I had the honour of being able to ask the talented Jane Clatworthy some questions about her amazing art. Check out the interview below!

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became an artist? 

I was born in Lancashire in the north of England but most of my childhood was spent in Zimbabwe. As an adult I lived in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 2009 we moved to the British Virgin Islands in the Caribbean. It was there I rediscovered my love of art and creating. In 2015 we relocated to the UK and at the tender age of 48 I started at ‘The Heatherleys School of Fine Art’ in Chelsea. I graduated in 2017.  I now live and work in London. 

2. At what point did you realise that you wanted to pursue a creative career?

On a trip to London I visited the National Portrait Gallery to see the Rembrandt exhibition ‘The Late Works’. Whilst stood in front of “Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph” I was moved to tears by the compassion with which Rembrandt had captured the trembling moment. Being so moved by that painting made me realise that all I want to do with the rest of my life was to paint humanity;  I immediately left the gallery, hopped on a bus and went to visit The Heatherley School of Fine Art, to see if I might be accepted, and so the journey began. 

What inspires you to create?

Humans inspire me. Flesh inspires me. Emotions that are written across the body inspire me. Once all the protective armour of clothing is removed, and the human body, exposed and beautifully defenceless is in front of me, I start reaching for the poetry of a life. We have learnt through all our social interactions to arrange our faces to please and to hide, to not show our deepest emotions, our vulnerability, our painful thoughts; the pathos and ecstasy of our existence. We mask ourselves, but our bodies reveal us, not just with naked flesh, but once nude, I see the verses written thereon, the experience of life that cannot be hidden. A muscle pulled tight, a languid motion, a subtle story telling in the way we hold ourselves. Even professional models can sometimes give away more than they mean to, especially if the artist is an acute observer of life. Also, the story written across the male body is one that has not been told enough, we have turned away, refused to see the entirety and beauty of the man, denied him the experience of being fully seen, and there are stories there that need to be told, balance needs to come back into ‘the gaze’, and to our existence together as we navigate this life. 

3. Did you study art are you self-taught? What are your thoughts on art education? 

I started on this journey initially teaching myself. Whilst living in the BVI I had a chance to do a workshop with a wonderful artist from North Carolina, Caroline Jasper, and I spent a month in Salt Lake City at the atelier of Jeffrey Hein, one of America’s foremost portrait painters. I think these two experiences made me realise that perhaps a more formal education was preferable to me, simply because I had rediscovered my gift so late, I felt I needed to fast track the learning in some way, not because I thought the only way to be an artist was by attending a school. I really don’t believe it is, and many brilliant artists are self-taught. The immersive environment of Heatherley’s taught me how to paint from life; it was many hours in front of a model, very practical rather than theoretical. The time there was all about painting and drawing from life and that was exactly what appealed to me at age 48. 

I think had I started art school at the age of 18, a course balanced between theory and practice would have been useful – at a younger age there are benefits to structure and being taught how to manage and articulate your ideas. 

4. Do you think that there are any qualities that an artist needs to have to be successful?

We first need to understand how we define success and what it means personally to each of us as artists. What do we need for validation? What I consider successful may not be the model for all artists. My version of success is to create a painting that firstly has the power to move another human; to open a dialogue; a painting that can also exist as an interesting object in itself. For this I need passion, focus, unrelenting dedication to the practice and resilience. There is no substitute for hours invested in front of a canvas. It’s thousands of hours of failing and struggling, reaching for something that will always be unattainable. I have learnt to live with what Martha Graham called ‘divine dissatisfaction’.

“No artist is pleased… There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.”

5. What is the most challenging aspect of being an artist in this current time and are there any misconceptions that you wish didn’t exist?

We live in an era when anyone with an Instagram account and killer hashtag skills can be an artist; the visual realms are saturated. It’s hard to be found amid the noise. It’s also tremendously challenging when an algorithm is the first line of censorship and limits the audience for a specific genre of work. A lot of good art is also best experienced in the flesh and in these pandemic times that is difficult with the closure of many venues and the social distancing rules that must be adhered to. 

As to misconceptions, plenty abound. My personal favourite; that art is not worthwhile unless it makes money and that creating any form of art is written off as merely a hobby and not a ‘real’ job. Make no mistake, I’d very much like my paintings to find the art lover/collector willing to buy them, but I don’t create with selling as my primary focus. If that was the case, I would have chosen a different subject. 

