Meet the tutor: Kate Tugwell

Meet one of our course tutors at the Museum

Kate Tugwell is a professional portrait artist and tutor. She splits her working week as a commissioned artist and art tutor, running her art business from home and also teaches at venues around Sussex.

 

How did you discover your love of painting?

I’ve always enjoyed colour, design, detail and creativity from a young age – my playgroup teacher said I’d be a painter one day as I always used to take my coat off, don an apron and head straight for the easel to chuck paint around!

After school I chose a career in graphic design which I did for about 20 years before deciding to travel and then discovering I couldn’t get a job when I returned to the UK because no one was taking on designers after the financial crash in 2008. I decided to paint as the only other way I could think to make a living at something I enjoyed.

I started off learning to draw with pastels first and sold a few pet portraits. Then I taught myself how to use acrylic paints and set up a studio in my attic room where I learned how to paint people. The first one I painted just seemed to flow out of the end of my paintbrush and I was so surprised at the result that I decided to paint another just to check it wasn’t a fluke. I entered these into a local art exhibition competition, not thinking I’d get anywhere, but won it! Part of the prize was to have the whole exhibition space for my own exhibition the following year so I learned to paint pretty quickly and decided I needed to find out all I could to improve my skill sets!

 

Are there other styles and mediums that you have experimented with? What have you learnt along the way?

I’ve learned the unique qualities of all the different drawing and painting mediums and honestly don’t have a favourite. Each time I teach a course I thoroughly enjoy the medium I’m working with and understand its challenges. As a consequence, I can often watch how someone paints and understand which medium might suit them better for maximum enjoyment and results.

As well as people and animals I also love to paint landscapes, flowers, birds and buildings in a variety of styles from realism through to abstract expressionism.

 

What inspired your passion for portraiture?

I’ve always admired the paintings of John Singer-Sargent, Frans Hals and Caravaggio before discovering the works of Sorolla and other more contemporary painters at the National Portrait Gallery in London, but actually I knew very little about art before I started painting faces. I really just enjoy people and, as I seem to be able to capture the personalities of the animals I paint, I really wanted to try capturing the characteristics, quirks and smirks of people on canvas too.

I now paint people in all mediums and love the challenge of a new portrait. I have studied and followed traditional methods used by the Masters and I’m now breaking free and exploring more expressive ways of painting from chaos to order, to achieve more dynamic and emotional portraits.

 

What motivated you to want to teach others?

As a self-taught artist, I have experienced the joys and pitfalls of learning how to paint – what a rollercoaster ride it is, how demoralising it is when you can’t get it right and how ecstatic you feel when you sign off a piece you’re pleased with.

I also have an interest in psychology and how recent studies in neuroscience link creativity and art with better mental health. My own journey out of depression has inspired me to want to connect others with their own creativity and offer them the tools and a supportive, encouraging environment in which to explore their own ideas.

There’s nothing better for me than demonstrating a technique and watching someone else have that ‘aha’ moment that enables them to fly with it!

 

Kate teaches a range of courses at the Museum which include:

• How to Sketch: Introduction to Textures & Techniques
• How to Draw Buildings in Pen & Ink
• Inspired by the Museum: How to paint with watercolours
• Inspired by the Museum: Sketching Animals
• How to Draw in Charcoal and Pastels

Find out more about our full course programme available at the Museum on our Courses page.