Ian Scott Massie has been a regularly exhibiting artist at The Gallery since it first opened its doors over 15 years ago. He has lived in Masham for over twenty years, and exhibits his work widely in Yorkshire and throughout the country. He also runs a popular art course programme in Masham, teaching beginners and experienced artists how to develop their painting skills and explore new mediums. Check out the 2009 art course schedule on the 'How to...' section of the site, or contact The Gallery for more details. New work of Ian's will feature in our next exhibition 'Four Seasons in one day' in April 2009. See our exhibitions section for more information.

If you would like to find out more about Ian and his work, including details of other forthcoming exhibitions he is involved in, you can subscribe to his blog, a link for which can be found in our 'Links' section.

1. What's your studio like?

I work in an attic with large skylights. Through one of the skylights is the top of the pear tree in our neighbour’s garden. I look at it a lot when I’m stuck for ideas. Its very beautiful and usually decorated with a few jackdaws. The room is a jumble of art materials, a press, books, videos and clutter. The wall by my desk is covered with postcards which give me ideas – its very encouraging to have pictures by Stanley Spencer, John Piper, Piet Mondrian and the rest looking over your shoulder. I work at an old drafting office drawing board. It adjusts in all directions but I tend to use it virtually flat as otherwise my tea would hit the floor. When its going well I don’t see the rest of the room. When its not going well I find myself looking at everything but the picture.

2. When did you first decide to become an artist?

There was no conscious decision or enlightenment. I was lucky to have had two great teachers: Ralph Dearden and Romeo Di Girolamo. The former taught me to draw in proportion and in perspective, the latter blew my eleven-year old mind with what colour and texture can do. I was also very fortunate to have a father who loved drawing, taught me to observe and showed me just about every lovely sculpture and beautiful building in London. I started selling work around the time I was leaving teacher training college in Durham in about 1978. It started as a bit of fun really, but I became hooked. However much artists deny it there is a definite kick from knowing someone likes your picture enough to pay money for it.

3. Which artists (living or dead) inspire you the most?

It could be a long list but nearly everything that Paul Nash wrote and painted touches me deeply and I was inspired on a weekly basis by the late, great Tony Hart (like most of my generation). Then there are the great people, almost like family: Piper, Spencer, Lowry, Hockney, Heron, Feininger and, probably most of all, Turner who make me try harder. Then there is family: Josie and Rosie, who make me want to push the boundaries the way they are unafraid to do.

4. Do you think anyone can become an artist?

Yes. More than that, though, I think everyone is an artist but most, sadly, learn to suppress the creative urge because making pretty pictures isn’t what grown-ups are supposed to do.

5. What do you love about watercolour?

It is such an elusive medium. It runs and hides if you try to work it too hard. It bites you in the bum by drying nothing like you expected but then it sometimes gives you the most wonderful surprise and you just pick it up and run with it. Its full of happy accidents.

6. What do you do to get inspiration?

The sky, mostly. Constable said it was the chief organ (meaning the heart, I think) of a painting and I look at it all the time. It dictates everything about how a landscape looks, gives architecture the shadows which define it. Apart from that its looking at other painters and wondering “how did they do that?”.

7. Do your paintings inspire your music or vice versa?

There’s not really much crossover. The things that inspire my songs are, by and large, people, even when the songs are about places. I suppose the common element is that, in both media, I’m looking to pin down how something makes me feel. Then its usually a simple choice of which medium will do the job best.

8. If you could live anywhere other than Masham, where would you live and why?

Durham if it had to be a city. I was very happy there. I like anywhere where the old bones of England are visible: Cornwall, Northumberland, Dorset. Although I grew up with a strong Scottish influence to the extent that I don’t really know what I am – Scots or English, I really love England, Tupperware skies and all.

9. What's the nicest comment you've ever received about your work?

Its strange, but I can’t remember any. It’s the horrid ones that stick in your mind, like the gallery owner who silently leafed through some of my work before muttering “Gaudy!”.

10. Do you have a favorite piece or series of your own work?

I really like my waterfalls.

11. Is it ever too late to become an artist?

No. But its probably good to start while you still have the strength to lift a brush.

12. Do you have any advice for new artists?

Yes: Do it now. You go to nice places, have a chance to say something unique and avoid the horrors of the rat race. Its more fun than banking, coal mining, accountancy and selling insurance.

13. Describe your perfect day.

A day with my family doing something lovely, walking round York or Durham, a nice meal with a really terrific dessert, playing a gig in the evening and drinking some Masham-brewed beer.