Olly Fathers
I personally noticed Olly Fathers on Instagram due to his bright hues, retro vibes and lively movement in his work. My 80s + 90s loving self feels right at home in his 3D shape landscapes. His approach to art and painting specifically is a refreshing take on the typical ‘paint on a canvas’ approach. His thorough process and intricate planning before diving into his work portrays a truly engaging visual imprint of his creation experience. As an individual, Olly gives off contagious free-spirited, exciting & friendly vibes — and these traits very clearly carry through into his eye-catching artwork! I hope you enjoy the inspiration, joy and excitement of his work as much as I do! It’s been an honor to gain an inside look into this talented artist’s environment, journey and process.
What is your artistic passion & how did you first discover your love for it?
I have always been creative from a young age, whether it be helping my Dad make things, playing with Lego or drawing. It's always been a passion.
What would 'success' look like to you with this passion of yours?
To continue developing my work and being create bigger and more ambitious pieces. I get a lot of time in my studio but if I could become a full time artist this would help me achieve this.
What is one take-away you'd love viewers to gather after experiencing your work?
A feeling of playful energy and movement from the paintings. They are inspired by our interaction with built up areas, so I hope that comes across in the works.
your unique art style in 3 words:
Clean, geometric, playful
Peek into
the process
How do you know when a piece is ‘done’?
I spend a long time planning where drips go on my pieces. I often do this in a quite methodical way so I'll get to a point where I have done all the drips I planned and decide then whether or not the overall piece looks full enough. Often at this stage there will just be the odd area that I feel needs a bit more and add where I think needs it, until it gets to a point where I just know.
I'd love to hear a little about the studio / space you've created to work in and how that impacts your process & final product.
I have a studio in Brixton, London and I have been in here for 7 years. I used to share with other people but for the last year have had the space all to myself, which has been great and allowed to create larger works and not have to worry about upsetting others with using power tools and so on.
What has been your biggest struggle to getting where you want to be creatively and how did you overcome it?
Being an artist isn't easy! The constant worry about money, confidence to create works when they're not necessarily for anything, friends around you seeming to do better with different career paths.
For me though, the feeling of satisfaction you get standing in front of something you've worked really hard to create makes it all worth while.
I often find myself thinking of the phrase "If you build it, they will come". Persistence has led to my work developing and getting more refined which after a while starts to get noticed and opportunities arise.
Do you have any advice / tips for someone looking to dive deeper and pursue their own creative passion?
There's no formula for success as an artist but I think believing in yourself, taking opportunities and reaching out to people are all important.
Getting in touch with people who inspire you and see if you can visit their studio to chat, or maybe give them a hand.
The worst thing that will happen is they don't reply.
F O L L O W
A L O N G
See more of Olly Father’s inspiring work & follow along
on his journey of making his passion come to life: @ollyfathers
