly thinking “No hang on, I want to be part of that too!” Maybe I’ve been very lucky but so far motherhood hasn’t held me back from my goal. If anything it’s made me more determined to try.
@kateherbertroche http://www.kateherbertroche.com/
