Checklist spoke to Yorkshire-based artist Lucy Pittaway, who has been awarded the UK’s Most Popular Published Artist for the third time at the Fine Art Trade Guild (FATG) Awards. Here she speaks about her own journey, and shares tips for fellow artists.

What were your motivations for becoming an artist and when did you realise that this was a career you wanted to pursue?

There’s always been something in my nature that has lent me towards art, I just think it’s in my genes. My mum was a creative person, and from a young age, I spent a lot of time painting, drawing, and creating crafts.

Your works are of course largely inspired by the Yorkshire Dales; do you have any other landscape influences or specific areas you would like to focus on in your work?

My work has always focused on the outdoors as it’s these environments where I feel most inspired. My travels around the world feature in my ‘Horizons’ collection but it’s the Yorkshire Dales and Cumbria that inspire me the most. That and their woolly inhabitants! That said, I do have plans to diversify and try new subjects in my work.

You’ve said your style changed once you had your children and began to see the world through their eyes. Do you think this might happen again as they grow, or as you yourself grow?

Absolutely. My artistic style has changed a lot over the years, and it would be reasonable to expect that it will change again in the future as I continue to experience life. There are also other parts of my life that I would like to express through my pieces and whilst the style may feel familiar, there will be obvious changes to the subjects and narrative of the pieces.

You have even commissioned a gift for HRH Princess Anne. What did that mean for you as an artist, and what were your inspirations for It’s a Wonderful Life?

I was honoured to be invited to create a commissioned piece for HRH Princess Anne and it was wonderful to meet her. The brief was to create something that would remind her of her visit to the Yorkshire Dales, in particular, Wensleydale. I chose a soft palette of colours and placed four sheep in the painting to represent her immediate family, and the butterflies represented her grandchildren. 

How do you think online markets, or social media in particular, have changed how artists sell their work as opposed to the gallery format? And what has this new market meant for you?

Currently, we sell directly through our flagship galleries and online store, plus several select retailers, however as time goes on and the online space continues to develop, new marketplaces are becoming difficult to ignore. People consume information, make decisions, and take action on so many different platforms now that a broader approach to retailing is vital for survival. As a business we’ve been able to pivot ourselves into the e-commerce space and fully understand the potential for online retailing, but there’s something about seeing a piece of art in person, framed and on a wall that engages the senses and ignites your emotions.

Do you have any tips for those who may struggle with discipline or finding a balance between painting and business?

The work-life balance is a challenge that affects everyone, but when you add in other factors such as being a business owner and a parent, this is when it gets tough. I practice mindfulness including meditations, journaling, and yoga. These really help me reflect on myself and feel grateful and well-balanced at times when things are tough. I also love being outdoors, nature not only inspires me as an artist but invigorates my soul, so when we spend time as a family in the Lake District, I’m very happy.

What advice would you give to fellow aspiring artists looking to follow their dreams as you did?

Don’t expect the journey to be easy! Being in business is challenging and you need to be extremely adaptable. But it’s important that you go for it nonetheless because it can be incredibly rewarding and turn out better than your expectations. Believe in yourself and who knows where it will take you.

How does it feel to be the UK’s Most Popular Published Artist? That’s quite an achievement.

It’s an incredible honour to receive this accolade for the third time and isn’t something I take for granted. It makes all the hard work worthwhile and knowing that people are still enjoying my art is very humbling.

Finally, what are you working on next? Do you have any particularly exciting projects or partnerships in the pipeline?

From a creative perspective, I will be taking my artwork in a new direction very soon and exploring some new themes, subjects, and topics that I hope people will enjoy. Watch this space!

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First off, can you tell us what the outdoors means to you?

I’m always at my happiest in the great outdoors. It has so many mental health benefits, including lowering stress and lifting mood. I try to get outside every single day no matter what the weather, which is why the Peter Storm range is perfect for me (and it looks great)!

What would your greatest day spent outdoors look like?

The brilliant thing about nature is that even though it’s constant, it’s ever-evolving which I admire. So there isn’t a ‘greatest day in the outdoors’ for me – I just need to be outdoors every day – even if that’s in the local park. Twenty minutes with the trees and taking in the sounds and smells of the natural world revitalises me.

What would make for an unbeatable experience outside and what has been your greatest UK adventure to date?

My greatest UK adventure to date is the next one. I had a fantastic time filming a walk in Essex recently, in a place called Tollesbury, which was utterly lovely. Not really a great big adventure but I think getting as much ‘green’ in our daily lives is the important thing.

