Artist Interview: Tracey Long

I adore Tracey’s work – her beautifully rendered mixed media pieces have somehow reminded me of Alice in Wonderland (if there were ever such a name for a style!) Her wonderful imagination and skill in creating gorgeously minute details has made her collection of illustrations a must-see. Read on more about her in our interview below!

Name: Tracey Long
Location: Herefordshire UK
Website: www.traceylong.co.uk
Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/chasingthecrayon
Blog: www.chasethecrayon.blogspot.com
Illustration media: Pencil, watercolour, collage

Tell us a little more about yourself!
I live with my husband and son in a house filled to the rafters with records. I don’t have any pets but I’m pretty sure there are bats in my loft. I am a tea drinking, cake eating, bookworm with a passion for shoes, history, films based on books and comfy button-back armchairs with stripes. I collect illustrated editions of Alice in Wonderland and my favourite season is Autumn.

Where do you live? What stands out about living where you are, and what is your daily schedule like?
I live three miles outside a little market town on the border between England and Wales. From my studio window I can see a medieval castle ruin and a beautiful wide river, so you can imagine I do a lot of staring out of the window!

Most days will find me in my ‘studio’. First thing I do is check e-mail for orders, jobs and enquiries. Then it’s make a pot of tea, stick the radio on and knuckle down to work, I draw, paint or research projects, if I’ve sold anything I pack it and cycle 7 miles to the post office; If all this makes me sound overly energetic, there are lots of breaks for cups of tea and staring at medieval castles (see above) My evenings are a jumble of reading, watching films, but usually more work. I also have to fit in cooking, cleaning etc but I try to avoid that as much as possible, I mean I know housework won’t kill you, but I don’t want to risk it!

How did you get your start in illustration?

I began as a self taught painter, but became more and more interested in producing work with a strong narrative element. Also, after seeing my work, people kept telling me I should seriously think about illustration.

I began the first year of my degree at Camberwell College of Art, but the commuting to London became to stressful, so I transferred and completed my degree at Hereford College of Arts where I was fortunate to have the illustrator Matthew Richardson as a tutor.

Could you tell us more about your thought process when you start a piece?
I do a lot of thinking first about associated words, jiggle them about, browse the thesaurus; then I start playing about with sketches and leafing through magazines and books for images, all this takes a couple of hours before I feel ready to start.

What’s your favourite project so far?

In the final year of my degree I made an illustrated book about the old folk song, There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly, making that was great fun (I was pleased and slightly flabbergasted when it won ‘The John Hackett Book prize’ in the degree show)

_Do you keep a journal/sketchbook, and would you mind if we had a sneak peek?

I do try to keep a sketchbook, (nosing through other illustrators sketchbooks is always enjoyable) although if I am sketching out ideas I will probably grab the nearest piece of scrap paper and use that.

Would you care to share your studio space as well?

Here is one side of it…a total mess but if I tidy up I can never remember where I put things!

What or who inspires you?

Interesting curios found while rummaging in antique and junk shops, folk art, secondhand book stalls, vintage costume.

What keeps you motivated?
If motivation is having a day off I will look at a couple of my favourite illustrators, read a book or go for a walk, one of those will do the trick. But if I don’t draw I can get very unhappy and start moaning at my husband.

Could you share with us your progression as an artist — compared to when you first started out, how has your style changed since then?
I was finally dragged, kicking and screaming into the modern age and persuaded to learn to use the computer and Photo Shop…Thank goodness! My work is more surreal and whimsical as a result.

What’s your favourite tool?
The pencil. I really could not live without one. I’ve just started using a propelling pencil, fantastic invention!

Are you a full-time artist?
Em..not sure I would give myself the ‘Artist’ tag, although drawing and painting is what I spend most of my time doing..so maybe!

What advice would you like to give people who are interested in being an artist full-time?
Do it! and ignore that little voice that lives just above your left ear when it tells you you are not good enough…..!

Where do you see yourself within the next few years?
Well, living in a Georgian house near a beach would be just the ticket! Realistically I will be satisfied if I am still producing work I am happy with.

What message do you want to send out to people about your work?
Oh hard one..I suppose my philosophy is, ‘Be very silly whenever possible’!

Tell us something random about yourself!
I fantasise about being a brilliant violinist! Sadly the violin sits in a corner of the room, untouched, gathering dust…… One day Royal Albert Hall, one day!