6. Your work is extremely fascinating but after reading your artist statement, Why The Male Nude?, I understand that your work is much more complex than just simply painting the human form. In your statement, you touch upon a variety of different ideals, such as the imbalance of gender equality in art, male vulnerability, and the gazes in art, to name a few. Although I highly recommend that everyone reads your statement, can you please talk a bit about the themes that surface in your work and why art is a good medium to express these ideas?

My chosen language is visual and a painting the most direct way I can create a conversation. Art, in all its various forms, is the common language of our human experience. It is where we often go to have those difficult conversations about the world around us, to find meaning and solace in our struggles and the elation in our joys. I maintain that artists are the ‘keepers of light’ and with art we can shine a light into the dark places, hold witness. The artist is there when the universe reveals itself, we can catch that moment and share it, whether through painting, a line of poetry or piece of music. It’s a rare soul that cannot find connection and meaning in life through some form of art.

Art comments on and creates prevailing culture. With all of this in mind, I want my work to remind the viewer of our humanity, the common experience of, and beauty in vulnerability, especially when expressed through the male body, which is so seldom seen in the public forum. I see something broken within humanity, an isolation and division and I have a burning desire to comment on it and shift it if I can. I want us to let go of the shame and repression that causes so much pain and to remember that both the masculine and the feminine are equal, neither above the other. I feel that by creating a space for the male gender to be seen as vulnerable it will go some way to disempowering the prevailing patriarchal structures that still control so much of our world to all our detriment, and I do this by fully embracing the shameless strength of my own feminine gaze. I am a woman looking back. 

7. Art is generally considered to be created with the male gaze in mind, but your work aims to subvert this by highlighting the male form and allowing the viewer to contemplate the values of masculinity. Because of this it’s interesting to note that in a lot of your paintings, the characters are not looking at the viewer, appearing more passive and allowing us to take the time to study them, which interestingly subverts the idea of dominant patriarchy. I wonder if this passiveness is something that you have consciously chosen to do and how often do you consider the dynamic between the subject and the viewer? Does painting a person who is looking directly at the viewer change the way that the image is read, and do you prefer your paintings to be considered more dominant or submissive within the viewer-subject relationship?

Whilst a direct gaze in a painting can be disquieting and challenging and can prevent the more subtle, sensitive engagement with my work I would prefer, if I thought that what I was attempting to reach could be attained by incorporating that directness, I wouldn’t hesitate to use it, despite the complicated emotions aroused. Those emotions may be part of what I would like the viewer to explore.

We are all voyeurs when looking upon another’s nudity, and the dynamic of emotions introduced by having a perceived confrontational gaze directed back at us are seldom positive.  

I have previously asked a sitter to give me a direct gaze, taking inspiration from Manet’s ‘Olympia’. The reactions to the painting were far more visceral than I expected, and amusingly (to me), heterosexual men displayed the most vehement emotions. 

I don’t think of my paintings in terms of being purposely submissive, passive or dominant. I respond only to an emotion and moment of visual beauty I’m trying to express, I leave it to the viewer to bring their own emotion to the experience of the painting.

8. I really like the fact that you have clearly thought a lot about your work, and the way in which it can be used to celebrate and empower people. However, because your subjects are nude, there’s always the problem that people may not look at the artistic intent of your work, but only see the nudity and consider the work offensive. How do you deal with the problem of prudishness, especially on social media where the guidelines can mean the removal of your work and have you ever had to adapt, or change your work due to the response you’ve gotten from people or platforms online?

One of the hardest battles I have is getting eyes on my work because of the MALE nudity, yes the algorithms throttle access to my paintings and make it difficult for me to grow my presence online. It is very frustrating, and I haven’t yet worked out a way around this. However, despite these frustrations I would never consider changing a single aspect of my art. I paint from a place of deep integrity and authenticity and I would not compromise this for the sake of additional followers or likes. The most I do is to maintain two separate Instagram accounts, one with no obvious male nudity in the hope it might be a springboard to my uncensored account. 

Also, do you think there is a difference between the terms naked and nude in regards to art, and if so, how do you define them?

