This is a interview with Jodie Grice who appeared in our exhibition and publication “Contrast, Issue 2“.
What first drew you to painting and how did it become a therapeutic outlet during difficult times?
At around 14 years old, I experienced a traumatic situation which led to being offered counselling sessions. I wanted to skip these so that I wouldn’t miss my art lessons. That’s when I knew it was important to me. My art lessons gave me a safe space to express what was happening inside my mind. It helped me unload and feel free of specific thoughts or emotions. I didn’t even know what I was doing at that point in terms of the actual artwork. All I knew was that it helped with my emotions and mindset and created a bubble where I forgot my struggles and demons for a minute. This was the same time I discovered the artist Jackson Pollock. He was my first inspiration and insight into action and expressive abstract painting.
Can you tell us the journey from dealing with mental health to becoming an abstract expressionist artist?
It’s a journey of not giving up; from a young teenager, I dreamed of selling my paintings and hanging them in galleries. Never did I think both could happen. Unfortunately, I experienced many more bad situations, making it necessary for me to create. It helped me survive, and with that, I started to share my work on social media. I kept exploring and creating and continued to show up for what I was passionate about. I went on to have my children and became a stay-at-home mum; I decided to jump in the deep end and give it my all, hoping I would become a selling artist and connect with people.
How did your personal experiences influences your artistic style?
My reasons for starting to explore art are very dark; they damaged me early on, and a lot felt out of my control, so I wanted my art to be the opposite. I wanted bold, bright, colourful pieces that uplift and inspire, to evoke positivity. The strong, confident marks that create my paintings are a reflection of how I want to see myself confident and in control.
When creating a piece what is the process behind choosing your colours and the form of your art work?
I never plan a painting, and I never know the outcome when looking at a blank canvas. It’s whatever colours my mind and body are drawn to at that moment. However, certain colours I hardly ever connect with are rarely used in any of my paintings, such as brown, red, and black. They feel dark and moody to me. As for the marks put together to create my pieces, it is down to whatever actions I create. It’s all about freedom to not overthink, to be playful and to embrace those moments of joy. I keep painting till I feel it’s ‘complete’.
What challenges have you faced been an abstract artist and have how you over come them?
I have faced many challenges as a person and professional; I think the pressure of feeling you need to constantly create, produce and show these masterpieces to the world is challenging. Fighting in a world of amazing artists and not feeling ignored is hard, but you must believe in yourself and keep pushing. Art is, for me, a bonus for people to see and connect with it. In terms of professionally it’s so hard to build your profile up from scratch to get your work out there and stand out from others; it takes years to build a social media platform, and it takes even longer to be recognised in the art world.