Having developed a successful career in television, Lucy has returned to her artistic heartland.  

 How did you start your art career?
I come from a family of artists – my grandmother was cartoonist and sculptress Angela Antrim, my mother Christina Hoare went to the Slade and became a watercolourist, and my uncle and cousins are all artists. This might explain why I wanted to ring the changes. After a brief stint as an illustrator in my twenties I moved into television and developed a busy career in scripted comedy.

Oil painting and drawing have been an itch I’ve wanted to scratch which culminated in showing work for the first time in a local show in 2019 and since then my art practice is here to stay. 

What are you working on now?
I’m about to go to Northern Ireland to ‘harvest’ ideas. It’s my favourite place on the planet. It’s full of memories for me and I can happily hang out with sheep, a thermos, a waterproof and a sketch book and be very at one with the world.

A few years ago I wrote up my uncle’s stories about living in Northern Ireland during the war and it unlocked something in me. The Antrim coast, its surrounding landscape and the characters in the local villages are recurring themes in my work. 

But I’m also finding inspiration on my doorstep in Barnes. I’m creating a series of images of the local shops, we are so lucky to have a village in a city. They are like faces looking out at us each with their own character. Long live the independent local shop. 

Why do I paint?
Painting is endlessly challenging. It’s a dialogue that’s totally fascinating. I was nervous of colour for years. I think that’s why I sketched with pencil and pen for so long and used colour sparingly. But I’m enjoying diving into colour now, especially oils, losing myself in endless discoveries. There is nothing else like it. It’s both infuriating and exhilarating. 

Studio or plein air?
Both are important but there is nothing like plein air. Getting cold, wet, hot, thirsty, bitten, and chased by sheep – it all goes into the work. When the stars are aligned you can almost have an out-of-body experience and get absorbed by the landscape, the sounds, mood, movement, and unpredictable weather. It’s like music. It offers so much to you, you just have to be ready to try to capture it.

Life in Barnes?
I’m blessed to have inherited a magical garden in a new house so I’m excited to see what each season offers. But I love walking around Barnes Common. I still find bits I haven’t seen before and can even happily lose my bearings. An absolute favourite place is the lost Barnes Cemetery which is a gem. Richmond Park has also captured my heart. I try to get there for sunrise when I can when there’s no one about. It is always full of surprises and they usually have very large antlers.

What is your favourite bit of kit?
My tiny watercolour set and one of those plastic brushes that holds water in the handle. No faff. And also the Art Juice podcast – it’s inspiring to eavesdrop on two artists chatting. 

Favourite artists?
Sheila Fell, Vanessa Bell and Joan Eardley. But there are so many others. I think I’m drawn to these female artists as they had such a love of the landscape, nature and very strong sense of place. There’s a deeply sensitive touch to all their work. I also love visiting Charleston Farmhouse, home to Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell where I can go there again and again and find something new to inspire me. Nearby Monk’s House is also a very special spot which I recently discovered.

What does Barnes Artists mean to you?
Making art is a lonely pursuit so it’s very nice to have a group where you feel at home. I knew they were out there somewhere! We have a common bond and that’s a very special thing. When there’s a collective goal, like a group show, it gives us all very important deadlines so the year has some anchor points.

Katie James, who co-founded the group, has also been a huge inspiration. She is full of good ideas and boundless enthusiasm and she pointed me in the direction of the Heatherley School of Fine Art where I’m currently studying portraiture.