You’ve bravely opened up about your cancer diagnosis; has it changed your connection with and perception of the great outdoors, and how you have been able to enjoy it?

Honestly, it’s saved me, kept me sane, been my therapist and continues to help my recovery in ways I can’t explain.

What advice would you give to those suffering from physical or mental illnesses to support them in getting outside?

It’s been widely researched and just 120 minutes a week in green spaces has been shown to have huge benefits on our physical and mental health. Humans have evolved in green spaces and we are not meant to be spending hours hunched over a blue screen… Do yourself a huge favour and make sure you take regular breaks and get that much needed vitamin D from daylight, which helps sets your circadian rhythm, refreshes your concentration and helps optimise your hormones. It’s vital for mental health and we all need to move, to stay on top of our physical health.

As a family, how do you balance time spent online with time away from devices and what tips can you give to parents and kids on limiting screen time?

We’re just busy and involved with our kids. I talk to them about my work and include them in some of it – getting them to help me research stuff and showing them the places I may be filming. We read a lot together, plant trees, grow indoor plants… if you show children how life grows, I think they’re intrinsically interested in the process and results.

What are your favourite things about your job? Is there anyone in the outdoors industry that inspires you and why?

I feel very grateful – I think it’s the best job in the world. I’ve met fantastically interesting people, I’ve travelled through some of the most interesting and beautiful landscapes in the world and despite the insecurity of not knowing what’s next, it’s incredibly rewarding. I still feel as if I have so much to learn about everything.

I’m a super fan of Suzanne Simard – a professor who made the ground-breaking discovery that trees talk to each other in highly complex ways and Octavia Hill who was a social reformer and ardent campaigner to protect various landscapes and special places across the UK. She helped found the National Trust and stopped lots of green spaces from being built on, in the name of ‘progress’ because she understood the value of these spaces for everyone – whatever their background – even in urban settings.

For you, what would make an ideal day trip or day out?

Homemade sarnies (fat slices of sourdough please), a sunny day, and my kids set to go for a woodland walk and picnic.

Checklist collaborated with Go Outdoors for this interview, which you can find here.

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What did you see yourself doing as a child?

Like most children of the seventies, I envisaged myself becoming an astronaut or a rock star. I held on to these dreams for quite some time but was eventually convinced by my careers officer at my comprehensive school that these would not be safe options, and that a GCSE in woodwork might not get me on the NASA short list.

What was your first job?

My first job was in fact a labourer on a building site. It was hard work, but it taught me the value of things. I would eventually get home covered in muck; my feet having turned orange from the building sand. The pay was around £50 per week which actually seemed a small fortune to me at the time. I only had to worry about fuel for my Vespa and a Wimpy, I thought I was Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Tell us how Prestige Pawnbrokers came about?

The idea of setting up prestige pawnbrokers came about during the crash of 2008 and the banking crisis. Loans were being called in and well-heeled individuals suddenly were in need of some finance. Pawnbroking seemed an ideal vehicle to get into the money lending business bearing in mind my background and skills I had to bring to the table.

Among other enterprises, I had previously dealt in classic cars and had imported furniture from Asia as well as bought and sold all sorts of interesting items, almost from the day I left school. The concept of high-end asset lending seemed a no brainer to me at the time and the added security of holding on to the asset for the duration of the loan was very appealing.

What were the challenges you faced bringing your idea to the market?

We understood that the market was there, but the main challenge was getting other people to understand it too. Marketing proved the key to its success and once we gained some notoriety with the press and various news stories, we started to gain some traction in this field. Obviously once the TV show was aired, we became centre stage in this particular arena. We understood that the market was there, but the main challenge was getting other people to understand it too.

You specialise in luxury goods. What’s your best ever find?

I’ve seen some wonderful works of art and some truly beautiful pieces of jewellery but there are some items that are perhaps not as valuable to the collector’s markets that are in my opinion priceless. I’ve spoken about this previously, but we were presented with some very personal letters handwritten by the former Rolling Stones member Brian Jones.

They contained touching thoughts and personal details relating to his relationship and his career as an up and coming band member. The letters were addressed to Brian’s mother and father prior to the band becoming famous and were found in the attic of a house that was owned by his parents. Brian was sadly found dead not too long after these letters were written which made the content all the more poignant.

