Stuart Semple:
I'm about to start a brand-new piece of work. The other day I saw this extraordinary boy in London on a motorbike. He had this sort of white vest and he was covered in dirt and grease, and he was trying to start the bikes, but he looked like a time traveller or something, like he was from the '50s, and it was just amazing. So I've got the image of him stuck in my head. I think there's a lot in it that could make quite a good painting.
I'm trying not to think too specifically about anything other than that initial image, so, bike… Grease… Oh, Grease - Travolta. Music. Serenade. I just picked out anything that comes into my head, and it can be as random as you like, because none of it has to end up in the finished thing. Chest… Chest hair! Chest wig! So you can see quite quickly we've got this roadside serenade, which would be an awesome title for a painting, a boy on a bike that's like John Travolta in Grease, and a girl, the girl Charlie, with fluffy yellow hands. And it's set in the sunshine. And that's it.
I think it's quite obvious what would be strong images, like fluff and yellow. I can see it. It starts to become visual now. Now that I've got the basic idea in my sketchbook, it's time to use the computer and start to collage some of the images together. At this stage, a lot of things might not even make it into the thing. You can't really go wrong. It's about seeing what things look like together.
It can take sometimes months to do them. I've got collages saved on here that I've never been able to finish. There's just something missing in them that I haven't found yet, because the tiniest little tweak can change the whole painting later on. You see, that's starting to look like something. Yeah, I'd say I'm happy with that, so what I'll do now is print it out and take it downstairs, get it on the projector and start to paint it.
The last bit is probably the bit where I really kind of pull it all together, and I don't really know… It's quite a risky bit, because, I mean, anything could happen. As I finish it off, I'm trying sort of not to think, and I just try and interpret the music and really feel something. Yeah, I think there is a real reason for the pink and yellow - it does give it a sense of movement. I was thinking if he's on his motorbike, and he's moving through something, these kind of diagonal gestures I'm making, they're almost like rain or the road going past. I'm trying to get that in it, that pace in it.
So I've finally finished it. Most of it seems to have worked out. There are bits I like, some bits I don't like. The… I think the guy's head came out a bit too tight. I feel like I've put a bit too much attention in that particular area and I got almost a bit obsessed with getting it perfect. It doesn't have that looseness and emotion that some of the other bits of painting have.
Well, I hope when you see Serenade finished, you'll feel like you're on that road with that biker boy and maybe he's going past you and you're in that kind of environment.
Video summary
Stuart Semple uses his sketchbook to jot down ideas that come into his head and link them with this image.
He then creates a map of his ideas and links these together on the computer; finding images to represent them.
As he works on the final piece, he plays his music loudly, using a variety of different brushstrokes and gestures and adding effects in spray paint.
From a series of BBC Teach clips exploring the artwork of six UK-based leading artists.
Teacher Notes
This can be used to illustrate the creative process and moving from an initial idea to the final artwork – how do you begin this journey?
Students can be asked to write a mind map of characters or people they have photographed and create a story around them as a starting point.
They can find a range of images that link to these characters and stories, and put the images together as a collage on the computer.
They can then print the collage and project it onto a canvas or wall so they can trace around it, and apply paint and charcoal effects to add colour and tone.
They can also consider using stencils and spray paint.
These clips will be relevant for teaching Art and Design at GCSE/KS4 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and National 4/5 or Higher in Scotland.
The topics discussed will support OCR, Edexcel, AQA, WJEC GCSE in England and Wales, CCEA GCSE in Northern Ireland and SQA National 4/5 and Higher in Scotland.
Contemporary British artist Stuart Semple. video
Contemporary British painter Stuart Semple introduces his artwork and talks about how music has been a big influence on it.
What inspires contemporary painter Stuart Semple? video
Contemporary painter Stuart Semple describes what inspires his artwork.
Experimenting with paint and charcoal. video
Artist Stuart Semple demonstrates how he likes to experiment with his favourite materials - paint and charcoal - to produce unique and inventive artwork.
