Creative TALKS: An Interview with mixed media artist and photographer, Pip Carlton-Barnes by Oliver Vince

Pip Carlton-Barnes is a mixed media artist and photographer from Falmouth, Cornwall. She owns a studio in Bissoe, near Truro, where she creates art from pebbles and sea glass and makes composite photography which she sells in the Cornwall Art Gallery in Falmouth.

Pip works from a studio that was converted from an old shipping container, located just outside the village of Bissoe. Surprisingly, her studio is a spacious area. The one window letting in light, as well as the furnished ceiling and solid desk all make the place feel like an ideal habitat for an artist to focus on their work.

I went to Pip’s studio to talk to her about her creative process and her schedule as an independent artist, and to hear her advice for aspiring creatives.

When did you start making art?

I started making art when I was little, but I’ve always been a creator. I used to like drawing and making stuff, but professionally, I gave up working full time in the middle of last year to open the studio back in April. So, professionally, I’ve been making art for just under a year.

Why do you choose to work with sea glass and pebbles?

I think it’s because they’re accessible. That, and because I’ve got a real thing about shapes, textures, and colours. I also like the fact that no two pebbles or pieces of sea glass are the same. I’m usually not one for sitting down with pen and paper—I mean, I will, I’ll sometimes doodle, but I get much more satisfaction out of rummaging through a pile of pebbles and picking out different shapes that I find interesting. And so, that’s why I choose to do it. That, and the fact that it is quite popular in terms of being commercially viable.

What do you like most about the process of working with sea glass and pebbles?

I like how tactile it is. That’s mostly what I like about it. No two pieces or two days are ever the same. And I also like the fact that it’s quite a solitary process as well. I enjoy being left alone to work.

Do you think that being solitary helps you create?

Yes, because I find that I am often very easily distracted. So, for example, when I used to work from home, I would get into a creative flow and then I would get distracted by having to do something else and that would be it—creative flow gone. And so, being able to come somewhere quiet where I won’t be interrupted means I can just spend the whole day creating stuff.

What’s the greatest joy of creating, for you?

It’s really rewarding when I bump into someone and they say, ‘Oh, I’ve bought one of your pictures and I’ve got it hanging up on my wall, I really love it.’ So, creating and being allowed to make things all day for my job is a fabulous thing in itself, but ultimately, knowing that someone has bought my work because they like it and are enjoying it every day is a great thing.

If you could sum up your work in one word, what would it be?

Hm, it’s going to be something like… quirky. Although that’s really cliché, isn’t it?

You grew up in Falmouth. Do you think this has an influence on your work?

I think it does from a practical standpoint, yes, because the materials I use are very coastally inspired. My photography is also very coastally. But I think that growing up in Falmouth has given me the freedom to be able to pursue my creative journey because there wasn’t an awful lot else to do growing up. I think also living by the coast has probably influenced it a lot, because it’s a very touristy thing that I make.

What’s your schedule like as a self-employed artist?

I usually get over to the studio by about 10 o’clock. And then, if I’ve got commissions, that’s all I’ll do. If I haven’t, like this week, then I’ll just get all my materials out usually, tip everything over the table, and tinker. But I haven’t got a routine or a structure to my day at all, usually. My dog Flower will sometimes interrupt me while I work and then I’ll have to take her for a walk in the woods. This often helps break up the day. But other than that, my time in the studio is usually quite unstructured.

Do you think having that structure helps you create?

Yes, because I’m very spontaneous. I cannot be told what to do and I’m the worst timekeeper in the world. I’ll write lists and lose them instantly. I’m the most disorganised person—and that’s why I think what I do suits me perfectly, because it’s quite disorganised.

How has your artistic focus changed since the pandemic?

I think I became a lot more focused on it during the lockdown. It was a real escape for me. I was actually really grateful that I was artistic because I never got bored. And I also think that if you ask other artists, they’ll say the same thing because it gave us a reason to create as there was nothing else interfering. I think that I also channelled the anxiety that came from it into my art.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists?

Just do it. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not a proper job, and that you won’t make any money out of it. You might not, but it’s not just about that. It’s about how rewarding it is to be able to empty your brain of all these crazy ideas and how good that makes you feel. Just do it – what have you got to lose? And I also think that you should believe in yourself: if you think that what you’re doing is good, and you’re enjoying doing it, then it is. It’s not up to someone else to tell you whether it’s good or not.

More information on Pip Carlton-Barnes’s work can be found on her website, here: https://www.theoldforgestudio.co.uk/.

Interview by Oliver Vince

Edited by Marshall Moore