The band are a massive piece of British rock culture and therefore these letters are priceless, they simply cannot be replaced, as such there is no real value that can be placed on them. They cannot be replicated or surpassed as the moment has gone.

On a smaller scale, where do you think is a good place to start looking for antique gems etc?

The issue is that there are so many avid collectors out there all looking in the same places.

My advice is to search on all of the usual platforms such as Facebook marketplace and Gumtree. It’s a numbers game but you can pick up the odd gem on some of these. Set up an alert so that when key words are put in the listing you are sent a notification to alert you of a advert with these words entered in the heading, this way you will be aware of it as soon as the listing goes live.

What’s the most invaluable advice you were given?

The best piece of advice I was ever given was by a dear old friend of mine who had been very successful in the property market. He said: “if you want to succeed in business, your desire for gain must be greater than your fear of loss.” This stuck with me ever since he first said these words to me 20 years ago. I was discussing a property deal at the time and I was a little twitchy about it…. I’ll keep you guessing about how it turned out.

Who or what inspires you?

People who strive to do something and are prepared to work hard. Individuals with vision and those who are prepared to take risks to better themselves. I’m talking about those with an idea or a dream that are prepared to risk all and believe in their concept or idea, this is inspiring. It’s not all about the money it’s about having the balls to put everything on the line in order to achieve something.

Is there anything you’re still trying to source and would really like?

Well we are all looking for that golden ticket, lost piece of art or the Porsche motorcar James Dean famously died in following a crash in 1955. Nobody knows its whereabouts but there has been plenty of speculation ever since.

To be honest I’m quite content with the wonderful artefacts, collectables and fine jewellery we see on a weekly basis…I haven’t got time to go treasure hunting.

Obviously, the last year has hit many people and businesses hard, any advice for anyone who could be potentially sitting on a bit of unknown cash?

My advice to anyone sitting on some cash right now would be to hold on to it for another six to 12 months as things are going to get very interesting.

Cash will ultimately be king as it always is during times of economic downturn and opportunities will be plentiful. Sit yourself down and buckle up for the ride

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During the recent lockdowns we all found ourselves spending a lot more time at home. Essential key workers were still leaving the house to do their jobs keeping the UK running but the rest of us were mainly confined to our own spaces, with the occasional hour of exercise and fresh air outdoors.

So it’s no wonder that long-forgotten crafts became attractive again and hobbies we might never have had the time for suddenly seemed a possibility.

A poll of 2,000 adults found more than one third have taken the opportunity to pursue new interests in a bid to keep their minds and bodies active.

While going to the gym, swimming and travel became off limits for most, a return to more traditional pastimes such as gardening, cooking and baking was seen.

Supermarkets saw a shortage of flour and yeast at certain points as the quest for the perfect sourdough or banana bread began trending on social media.

The extra time not spent on the commute has also given us more time for walking, reading and exercising, with 81 per cent choosing some form of mindfulness to help distract them from worries caused by the pandemic, while three quarters of those asked were keen to involve more exercise in their day-to-day lives.

Other factors cited as impacting the way people chose to occupy their time included the level of skill needed, any costs involved and a desire for self-improvement.

Nearly a fifth of adults questioned say their new interest has helped increase their overall happiness, showing that for many, the pandemic has been an eye-opener in terms of lifestyle.

Sarah Dixon, of Hozelock, which commissioned the survey, said: “Many of us have had more time on our hands during the past 12 months, so it is only normal that we are filling this time trying out new hobbies and interests. With so much uncertainty, it is great to see that people are choosing activities which will improve their mental health and provide some structure to their days and weekends.”

Further down a list of 40 most popular new hobbies taken up by adults during lockdown, activities included martial arts, pottery, knitting, video gaming and doing jigsaws.

Another survey, commissioned by Serenata Flowers, looked solely at skills sought after by women. Top was learning a new language, with one in five citing it as a goal. That was closely followed by mastering a musical instrument or crafting. Dancing, video making and woodwork were also popular among respondents.

Breaking down the results geographically, website Love Crafts found that northerners and Scots from cities such as Newcastle and Edinburgh were keen to work on their DIY skills, while learning to code and programme were popular ambitions in Bristol. Meanwhile in the south, residents of Brighton and Southampton had their sights set on learning to play guitar.

Cross stitch, birdwatching and doing crosswords all featured in the top 40 also, as well as – perhaps unsurprisingly with pubs shut or exercising restrictions – brewing beer.

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