This is a big question, and a subject to which Kenneth Clarke devoted an entire chapter in his book, ‘The Nude’.  I’ll answer from my own point of view as simply as I can. Yes, I do believe there is a difference between nude and naked; it could just be a matter of semantics and dependent upon cultural norms but for me ‘naked’ either implies a sense of shame, of being deprived of clothing; of being revealed unwillingly, or it is in a sexually inviting context. The bodies revealed in erotica and pornography are never simply nude, but properly naked, an invitation meant to evoke a sexual response in the viewer. Whilst we may feel a slight tremor of appreciation at seeing an aesthetically pleasing nude in fine art, we are human after all, that would not be the primary motivation of the artist. The nude as an art form is a celebration of our humanity, and our natural state.  

Additionally, do you create your work to be informative to, or incite emotion in, the viewer?

I always hope to evoke an emotional response that might serve to be personally informative to the viewer. A space for engagement with our own inner selves and motivations; hopefully a curiosity about the response evoked, for better or for worse.

9. In some ways, your work could be considered to contain sensitive or mature content, so how do you make sure your work is available to be viewed by those who are of legal age and maturity and do you try to keep track of where your images end up online?  Do artists, especially that create work that might be labeled as “mature content”, have a responsibility to keep track of how and where their images are disseminated?

I don’t believe the nude human body in my work is ‘mature content’ and as such don’t believe I need to censor who is able to view the work. In any event, the nature of the internet would make it impossible. I also question the shame and guilt so pervasive in society it has sexualized every instant of nudity, even the most natural moments such as a mother revealing her breast to feed her child. I am a great believer in personal responsibility and for the most part am against censorship of any form. There are tools available that can limit exposure to offensive content, it is up to the individual to utilise them where necessary. 

10. I really love the texture and semi abstract nature of your paintings, especially the way that they are not strictly photorealistic, but are very obviously tied to real life. Do you think that art should mirror reality and how important is it for your art to be realistic? Additionally, what are your thoughts on photorealism, and do you think that art that is photo realistic is “better” than images that are more abstract?

I’m as interested in the paint itself as I am in the reason and subject of my painting. I’m entranced by the sensuality of the paint in its ability to mimic flesh. That my art is realistic serves the message I’m engaged with at the moment. I’d like to abstract more, and that may be an evolving journey. I don’t think art should mirror reality per se; I do think art should be whatever comes from the soul of an authentic creator, and as such photorealism is as an equally valid expression as is abstraction, and everything in between.  

11. Can you talk a bit about your typical process when painting an image?

My process most often starts with my own emotional state which inspires the content of the work and the direction it will take. Ideas for a painting often appear fully formed in my mind, the trick is then to backward engineer them to break apart the ‘why’ and then the ‘how’ of their existence. The practical side of the process starts with a drawing, a scaffolding upon which to hang the paint. I don’t really over plan anything, as I like to work things out on the canvas in a more spontaneous fashion, unless a particular theme needs a more careful approach. When working directly from life, I’ll mostly just go straight to the canvas and roughly draw in paint – it’s a much more dynamic fight as the sitter always moves, but this makes for a livelier portrait as my brush follows the body’s position over the series of sittings. Inevitably, over the course of the project, the painting develops in emotional content as artist and sitter get know one another. When I working from a photo reference, I’m a little more exact in terms of form, but because I’m not interacting with another person in the room, I go deep into my own psyche as I paint – I probably reveal more of myself in these paintings as I unconsciously reveal myself.  

As for materials, I work with oil and sometimes cold wax as a medium. I love the texture that comes from the many mistakes, so I very seldom scrape off something that is wrong, I’ll just work over it, laying down a record of the fight, giving the painting a history like strata in the landscape. I like my bodies to feel as though they are solid enough to caress and hold, so much so I often wonder if I’m not a frustrated sculptor. Music too is intrinsic to my process, and maddeningly I’m sure for my neighbours, I pretty much have the same playlist on repeat, and it’s made up of both classical and contemporary work.  

12. Do you paint images using photographs or life models and how do you choose who you are going to paint?

I use both – If I come across a model I think would be a fit for my current work, I’ll invite them to my studio to meet them and have a chat. It’s important to me that there is a rapport between us. My work is a collaboration between artist and model so we need to be on the same page. I prefer to work with models who are sensually aware of their bodies, rather than those who can provide no more than stiff academic poses. A lot of the poses I require can’t be held for more than a few moments so I take reference photos, nothing too professional, I just snap with my iPhone. 

How long does a painting typically take and what do you do with your work once it has been finished?

There is no definitive answer to the length of time it takes. I’ve managed a good painting in a matter of hours, and another similar painting could take weeks. I wish I knew the secret of it. When a painting is done it gets stored in my studio.

