Last
October Sir Peter Blake, Anthony Green RA and Nicholas Usherwood presented
Alison Elliott with the Curwen Gallery Prize for Figurative Painting.
Her prize
was representation by Curwen Gallery and a solo exhibition with the gallery this July.
We met her in
her studio to discuss the new work…
 |
| Alison Elliott with Lord of Men I |
Curwen Gallery:
In the early stages of the competition we were very impressed by the impeccable
attention to detail in your paintings.
I think it was this level of detail that
set you apart from the other artists in the competition and ultimately won you
the prize.Was it a conscious decision to work in such minute detail?
 |
| Fledalji, Fledalji,, oil on canvas, 224 x 183cm |
Alison
Elliott: My work has always been about detail. I want each subject
to come to life…so much so that one can almost feel them breathing, rather like
a ‘tableau vivant’. The beauty of my paintings is achieving this.
Curwen Gallery: I remember you saying that you considered yourself to be
largely self-taught. How did you learn the techniques that you use in your
current work?
Alison
Elliott: I am completely self-taught. I
learnt from reading and experimenting with different techniques and supports
until I began to feel comfortable with what I was doing. It’s taken me years to
get to the stage I am at now and I still feel constantly challenged by the
medium.
 |
Boy, 127 x 203cm, oil on canvas
£19,995 |
I consider myself as a classical artist. I prefer to use
the more traditional techniques. I start by putting an imprimatura / stain on
each canvas. I then spend a lot of time placing the subject on the canvas in
pencil, before I consider picking up a brush.
I then slowly build up layers of oil to form the image and finish it with a
traditional glazing technique.
I have always used
Old Holland oil paints, bought from Russell and Chapple, a traditional company
now based on Store Street, close to Curwen Gallery. They always make my
canvases from double oil primed French linen. It’s not the cheapest canvas to
buy but it’s the best for my work. It’s the most wonderful surface to work on.
Curwen
Gallery: How long does it take to make your larger
works? For instance Fledalji (above)
what kind of time scale are we talking about for you to make a painting of that
size?
Alison Elliott: My large portraits take approximately three to six
months. My rearing horse ‘Fledalji’ took a bit longer. I usually work on two
paintings at a time to allow for drying time as well as to remain focused and
keep a fresh eye on them.
Curwen
Gallery: There
are no background features around each animal in your work, what was it that
made you decide to paint in this way?
 |
| Alison's Studio in Cambridge with Lord of Men II |
Alison
Elliott: Each blank canvas
provides that integral space for each subject to project itself from. I want
the main focus to be on my subject and I don’t feel the need to distract from
this by adding anything else. Less is more.
I work in a similar
way to [the photographer] Tim Flachs. He strips the picture down to just the
bare essentials. The focus on the subject is emphasised by “cutting it out”
from its context. I feel that it makes them more striking and contemporary.
Curwen
Gallery: How
much did your time at Winchester and Newcastle Polytechnic influence your work?
Alison Elliott: I did my Art Foundation at Winchester. I developed a wide range of skills during this period. It was the first time I’d experienced life-drawing, which is an incredibly important discipline to learn. I also did my first photographic work there, which is still an essential part of my practice.
 |
Pug, oil on canvas, 110 x 110cm
£12,500 |
I did my BA in Fashion at Newcastle Polytechnic. I was one of the few students
that could draw and so my illustration skills developed a lot during that
period. Even then though, I never stopped sketching animals.
I remember once I
had an interview with [fashion designer] Thierry Mugler’s assistant. In my
press book I had several sketches and montages which featured illustrations of
pug dogs….she thought the dogs were incredible!
Curwen
Gallery: What
has been your career trajectory? Which exhibitions and opportunities do you
think have particularly helped you?
Alison Elliott: My first ever exhibition was in the home of [French Playwright and Actor] Moliére in Pèzenas, France. That was a collection of pen and ink illustrations of the medieval buildings reviewed by the Midi Libre. I’ve also been regularly showing with the Society of Equestrian Artists at the Mall Galleries and at Newmarket Racecourse.
 |
Frank Nichols, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650 |
Some time ago I sold
my first horse portrait to Royalty in the Middle East. My first miniature
commission was a dog for the Earl of Cadogan, as a gift from the Countess.
More recently I have
been showing a selection of works at the Sloane Club in Chelsea and then, of
course the Curwen Gallery Painting Prize, which I was thrilled to win last
October.
 |
Hernando, oil on canvas, 152 x 107cm
£19,995 |
Curwen Gallery: Do you consider yourself to be a
portrait artist? Many of these works are of very specific animals, such as Visindar and Lord of Men, but some seem more universal, such as Boy or Fledalji. Is the history and character of each animal important to
you?
Alison Elliott: Yes, I do consider myself to be a portrait artist. I
would say that most of my paintings are very specific to the subject. Boy was actually a six month old giraffe
that I photographed in South Australia.
It is part of my creative process to identify the animal and to
communicate the ideas and subjects which reflect their character.
Curwen Gallery:
What is it about horses as a subject matter
which so captures your imagination? They constitute around half of the whole
body of work that we are showing this July. Your level of interest must show
more than just a love of their appearance.
Alison Elliott: I believe the horse as a subject is one of the hardest
animals to paint and I challenged myself many years ago to see if I could. I
think that I have now proved to myself that I can, perhaps that is why I’m
currently working on developing my paintings of large dogs!
 |
Molly, oil on board,10 x 13cm
£650 |
Two years ago I began focusing on the Arabian Horse as a
breed and I selected Stivalery BJ to be my first painting. I set up a
photoshoot where she was based. I hung a 12 foot canvas backdrop and photographed
her standing as a show Arabian should stand. I
photograph the dogs I paint in the same way, although they come to the studio.
Curwen
Gallery: The scale of your work is obviously very
important to you as you paint in both life-size and miniature. Is this to do
with visual impact or is it more to do with creating an accurate portrait of
the animals that are your subject?
 |
Visindar, oil on canvas,122 x 193cm
£19,995 |
Alison Elliott: It is a completely subconscious decision, as every
subject will dictate their finished size on the canvas. I have been
experimenting with size and scale. Last year I began painting my first
miniatures and now I’m beginning a collection of larger than life dog portraits.
Whatever size they are I still want to recreate their every detail and bring
them to life!
