NEAC Scholarship Q&A with Nicholas Baldion
/ New English Art Club
The New English Art Club is delighted to invite early career artists working in figurative painting, drawing or printmaking to apply for the NEAC Artist Scholarships, with a prize of £5,000. Early-career artists include anyone who feels that they are at the beginning stages of their professional career, regardless of age.
The free scholarships are aimed at individuals who have not historically benefited from many opportunities to engage with the NEAC, and will support those who face financial barriers in pursuing the arts in a professional capacity.
The successful applicants will receive a scholarship prize to support their artistic development and they will have the opportunity to attend all classes, courses and workshops run by the NEAC and to develop mentoring relationships with the talented membership of the NEAC. Work created during the scholarship will be showcased in the NEAC Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries in 2024.
To apply you will need to describe how the scholarship will benefit you and to share examples of your work. The deadline to apply is Friday 28 April. Click here for full details.
We spoke to Nicholas Baldion, a previous winner of the NEAC scholarship. Keep reading to learn about how this opportunity benefited him.
Q&A with Nicholas Baldion:
What made you apply for the NEAC scholarship, and why in particular were you interested in the NEAC society?
When I've visited the NEAC shows I've always been impressed by the artworks. For me the NEAC was a society which kept the flag flying for the kind of art which most inspired and interested me; figurative painting and drawing. I applied for the scholarship because I thought it had something really valuable to offer.
How did you feel when you found out you had been awarded the NEAC scholarship?
I was thrilled!
Are there any classes, courses or workshops run by the NEAC that you attended throughout your scholarship that stood out to you?
All of the classes and workshops were great. Each tutor gave their classes their own flavour. If I had to pick one standout class it would be Robert E Wells’ class where he had us drawing from a model, then drawing outside, then working from our drawings back in the studio. We had to keep in mind what we wanted to do with the painting, an idea or motif or feeling from what we had observed. It wasn't necessarily a class where I produced a masterpiece at the end of one short day, but it was a process that was stimulating and interesting, and actually the final results were good.
Were there any members of the NEAC you particularly connected with throughout your scholarship and is there any wisdom you gained from them?
Each artist was generous, allowing me to learn from them and peer into their private world. To see behind the scenes of their creative process and artistic visions! So I'm incredibly grateful to all of them.
In particular I liked speaking with Michael Kirkbride who I adopted as a mentor for the scholarship. I am interested in complex figurative compositions with a narrative and It was fascinating to talk with Michael about how his large paintings were constructed, learning about the thinking and process that went into them.
Other highlights for me were when I got to paint and draw with some of the NEAC artists. I painted alongside Benjamin Hope and drew with Andrew James. I even got some incredible art swaps out of it.
Are there any projects you are working on or planning at the moment that you would like to tell us about?
I'm of the opinion that a painter is more than just an ‘eye’. But a whole human who is thinking, who is conscious, who is a member of humanity and society. I believe that the artists role is to reflect the times they live in, to have something to say.
I’ve just finished my most ambitious painting to date. It’s a large triptych about the Grenfell fire. The first panel depicts the prelude, the middle panel the fire itself, and the final panel the aftermath.
Social Murder: Grenfell in Three Parts
It was an incredibly difficult subject to tackle but I felt compelled to paint it because I'm still furious. As we come up to the six year anniversary the cladding remains up and only 7% of dangerous homes have been made safe. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to remain at risk of cladding fires and are financially ruined as they are stuck in dangerous homes they are unable to sell. I’m furious because after all this time, no one has been arrested and the profits and bonuses for the companies involved continue to flow. I’m furious about the latest news emerging that 12 of the firefighters who were responders to Grenfell have been diagnosed with terminal cancer. It is a crime that should never have happened.
What advice would you give to an emerging artist and how has the scholarship helped you overcome any barriers?
Most of the time the pursuit of drawing and painting is a solitary one. Much of our time as artists we are locked away in our homes or studios, abandoning ourselves in our craft. The scholarship helped me get out there, meeting other artists, learning from them, and I was able to showcase and sell work in the annual exhibition.
What would you say to encourage someone to apply for the scholarship?
Go for it! What have you got to lose? Nothing is wasted in this lark, even if you don’t get the scholarship this year, the process of applying helps you see your own work in a new light and helps you to clarify things for yourself. And if you do get the scholarship, it’s fantastic!
We hope learning about Nicholas' experience of winning the NEAC Scholarship has inspired you, and if you are an emerging artist yourself you feel compelled to apply. Click the link below for all the information on submitting an application.