Juliette Scott
Please can you tell us about your upbringing?
I grew up in the countryside near Horsham in West Sussex and I went to school in Sussex too. I got to know London at a young age as my maternal grandparents lived there. Trips to London often included going to see West End shows, art galleries and exhibitions. My parents were very generous and keen to introduce my sister and I to as much as they could. Not only did we visit museums and stately homes and gardens in the UK but we also had various holidays abroad which were very special; visiting the chateaux in the Loire, time in Venice and a trip to the USA.
My mother and grandfather both worked in textiles so they were definitely artistic. My father had a good eye and always enjoyed taking photographs. As a young man he had a dark room but in later years he embraced digital photography and even taught himself how to use Photo Elements.
Did you have an interest in art as a child?
I spent a lot of time colouring and drawing as a child, and I also remember being taken to pottery classes on a Saturday morning. Art was always my favourite subject at school, I enjoyed languages too and did French and Spanish at A Level, but my A Level Art combined with History of Art was definitely the one that excited me. I just loved spending time in the art room doing all sorts from screen printing to graphic design to still life oil painting.
“The subject itself is of no account; what matters is the way it is presented.” Raoul Dufy
Did you have a formal art education or are you self taught?
I read History of Art at Nottingham University so I didn’t do any practical art for quite a few years. However I worked with art at Bonhams Auction House and later at the Art Loss Register. When I had my second baby and was already living in the north east, I did a long distance learning course with KLC School of Design and subsequently set up as an Interior Designer. I worked as a designer on both residential and commercial projects for many years, and it was a joy to be working with colour, pattern and texture. I didn’t actually take up photography properly until 2014.
Was there a moment or a person or a place in your past that influenced you or you feel set you on the journey to where you are now?
I think that it was in 2015 or 2016 when I was walking past the Mall Galleries and saw that there was a photography exhibition on, so I went in. After looking at the images on the wall I was sifting through the gift cards and stumbled across one of some brightly coloured hats - it was a photograph but it was impressionistic in style, it had real movement. I had never seen anything like it before. I got talking to one of the photographers, a gentleman called Clive Minnet who said that it was one of his images and that if I was interested in learning more that I should come on a Light and Land Photography course. In 2017 I booked to go on a workshop to Santorini with Clive and although we mainly did traditional photography, Clive did show me briefly how to do Intentional Camera Movement. However he said that if I was really interested in impressionistic photography that I should learn from Valda Bailey and Doug Chinnery. Since 2018 I have done several workshops abroad and in the UK, as well as online courses during the pandemic with Valda and Doug who are masters in multiple exposure and intentional camera movement. I don’t always make images in this impressionistic style, I enjoy traditional photography too, but I have loved learning these alternative methods of image making from them.
Fading Beauty
What is the best thing about being an artist?
I have a fascination with colour, pattern and all things beautiful so it’s a joy to be able to create images and indulge myself. Also with my style of photography I feel that I have complete freedom to choose my colours and how I interpret what I am seeing as I am not pertaining to be a document photographer who is more likely to produce accurate representations of people, places, objects and events. I love being creative and I can’t imagine doing something numerical for example where there is no scope for being remotely inventive.
Come Rain or Shine
And the worst?!
I don’t enjoy marketing myself. I am not a natural sales person!
What has inspired or influenced you?
Growing up with a father who worked in horticulture has given me a life long interest in flowers, trees and gardens. I grow lots of flowers and most of my photography is created from what I have grown in my own garden. Also, as I regularly go to exhibitions I am continually inspired by the works of artists; especially painters and photographers. Travelling is of course very stimulating too, and I love to see the different styles of architecture and the different materials used abroad. Quite recently I was in Barcelona and I was mesmerised by Gaudi’s work.
In Bloom
What international art destination do you most want to visit?
I would absolutely love to go to Japan. Last year I went to the exhibition ‘Japan: Courts and Culture’ at the Queen’s Gallery and fell in love with the woodcuts and tapestries. I adore Japanese brush paintings, I think that their architecture and garden designs are fascinating too. I would be fascinated to watch how their lacquer work is created and how they approach gilding. I also know that the Japanese are leaders in immersive digital art so that would be another dimension to explore.
What work of art would you most like to own?
I am not sure that I can choose a single piece of art but when I see a really beautiful painting I can feel quite tearful ..in a good way! This typically happens when I look at some of the paintings by Monet or Sorolla.
Please tell us about your working environment…
I have a lovely light filled studio where I keep my camera, lenses and tripods. I have a desktop computer as I love to work with a very big screen. I also have a big table as sometimes I add metal leaf to my finished prints, so I need a workspace to carry out the gilding process. I have lots of paints too, a small sink and an easel (occasionally I do oil painting). Everything is very colourful in my studio including my sofa which is scattered with bright and cheerful cushions. I have lots of pictures on my wall and a massive pin board above my desk where I pin anything that has caught my eye. I have a huge collection of books and interior magazines. There is quite a lot going on in my studio and probably needs a bit of a sort out !
Please tell us a little about the process involved in making your art?
I make images with my camera and I use all sorts of techniques to do so. Straight photography as well as in-camera multiple exposures and ICM. I love to use my macro lens for close ups. Sometimes I use my macro lens in conjunction with a light pad to create back- lit images. I also use a flat bed scanner for scanning items of interest, this is just another form of photography . It’s fiddly as you have to lay your items out carefully and upside down whilst keeping the scanner glass dust free, as every particle shows up. Digital post-processing is a huge part of what I do, I use Lightroom and Photoshop but occasionally I use the app Procreate on my iPad. I learnt how to hand marble paper during the last couple of years and I like to combine these papers digitally with my photography. I also enjoy working with metal leaf, so sometimes I add metal leaf to my prints to give them a bespoke finish.
Flower Power
What's the most indispensable item in your studio?
My camera which is a Fuji XT4
Where are you finding ideas and inspiration for your work currently?
The seasons always provide interest. I live in Northumberland where we get proper winters. We had the most beautiful hoar frost in December so all the trees were dripping in ice and just this week we have had snow which makes a magical landscape full of beautiful long blue winter shadows.
Blue Monday
If you weren’t an artist what would you be?
I love food and eating out so it would be great fun to be a food critic .
What advice would you give to those aspiring to make a living out of art?
I guess to keep making art, keep learning and looking at other people’s art and to be brave about promoting and marketing yourself.
What is the most important thing to know about you?
Being out with my camera makes me truly happy and I hope to enjoy doing photography for the rest of my life.
Please tell us one unexpected thing about yourself.
I am a quarter Czech as my grandparents both grew up in what was then known as Czechoslovakia. I only know a handful of Czech words though as it was my mother’s secret language when she was talking to my grandparents! I went to Prague with my Grandfather in 1990 and more recently went with our daughters. What a magical city.
Memories from Prague
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