Roger. Neil Turner Artist

When the Artists & Illustrators Magazine approached me asking to do a feature article about my work in the publication they sent me a questionnaire to fill out. They then crafted the article based on my answers. I thought that it would share my answeres with you…..

Have you always wanted to be an artist?
My interest in art was inspired at an early age by a very studious first cousin who aspired initially to study art at University. She was often to be found painting in oils or watercolours during our weekly family visits. The interest in painting rubbed off and was reinforced by praise at school in front of the class for one of my drawing efforts. This praise when I was roughly ten years old secured an interest in creating art. My cousin in the event ended up as one of the countries leading academics in the field of phycology. We still share a common interest in painting.

How did you discover your love of painting? Do you remember the exact moment?
At school in Sydney, Australia in 1972, we were given the task of producing a work of art to count towards the the School Certificate qualification. I created an oil painting on canvas board of an outback scene which was warmly received. For years afterwards I would dabble in poils from time to time, never rally considering art as a profession, never thinking that there might be any kind of a living to be had from it. My late fathers worked in engineering and industry and perhaps automatically I pursued a career that mirrored his. It was only in 2009 after semi retirement that I picked up a paintbrush in earnest.

Do you tend to paint the same subject, or do you find yourself experiment from time to time? 

I do experiment from time to time, but currently, commercial success has narrowed the focus on creating harbour landscapes of the British coastline and producing commissions of cityscapes or landscapes that resonate with my clients. Working currently as a studio based artist, primarily from my photography and other sources or my imagination. Each painting takes a significant amount of time to finish as I tend to get lost in the detail, which is the part I like the most at the moment. Sometime in the future I would like to pursue the immediacy of plein air painting, but I am currently a full time carer for an elderly relative whose needs severely restricts any time away from home. I do produce portraiture in oils, pastels, graphite & charcoial once in a while.

What is your medium of choice?
I mostly create representational art in oils, acrylics, watercolours and pastels. If pressed I would have to say that traditional oil paints is my preferred medium. A close second is the delicate nature watercolour. I work on a large range of supports from traditional canvas and linen to watercolour and pastel paper.

How has you upbringing and studies influenced your art?
Following High School in Australia I did not have any further formal art eduction. Technical drawing in my engineering pursuits has given me a good grasp of perspective and detail and I have carried this forward in the creative process. My upbringing and travels have had an influence on my subject matter: The sea and light reflected in water is a focus. I suppose circumnavigating the globe by ship, living and playing by Sydney Harbour and in Lympne in Kent near to Romney Marsh influenced my interests in the sea and its surroundings.. My late father was also in the Royal Navy, taking part aboard HMS London in the famed Yangtze Incident in 1949 and his association with the sea was an influence in choosing my subject matter.

What else are your paintings influenced by?
With the surname of Turner it was only natural that I would take an interest in J.M.W Turners wonderful paintings; the colours and the drama are an inspiration. All the usual suspects such as Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Renoir etc. I have particular liking for John Everett Millais ‘The Blind Girl’. I admire the Plein Air painters such as Peter Brown (Pete The Street) and Haidee-Jo Summers. And follow with interest the career of a fellow shortlisted 2014 Artist of the Year, Joshua Waterhouse, with his fine detailed realistic portraiture. The wonderful watercolours of Thierry Duval and the emotive portraiture of David Jon Kassan. I also admire the rich, buttery pallet knife landscapes and seascapes of Alan Cotton, which is a technique I have yet to try. Really there are too many to mention

Describe your composition process – what do you hope to achieve at the end of the process?
The compositional process depends on the type of work I am undertaking. I like to vary things: In one work I will tone the canvas, produce an accurate under drawing and use many glazes over weeks to produce the finished effect, other times I will start an oil painting with a white canvas and no under drawing, painting directly, working by a series of constant error corrections. Art by errors is an interesting way to work, the paint as it interacts suggests something new to you and takes you in a direction you had not initially thought of. Producing a painting for me is the need to reflect some everyday aspect of nature that only I have seen in any particular moment. When this is achieved there is a great sense of satisfaction, this is further reinforced if my art is admired and even purchased by others. Selling a painting is often bitter sweet. A great deal of time and effort goes into creating them and I get lost in the whole process. Months after producing a work I will look at it and think to myself ‘did I really do that’.

What sets you apart from other artists?
I do not think that there is anything that I could point to that sets me apart from other artists. I would say that this is for others to decide. I just paint.

Do you make most of your income from commissions or are there other income streams?
Sales generated directly from my website and word of mouth are the primary source of income, followed by commissioned works and commercial art projects. Having a good website with each artwork having its own individual page keeps the artwork in the public eye online. This is reinforced by having a presence on key art websites such as Artists & Illustrators.