Discovering the Language of Art With Pinch Paints

One of my favourite things about Norwich is the number of empowering communities there are. From the growing number of independent food businesses to the flourishing arts community, Norwich is a hub for creativity.

Not only do these communities help foster a sense of culture and wellbeing, but they also encourage open expression.

On the 21st of February, St Saviours Yard hosted their launch party, celebrating the incredible community of local businesses they have created in the heart of Norwich.

St Saviours Yard feels like a small village inside our fine city, overflowing with inspiring independent businesses who all hold their own story and want to express their talent and passion for their industry.

I recently spoke to Pinch Paints, an Artist who is based at St Saviours Yard, to discover their journey as an artist, their views on the use of AI in the industry and how it feels being part of the incredible community of creatives.

When did your journey as an artist begin?

I don't think I can remember a time before art was in my life.

Since I was a small child, I have loved drawing and painting. I've been technically a professional artist taking commissions for about 11 years now, however I was privileged enough to take the leap into artistry as a career in October 2022.

What power do you believe art holds?

I think art is a different form of language, and the power it therefore has is communication.

It’s not as direct as written or verbal, but more the communication of emotion, zeitgeist, and historically for communicating perspectives throughout time.

For me, it's the best way I can personally express my feelings and sometimes memories.

Where do you look for inspiration for your art?

I'm really lucky to be able to find inspiration all around me.

I have a very busy art-oriented mind. I can't help but look at anything and everything without thinking "how could I draw that?", but the greatest inspiration can be found in stillness, and moments of peace.

Although I find it difficult to find those moments wherever I am, when they do come that's when I figure out what I want the next piece to say.

Describe your creative process.

It really varies!

Sometimes I can go almost straight to canvas with my palette knives after a quick sketch, but the best work of mine (at least in my opinion) originates from plein air sketching and painting.

If I can, I'll start by visiting a site if it's a landscape piece with my little sketchbook, then again with a bigger one and oil pastels or watercolours, then again with my sketchbook easel and paints. Sometimes weather doesn't always allow for this so if it's super chilly, I'll also work in part from some photographs, but working from photographs alone never has the same outcome and normally makes for a much more rigid piece.

What's a common misconception about being an artist?

Although I believe anyone can be an artist, it takes real dedication and graft to be a professional, full-time artist.

As much as I'd like to just paint and draw all day like people think, that only takes up about 20% of my time.

The bulk of my job is admin and research like most jobs. Unfortunately, I do fit the stereotype though of painting until the small hours when inspiration does strike, haha!

How did it feel to be part of Norfolk and Waveney Mind's 12 Months, 1 Mind calendar?

I felt really privileged to be a part of it.

The painting selected is one of a trio painted when I was processing both grief and my new limitations from becoming disabled.

I think art and mental health often go hand in hand and the act of painting is a key part of how I deal with my feelings to look after my mental health - A bit like how some people meditate, I sit at my easel.

How does it feel to have a studio at St Saviours Yard (and be part of this new community)?

Speaking of mental health, joining the SSY community and taking my practice outside my house has been really good for my brain.

I loved working from home, but my world kept getting smaller. Now I have about 60 lovely neighbours, all of us doing our own thing. It's a bit like having co-workers in an office again except we all run our own little businesses.

I've settled in well and everyone is really nice.

What is the best piece of advice/ feedback you've received during your journey as an artist?

To make mistakes in abundance.

Art is very much also about what you don't enjoy or resonate with as much as what you do.

Every time I feel like I have a creative block or that I can't do something, I keep my hands moving and try something else. I've got half-finished paintings all over the studio, but sometimes you just need to take a few months (sometimes years!) off it and dabble around with something else until the next bolt of inspiration strikes again.

My largest work "Perseverence" took 125 hours across about a year to finish.

AI has divided the artistic community. What are your views on the use of AI to create drawings/ art?

Aside from its diabolical environmental impact, there is an argument that AI is simply an advancement in technology, just like photography was.

However, I think this ONLY applies if the dataset it is trained on is your own original work as the artist, and you were the one that programmed it.

If you are using the current leading GenAI software trained on data scraped, plagiarised work, you are not an artist. You did not make art. I was lucky enough to speak at the Pint of Science festival on a panel in 2023 on this exact point, with my key questions to the audience being to help illustrate my point:

If you asked me to paint you something, does that make me the artist or you? Therefore, if you ask ChatGPT to create you something, does that make you the creator or ChatGPT?

If you were a chef wanted to make the best, most delicious soup in the world, would you get every single delicious soup in the world and mix them all in a pan together? Would that make delicious soup? Or would you cut up your own ingredients, research and learn what makes soup, and then make your own soup from scratch?

What advice would you give your younger self when first starting in the art industry? 

I'd probably tell little Pinchy that the whole point is to enjoy it.

Don't do things just because you think it's the correct professional perfect way to do it because that doesn't exist.

I'd also remind them that they have a much bigger crowd of people cheering them on than they originally thought.

What do you love most about the art community across Norwich?

Everyone seems to be just so genuinely supportive of each other.

In Norwich there is room for everyone, and there isn't that horrible feeling of competitiveness that I've felt in other cities.

There's such a wide range of artistic practices too, which is so exciting. I get to watch everyone else grow alongside me.

Do you have any plans for 2026?

Well now that'd be telling now wouldn’t it?!

I have a few bits up my sleeve, but I'm laying the groundworks right now for a few big projects - you'll just have to stay tuned!

To keep up to date with the beautiful work of Pinch Paints, you can head to their Instagram (@pinchpaints) and you can also check out their exhibition at The Forum between the 11th and the 15th March!