Walls never looked so good! Artist Gina Watkinson tells Dawn Anderson about her unique artwork.
USUALLY I end up meeting artists in their studios or workshops, but this time I met Gina Watkinson, not in the garden shed that she uses to create some of her paintings, but at the beautiful Oakhill Cromford (www.oakhillcromford.co.uk), a gem of a Georgian house which serves as a hotel, restaurant, bar and wedding venue.
Gina at Oakhill Cromford.
Oakhill is just one of the commercial projects that Gina has worked on, using her expert skills and techniques to create unique statement walls and individual pieces of art which adorn some of the other walls. Her paintings in their luxurious gold frames perfectly complement the atmosphere of the place; if this was a gallery it could not be better at showcasing her work.
Gina is understated (despite her bright yellow trousers!), thoughtful and authentic. I can see the sparkle in her eyes when she shares her love of art. She is multi-talented, producing artwork using a mix of media from oils and acrylics to Venetian plasters and luxury paints.
Her pieces are highly original and she works on canvas, board or directly onto walls. “When people ask me how I would describe myself as an artist, I usually say that I create fine art and murals.” she says and then we both laugh when she tells me that people frequently call them ‘murials’. Those of you, who are a certain age, will smile here when reminded of Hilda Ogden, a character from Coronation Street many years ago, who had her ‘murials’.
As well as producing murals, she also creates feature walls using Venetian plastering, a specialised technique involving plaster and paint. This process uses fine plaster to create unique effects which can be burnished to create stunning results. The method used is so niche, that she recently attended an exclusive course in Venice, learning from Italian experts.
Gina grew up in Derbyshire, and is now based here. As a child, she was always happiest with crayons and paper; not drawing on walls at this stage, I ought to add! She initially did a formal course at Chesterfield College but found herself working in film and theatrical makeup at Shepperton Film Studios in Surrey.
She then worked as a photographer’s assistant, eventually moving back to Derbyshire, where she continued her work in photography while bringing up her two boys (now aged 24 and 18). Her own creative journey had taken a back seat but came more to the fore as she delighted in creating murals for her own children and gradually focused more and more on her route to becoming an artist.
Word of mouth led to increased commissions, and she even diversified slightly to be able to prep the walls that she was going to paint. She also produced lots of individual pieces; she now has an extensive portfolio of work including large landscape paintings of dramatic moorlands and oriental-inspired decorative pieces with exotic birds and flowers.
“I find myself drawn to the huge expanse of sky and space and the way that light shifts and changes with the weather,” she tells me, referring to her textured semi-abstract landscapes. We both agree that Derbyshire has some fantastic landscapes to draw inspiration from.
Now a full-time artist, she balances her time between painting individual pieces and transforming walls. She can frequently be found up a ladder with a trowel or paint brush in hand. One of her current projects is a revamp of Barrington’s restaurant in Darley Dale (www.barringtonspub.co.uk).
“It has been so lovely to be able to extend the project to include both the choice of colour scheme and furniture.” she says. The results will be officially launched in October, so keep an eye out.
Another recent example of her work is Aspire Creative hair and beauty salon in Matlock (www.aspirecreativehair.co.uk). Here you can experience the sumptuous walls that she has created.
These are just two of the places in Derbyshire where you can find examples of her work. Alongside commercial projects she also does works in private houses, often in bathrooms and kitchens. Her framed work was recently exhibited at the Wirksworth Festival and you can find a selection of it to buy online on her website.
Editor’s Note: Gina’s website is www.ginawatkinson.co.uk her Instagram is ginawatkinsonartist and Facebook; Gina Watkinson Artist.