To help you get to know the Studio Fridays artists better, I’ve asked each of them to share three pieces of their work and answer three questions about their practice. Here is……

Hilary Vernon-Smith

1. My favourite work from last year is:

2. The piece I am working on now is:

….. about aging. I am drawing my elderly female neighbours with their arms crossed over their chests holding objects that they choose to represent them and their lives. I want to show the strength of age as well as the vulnerability and fragility of the skin.

3. The highlight for me so far has been: 

My solo exhibition in 2025. It was a fantastic opportunity to put my work together and see if I had a cohesive body of work.

4. Which artists do you admire most?

Cornelia Parker and Anselm Kieffer

5. What subjects are you most interested in?

I’m most interested in the figure. I find people and what they do, and look like, endlessly fascinating. I am also interested in portraying my experience of life and using techniques that have been traditionally regarded as women’s craft rather than art.

6. What pieces are you working on at the moment? 

I like to use a wide range of materials in my work. I may start with sketches in graphite, charcoal or ink and then decide how I will progress the piece which could mean finding objects or clothing on which to write or draw. I don’t limit myself to traditional art materials -I will use anything I think expresses the idea I want to portray whether it be food, plaster, dust, wax , fabric , plastic ,etc. Similarly with techniques, I use what I consider to be appropriate so it could be collage, painting, drawing, sculpture, embroidery or printing.