Meet Corrina Rothwell, Our Newest Licensed Artist
Corrina Rothwell is a contemporary artist living in Nottingham and the creator of the newest Tall Boy Prints Collection. Here she tells all about how she became an artist, what inspires her, and the importance of naming your art...
Art has always been part of Corrina’s life. Being brought up by two artists in Lancashire meant that Corrina was never too far from a paintbrush, but it took some time before she choose to follow the career path.
“I was never really encouraged to pursue it as a career, and so I ended up doing European Studies in Hull. I dropped out after a year because I was thoroughly miserable, and after that, I started making things to sell.”
Apart from a brief stint on an art foundation course, Corrina is completely self-taught. For the past 20 years she has been continuously developing her art style, from making hand-painted cushion covers and screen-printing to creating greeting cards and abstract paintings.
I remember having an urge to represent figures in my work but I didn't feel able because I didn't have an art education. Seeing the work of Jean Dubuffet at the Pompidou Centre in my early twenties changed that.
Developing An Art Style
Corrina describes her initial style as decorative and flat, whilst being heavily influenced by famous abstract artists such as Klee and Matisse. She always had an urge to draw figures but didn't feel capable - until she saw the work of Jean Debuffet.
"I saw Jean Debuffet's art at the Pompidou Centre in my early twenties. He painted figures in a naive, child-like way and I thought 'I can do that!'. From that point on I started to use figures in my work".
Corrina focused on this art style for 20 years, creating greeting cards, illustrations and machine embroidery. It was only until 2018 that she began to paint abstract art. Five years later and Corrina has a beautiful selection of abstract art pieces. She is known for creating striking contemporary paintings, complete with vivid scenery and vibrant colours.
" The main thread has always been colour, and now I'm bringing that together with figures, text, collage, elements of graffiti and most importantly for me a narrative, a message."
At the most basic level I'm inspired simply by the act of painting itself. That's what keeps me coming back for more, that desire to put paint down on a surface and place colours next to each other. To hold the brush and make a mark.
Finding Inspiration In Words
Corrina has always had a love of words, and so every one of her paintings has a thought-provoking name. From 'Sandcastles On The Building Site' to 'Underneath The Pylons', each title adds more context to the mystery of the piece.
"I've always enjoyed giving my pieces titles. I think it adds something for the viewer, some clue as to the origin and intention of the piece. Some paintings are easy, and a title will be in my mind from the start or will appear along the way. Others are more elusive!"
When it comes to finding inspiration for creating her paintings. Corrina states that it's always been the act of painting that inspires her and keeps her coming back for more.
"The desire to put paint down on a surface and place colours next to each other is what keeps me coming back. To hold the brush and make a mark. And there are infinite possibilities, a fact which sometimes overwhelms me but mostly thrills me. There is always something new to try!"
Like many artists, Corrina states that her art can be all-encompassing. Everything she does feeds into her art, or the other way around. When she does find time outside of work, Corrina can be found reading, cooking, watching films, poking around on beaches and daydreaming.
Corrina Rothwell Print Collection
Corrina has over 55 original pieces of artwork available to purchase from her website. Some of her pieces include her original abstract paintings and figures, alongside an array of colourful greeting cards.
The Corrina Rothwell Collection with Tall Boy Prints contains an exclusive set of 6 abstract paintings, curated from Corrina's original abstract paintings. Each piece is printed on luxury Etching Cotton Rag 315 GSM fine art paper, using a 12-colour printer. We use light fast ink on our prints, which creates art that is more striking and dramatic than ever before.