Artist of the Month – January

Pookie Blezard

Pookie was born and brought up in Barnes. She has been the owner and creative director of the womenswear brand Pazuki for over 35 years.

Originally trained at Camberwell School of Art where on the foundation course there was a strong emphasis on drawing and painting from life, from there she moved on to specialise in printed textiles. She has now come full circle back to painting, and this has now become the source of inspiration for her recent textile designs.

“I got bored with the digital image and being on a computer all the time. Working with oils, mixing colour and applying brush strokes directly, gives my work a much more personal feel. There’s something magical about losing yourself while staring at a flower or still-life for hours, and it’s far more fulfilling than looking at a computer screen.”

All the paintings are used to make fabric designs, sometimes using just bits of them, other times overlaying, or mixing them up together. 

Currently painting is her passion and the experience of decades of pattern making and choosing colours is evident in the work.

Recently Pookie has been commissioned to decorate a private dining room at The Mandrake Hotel and The Boat House Cafe in Regent's Park.

What are you working on now?
My 2022 clothing collection for next Autumn. I use my paintings and drawings as the inspiration for textile designs for my clothing brand Pazuki - dresses, scarves and shirts which you can see at www.pazuki.co.uk.

How has the last two years affected your work?
I found it liberating! I loved the peace and quiet and halt to the fashion deadlines and merry-go-round, spending more time on being creative and deep diving into what I'm about.

Recent technical discovery?
Synthetic brushes. I was always led to believe that hog was best but no! The bounce and resilience of a Monarch Filbert brush is a whole new experience and has transformed the touch and application of my paint to canvas

Favourite artist?
Like Katie James (previous Barnes Artist of the Month), as a textile designer, I love Jennifer Packer's vibrant colours, texture and strength of composition and I am also inspired by Daniel Shadbolt's delicate flower still life paintings. The precision of his mark making, colour and tone is astonishing. I have learnt so much from him on a recent course at Heatherleys School of Art.

Colour you can't do without?
The full spectrum of greens, from full on Viridian to Lemon Yellow.

Plein Air or Studio?
Both. I love being outside and connecting to nature. I get a heightened sense of colour and a 3 dimensional immersive experience. Similarly the more controlled environment of the studio allows me to paint in a less manic way.

Barnes Secret for an artist?
The friends I have met and cherish through Barnes Artists' group.

Favourite piece of kit?
My electric bicycle which carries all my kit and gets me to Heatherley's on a Saturday morning.