Conversations with James Woodall

Today we’d like to introduce you to James Woodall.

Hi James, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I love pop culture, I’m a child of the 80s, so I grew up immersed in the worlds of Spielberg, Amblin Movies, Star Wars, Sega, and Nintendo. I would rush home from school to watch the Transformers, Thunder Cats, and Masters of the Universe. Saturday mornings watching Batman and TMNT. I love gaming and Rock music. I’ve always loved the iconic imagery of movies, album covers, and cartoon characters. I love connecting with people through pop culture, listening to people’s stories, and sharing experiences. My dad is a brilliant artist; I loved drawing with him at the kitchen table as a child. I’ve been drawing from as far back as I can remember but only moved to painting when I hit 30. I played around for a few years experimenting and then a few years ago decided this is what I want to do. So I painted my ass off and then approached galleries to show my work. I’ve been fortunate to grow a collector base and meet some truly amazing people along the way. This eventually led me to be signed to Wishbone Fine Art here in the UK earlier this year.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The art scene is a minefield, and I’ve learned a lot in the short time I’ve been in it. Just getting seen and having any recognition when you don’t live in a major art city is really difficult. Not knowing what direction to take or what is expected. Trying to people please in the early days is a pitfall to avoid. The journey is not easy; it’s not a simple post on Instagram, etc. I learned early on that consistency is key, and that hard graft and self-belief are probably the most important factors to hold on to, even if you are pretending to believe.

I’ve always loved art and drawing, but music and guitar took priority. I’ve been a full-time teacher since graduating 20 years ago teaching students with learning difficulties and social-emotional issues. I started experimenting with painting as a way to reset and for the benefit of my own mental health. Then when I realized how much I loved it, I started to peruse it professionally and dedicated a lot of time to developing different skill sets and my style. I think it’s really important to develop a sense of who you are as an artist. Growing a recognizable identity and brand helps to focus and guide you and ultimately sets your identity/brand apart from others.

I’ve had a few great highlights that I’m proud of so far, I’ve completed some brilliant commission projects that have led the collectors to become close personal friends as we connected over the work and their stories. My first solo show where I got to see a beautiful gallery filled with my work; I’d never seen them all together in one place. I’m incredibly proud and excited to announce that I have recently signed with Wishbone Publishing here in the UK, I love their ethos and have followed a lot of the artists in their stable for years. I’m genuinely so excited to now be sat alongside some of my favourite artists including JJ Adams and Paul Oz, I’m buzzing to be able to work with the many stunning affiliate galleries and to see what the future holds.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I predominantly paint iconography, I’ve adored cinema my whole life so being able to sit and study the imagery and icons is a favourite subject. I have a variety of styles from dark and dramatic pieces paintings that aim to capture the feel and vibe of a movie or character. I love movies and nostalgia; it brings me so much joy to pay tribute to those cinematic treasures that made my adolescence so much fun. I love using acrylics and spray paint because of the speed and flexibility. I think what sets me apart is I don’t paint to order or to jump on a bandwagon; I paint because I genuinely really love the characters and iconography. I also love to put a twist on the subject matter, to get playful and have fun. I’ve most recently launched the first wave of my ‘what if’ collection, where I have reimagined modern-day movies/characters starring Hollywood icons from the golden age of cinema. I like to hide a little hidden meaning or Easter eggs for people to find.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m generally not a huge risk taker, more of a calculated risk taker. The art scene can be brutal and is definitely not for the faint of heart. You really have to love what you do; hundreds upon hundreds of ours are spent on your own in your studio, hoping that your work will connect with people. When I started out, getting my work seen and seen in the right places was hard you have to work incredibly hard to build a good reputation and relationships. I’ve gotten myself out of places that could have been damaging for my reputation moving forward despite the allure of some wild promise. I’m also aware of the tremendous amount of bs and backstabbing in the industry, so I find it really important to surround myself with people I trust. I may well have missed out on a few opportunities here and there through fear of the unknown and a good dose of imposter syndrome, but if you keep working hard and do right by people, I believe opportunities will keep presenting themselves.

You honestly need to grow a really thick skin as you are going to meet some characters and probably encounter a fair amount of rejection along the way. It is so easy to get lost in what others are doing in the age of social media; it becomes a bigger distraction than a help, I think it’s really important to stay in your lane and focus on your strengths and your own goals. It’s not all tough along the way, I’ve met some truly awesome people who have helped shape my path and really challenge me in my art career. I love getting to share experiences with other creatives, I’m blessed to be able to bounce ideas off some of the best.

I think the biggest risk in this game is giving up.

Contact Info:

• Website: Wishboneart.co.uk
• Instagram: @artbymrj_official