Our second Q&A with Studio Fridays artists is with contemporary landscape painter Margaret Crutchley. Margaret’s thoughtful answers give us an insight into the reasons why she makes art, as well as describing the major exhibitions that have had the most impact on her in recent years.

You can see Margaret’s work on the Studio Fridays website, her own website and instagram.

Why do you make Art?

For the pleasure of the physical process—the co-ordinated movement of hand, arm and eye, guided by the brain.

For the wonder of creating a recognisable image of some thing, person or place, simply by using coloured marks on a flat surface.

To make a permanent record of how I feel about a thing, person or place.

Which major exhibition has given you the most pleasure in the last 5 years?

There are so many to choose from!

Ai Wei Wei awakened my social conscience.
Bill Viola and Gerhard Richter made me think.
Anthony Gormley’s investigations of the body and Alice Neale’s (Victoria Miro) wonderful portraits revealed truths about humankind.
Barbara Hepworth’s sculptures (Tate Britain and Hepworth Wakefield) brought a tear to the eye for sheer beauty.

Overall though, I think Richard Diebenkorn at the RA. His struggles with composition, in work which varies between abstraction and figuration, gave me not only food for thought, but also a lot of pleasure.

What has been the highlight of your painting career so far?

Having a painting selected for the second time for the RWS Contemporary exhibition last year. It made me finally realise that I AM an artist.

What do you know now, that you wish you had known 10 years ago?

That I am more able at quite a few things (not just Art) than I thought I was.

Has your practice changed over time?

Yes. Not to a huge extent, but increased confidence, knowledge, experience and analysis of my work has helped me settle on a genre and style I wish to pursue.

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