Contemporary artist Jayson Lilley works at the forefront of printmaking practices, incorporating painting and collage techniques into his process. His work is known for its urban and architectural focus, zooming in on familiar landmarks and reproducing iconic structures from the metropolis. Here, we spend a day in the life of Jayson Lilley, from creating in his garden studio to maintaining the work/life balance.
MY ALARM GOES OFF…
My alarm clock is 3 years old and goes off anytime after 5.30am
HOW I STARTED LIFE AS AN ARTIST…
I was always making things as a child... not being too academic (dyslexic), I found drawing, painting and creating a lot more fun than reading and writing.
MY TYPICAL DAY…
It all starts around 5.30am, depending when Atari, our 3 year old, blesses us with his cries for porridge!! I always like to be in the studio by 9am. We had a studio built in the garden so my commute is a good one. I’ll instantly start work on what needs to be done, probably that will be laying some colour down on whatever I’m working on at that time. Whilst the ink is drying I’ll work on the computer producing designs for new work... I will usually look at and respond to emails and messages at 5.30pm, I’m not a fan of interrupting my work flow during the day time! ...and did I mention the coffee...? Far too much coffee is drunk in the studio... I’m back in the house by 6pm.
MY MOST MEMORABLE ARTISTIC MOMENT…
The first time I saw my work hung at the Royal Academy of Arts, London
THE WORST PART OF BEING AN ARTIST...
My Boss always leaves the studio early when the sun shines!
THE BEST PART OF BEING AN ARTIST…
My hobby, my passion and my love is my job
AFTER I CLOSE MY STUDIO DOOR AT THE END OF THE DAY…
Between 6-7pm there’s obviously family things to do but I do try and draw a line between work and play and at 7pm I do this with a G&T…
IF I WASN’T AN ARTIST, I WOULD BE…
Before I made the decision to be a full time artist I worked for 15 years as a Book Cover Designer in London. It was the best job I ever had the privilege of doing and if it wasn’t for my absolute love of art I’d still be doing it.