Have you ever experimented with other mediums and are there any artist you’d like to collaborate with on a piece of art?

I like to do big works in charcoal, and I sometimes use cold wax as a medium, but oil paint is my greatest love so I seldom stray far. 

13. You have some of your works in collections around the world and you often exhibit your work. What has your experience of exhibiting work been like and at what point did you decide that you wanted to sell and exhibit your work?

Additionally, do you have any advice for artists who might be looking to exhibit their work?

I think we all create art in order for it to be seen; art is about sharing our experience and vision, so being able to exhibit is most artists most fervent wish. I wanted to exhibit from the first painting I thought worthy of being seen – selling is more difficult. Having the public admire your work, love it even, doesn’t necessarily mean they want it in their home. 

For any artist wanting to exhibit, the first thing to do is to develop a very thick skin and a fierce belief in your own work. I could wallpaper my studio with the rejection letters I’ve received; you have to learn quickly it isn’t necessarily a comment on the quality of your work. When an exhibition is being put together there are criteria over and above ‘good’ painting at play. It’s the most subjective game in town.

Like all artists I know, I love/hate it. To have a presence on social media that is consistent, authentic and interesting takes up a lot of painting time. It has however opened many doors and connected me with a lot of people I might not otherwise have engaged with. I’ve often had conversations that have been enriching and invaluable so it can’t be ignored. Again though, it’s important to believe in your own work and process as it can be demoralising to have a feed full of work that you might think is better than yours, especially if you are having a tough day in the studio. Finding the balance between creating art, promoting art and appreciating art takes discipline.

15. Would you say that you create art primarily for yourself or for others, and at what point does an artist’s work become influenced by those who view it? 

My work always comes directly from within myself, so I paint to my own agenda. I want it to be seen and experienced, but I don’t paint to facilitate that or make it easier. If there are outside influences, they are more in relation to paint handling and technique rather than content. I’m always learning, every day I start a humble beginner, but the one thing that is very clear in my mind is my own voice. When we start to paint to suit other people, we give up our integrity and diminish the validity of our own voice, that should be guarded against. I recognise that financial constraints don’t make this easy to maintain all the time, so a balance needs to be kept between work that nourishes our artist souls and work that puts bread on the table. One feeds the other. 

16. Do you care about your work being original and how do you make sure that your work is not a copy of someone else’s?

We are all products of our experiences over a lifetime so it’s hard to deny what might lie in my subconscious, but I believe my work is my own and original. All artists stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before, I try to be aware of this.

17. Marketing work and growing an audience are two of the biggest challenges for an artist in these current times. What has your experience marketing your work been like and do you find it easy or hard to reach new people? Do you have a specific target audience that you hope to reach, or are you happy with a more eclectic audience?

I’m definitely happy when a more eclectic mix of people see my work. I don’t paint with a specific audience in mind, I think we all need to see more of the non-eroticised male body. In terms of marketing, I use Instagram and Facebook, but my subject matter makes it very difficult to get traction and grow my following. I loathe the censorship of the algorithms but can see no way around it other than perseverance.

Also, how do you try and engage people with your work so that they are invested in it beyond a ‘like’ or a follow and what are your thoughts about social media algorithms and the way that it chooses who is and isn’t exposed to your work?

It’s important for me to talk about the ‘why’ of my work as I believe it needs context and the reasons often open up the viewer to checking their implicit bias against the male nude. I will happily engage with anyone who is curious, even down to the technical details. I often share my process, however vulnerable that makes me feel, as I believe in sharing whatever I have I learned along the way. Picasso said ‘The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away’, I fully agree with the sentiment. 

Additionally, have you ever used paid social media ads? If so, what was the experience like and is it something you’d recommend?

Occasionally I have done. My request has been denied a few times, and once when I appealed and the denial was overturned, it was done in such a way that very few eyes saw the work, which was frustrating. I simultaneously won and lost and paid for the pleasure. If an artist’s work is less controversial and promoting can be successful, there is every reason to do it. It’s a crowded market and if you believe you have something of worth, why not shout about it?

18. At the time of writing, we are currently in the middle of a global pandemic with the continuation of Covid-19, which has impacted various industries across the world. How has this crisis affected you, both personally and professionally, and what is the biggest shift you’ve seen in the creative industry during this time? Additionally, do you think that this pandemic will affect the creative industry in a positive or negative way over the next few months and what will be best and worst thing to come out of it?

