As far as the creative process goes, artist Marcel Cowling doesn't see the end result as having much importance, but his muted water colour paintings sure do have us in a tizz. We were intrigued by the slightly mysterious masterpieces, so we got in touch with the London-based fella with a few probing questions.



What is your name and how old are you? 
Marcel Cowling, 26 years old.

Where were you born and where do you live now? Born in Norfolk, now in Hackney, London. Via Yorkshire and the Channel Islands.

How does where you grew up and where you live now affect your art? I don't think where I grew up really affected my art. My art is always affected by where I live in the current moment though, as that is what tends to end up in my pictures. I just see things in my environment and start thinking, I'd like to do a painting of that.



Please describe the space where you do most of your creation – whether it's your art studio or kitchen bench! A lot of my drawings and paintings are done in my bedroom. I'd love a studio space but at the moment that would be a total luxury. I always get the impulse to work directly from life outside, but at the moment it's freezing.

What kind of mediums do you use? Why do you choose to use these mediums? I was interested in using printmaking techniques to make images for ages. When you make a print, you have to follow a set process to make the picture. I find this restriction really helpful, otherwise I am too indecisive. I am baffled by the endless possibility that something like oil painting can present. So after a long time being interested in printing, I started doing water colours. I find that water colour provides a lot of restrictions and process also, in particular having to work from light to dark. Once you make a move in water colour, you can't take it back, and I like that element of pressure. I'm also trying to get a flat crispness into my pictures, which you can achieve in water colour if you stretch your paper.



Is there a running theme to the work you create, or do you just make whatever comes to mind? For the most part, yes, I'll just make whatever comes to mind - or moreso whatever comes to eye! Then, if I have a few separate things I want to make, I'll just make some kind of irrational hierarchy and do the most urgent first.

What kinds of ideas and things are you working on at the moment? I've just moved to Hackney in London, so it's a totally new environment for me. This is exciting because it means more things are catching my eye and attention. I am thinking about making some paintings from the jewelry market stalls and chicken shop mirrors.

If you were to teach an art appreciation class, what kind of lessons would you try to teach your students? I'd just try and get across that for me it's the time spent making the work and looking that is most enjoyable, like a kind of meditation or relaxation, so what you make in the end is not so important.



What is the strangest thing or thought that has inspired a piece of work? I was on 'chat roulette' and just started looking at the other person's screen in a different way. This led to me collecting screenshots of all kinds of environments online, and I've used some of these for prints and paintings.

What do you doodle when you are daydreaming? I'll just start drawing whatever is on the desk, like a rubber or something.

What other budding artists do you love? There is someone I discovered online recently called Hannelore Van Dijck. She makes charcoal drawings where not much is happening but yet there is so much atmosphere. She also makes installations where she will draw features like tiling or wood cladding onto the walls of an abandoned room. She leaves all the charcoal dust on the floor like it has been visited by a ghost who has created a vision of the room's history.



What do you enjoy doing when not creating art? I like watching sport, having a pint and playing guitar!

Where can we see more of your work? marcelcowling.co.uk