Ash Birch caught up with local artist Jim McElvaney to talk inspirations, people-watching and the Steel City’s creative backbone.
Can you tell us a little about your background and how you got into art?
From an early age, I spent a lot of time drawing, perfecting my Beano characters at the kitchen table. I always thought it was amazing how it was someone’s job to draw these cartoons. I wanted it to be my job when I ‘grew up’. This never happened. But I did end up at Leeds Met doing a Fine Art degree. There I spent most of my time building random sculptures out of found materials. I soon realised after graduation I couldn’t carry on with that line of work due to lack of space, so I got the sketchbook back out and started drawing again. And I haven’t stopped since.
How has your style developed over the years?
In the early days, my work was perhaps more graphical and slightly less relaxed. But since I’ve been focused on portraiture, my style has naturally evolved as I’ve grown in confidence. As with anything, if you keep practicing, you’re going to make some sort of progress. I like to experiment with different mediums and over recent years my love of printmaking has, in some ways, altered the way I work. But it’s also helped me realise where my strengths lie and made me feel more connected to my practice.
You predominately work as a portrait artist. How do you look for subjects to capture?
I’m a people-watcher. I like to take a lot of photographs. I suppose you could call it street photography. But the photos are always just a starting point: the end result is never a reproduction. Instead, my work interprets the subject in a way that preserves the moment as I see it. So, sometimes it’s just a mood that I want to capture. Someone lost in thought at the bus stop or the lean of a head on the bus window at the end of a long day. I also use a lot of found imagery as reference material. I don’t view these images any differently to my own photographs. They’re all just moments in time that resonate with me.
You often use unconventional materials in your art. What sort of things are you drawn to?
I love to use found materials as the base for my work where I can. I like the depth they add to a piece. As with the subject matter, they have an unknown history or story to tell. In terms of drawing and painting materials, I like to use whatever is at hand. I’ve collected a lot of random art materials over the years and what I use for each piece just depends on my mood.
What’s the best bit of advice you’ve received as an artist?
Just keep doing what you love and do it for yourself. If it gets boring, try something new. Life as an artist is hard. You have to push yourself. But it’s also a privilege. I never let myself forget this.
“Life as an artist is hard. You have to push yourself. But it’s also a privilege.”
What sets the Sheffield scene apart for you?
Sheffield is a city of makers. Its heritage is everywhere. For those of us who live and work here, I think this binds us together and creates pride in a place that some outsiders don’t really appreciate. I love Sheffield because everyone is so welcoming and supportive. The city is brimming with creative people who want to put Sheffield on the map. Yet as a region we receive such a small share of the funding. Sadly, it’s this that sets Sheffield apart for the wrong reasons.
What are you working on right now? Do you have any upcoming exhibitions or appearances?
Amongst my general practice, I’m slowly pulling together work for a show in Glasgow this Spring at Art Pistol Gallery. I’m also organising monoprint workshops at Carousel Print Studio in Sheffield in March. So if you want to learn a bit about my mono print techniques, get yourself booked on!
To see more of Jim’s work, head to jimmcelvaney.com // @jimmcelvaney.