Surprisingly the curved ball of the pandemic has been remarkably positive in terms of raising my profile. Lots of people suddenly found more time for scrolling on Instagram, and a couple of portraits I did of NHS Doctors got a lot of attention in the media, both locally and internationally. Personally the rhythm of my life didn’t change too much. I work alone, as all artists do, and I was able to continue coming to my studio every day which kept me sane. In terms of the creative industry I think it has been shaken up. With venues for showing art closed, and many exhibitions postponed or cancelled, artists have had to explore different ways to get eyes on their work. The gallery model might have been disrupted and as art collectors tighten their belts in a shrinking economy, we have to come up with new ideas about our audiences. I think there has been some democratisation of art – more artists are offering prints of their work, painting smaller more affordable paintings, the client base has been expanded, this is good thing. Art should not be the preserve of the elite collector. 

19. Is it important for an artist to have a message in their work and if so, how do you find the balance between creating work that is meaningful to others yet also part of your cohesive narrative? Should an artist create what sells or should their work be constantly evolving and how has your own work evolved since you first started?

Art is meaningful to others, when it is meaningful to the creator of it. It really is that simple. It may take a while to find its audience, but if we artists don’t create from a place that moves us, we may as well let AI take over. ‘Art’ can simply exist as an object of beauty; offering a moment for the viewer to transcend their daily grind, to step into another’s experience of life. An exquisite landscape, scudding clouds, sunshine on the water, a bowl of apples seen from the artists perspective of light and colour, whatever has moved the artist to want to share their vision. I don’t believe art needs to be didactic to exist, nor do I think an artist needs to do anything other than create authentically. There are a lot of artists in my studio complex who create lovely work specifically to sell and that is their authentic motivation and source of validation. They are tremendously successful and though the ‘art world’ might say it isn’t actually ‘art’, I don’t agree with that thinking. If another human sees beauty and wants to live with it in their home, then that makes it art. 

In terms of my own work, I’m working towards a world where a painting of the male nude can exist simply as an object of beauty, in the meantime it has a message. I hope to be constantly evolving for I am always dissatisfied with what I create, but I also see nothing wrong with the artist who has reached contentment and creates successfully from that place. 

20. Do you have a question for the next creative I interview?

When did you first recognise yourself as an artist/creator?

21. One of the best things about being creative is the fact that art can be a great catalyst for conversation and engagement with people all over the world. Considering factors such as social media guidelines, public scrutiny and prudishness, do you think that we live in a society that cultivates or curtails artistic freedom?

I think we are in danger of moving to a world that curtails artistic freedom. We have a society often too quick in choosing to be offended, and too eager to be protected from dissenting views or alternate experiences. Rather than engage and be challenged by robust debate, there are groups of people that simply want protection from everything that doesn’t resonate with their viewpoint, they want to censor and silence the world around them. 

22. If you could curate a gallery show in which you exhibited your work alongside 3 other creatives, who would you exhibit with and what theme would you choose?

The theme is easy, I’d love to see an exhibition dedicated to the male body. The ‘who’ a little more difficult. Any artist, male or female who is able to capture the humanity of the masculine without denigrating or eroticising would be perfect.  

23. What do you like to do when you’re not painting or creating art, and what do you think your work says about you?

In truth, there is no ‘outside of art’. I am not sure there can ever really be a life that isn’t so fully intertwined with my drive to create that there is any form of separation. The artist and the woman are one and the same so art is not something I go to a place to do – it simply is a part of everything I am. I’m in the studio 5/6 days a week. I read a lot of poetry, I’m interested in philosophy. I like to go to concerts. I love to be in nature, I sometimes drive down to the coast and walk along a beach, blows the cobwebs away. These last few years I’ve been building my practice and focused on finding my voice so I haven’t had much chance, but I do like to travel.

As to what my work says about me: Interesting, I haven’t thought of that before now, simply because it is less about me as a person and more about what I feel compelled to share with my fellow humans. Thankfully I’m at an age where perceptions of me as person/artist, are irrelevant to my thought processes. I also think the presumptions depend on the age, where on the gender spectrum the viewer identifies and their cultural background. 

24. What are you currently working on and where can people find more about you and your art?

I’m about to start work on a painting that is part of a series that uses the Japanese art of kintsugi to highlight the beauty of what we perceive to be our metaphorical flaws. I can be found online 

Instagram : @janec_art

Website : www.janeclatworthy.com