Interview by Jimon

1-How would you describe Theodosia Marchant?  Amusing, active, impatient, hardworking and a bit of a perfectionist (to the point of obsession.) Has a thing for noir films.

2-Where do you reside and work currently?  I live and work in Angelino Heights in Los Angeles. I moved over from London nearly 9 years ago.

3-How long have you been making art and what led you to start?  Art has been prominent in my life from a very young age. I remember being one of the favorites of my art teachers throughout the school years , but I started on a different career path. I trained as an attorney and practiced law for a number of years while living in London and only made the switch to a full time art career with the move to LA.

4-Did you study art or is it inherent?  Art is definitely inherent in my case. From a very young age I drew, painted, did all sorts of craft fun projects even had a thing for designing fashion. The desire to express my thoughts and feelings visually has constantly evolved over the years. It’s one thing that makes me who I am.

5-Do you remember the first piece of art that captured your imagination?  I don’t remember the first piece of art but there was one particular exhibition that definitely captured my imagination and shook me to the core with its rawness and masked sensitivity, at least the way I perceived it. It was a Francis Bacon retrospective back in 2008 in Tate Britain. I’m pretty sure I visited this particular show a few times before it closed, its magnetism and energy was almost overwhelming.

6-Is there any reality behind the characters in your paintings or are they purely fantasy?  There is definitely some reality involved, some of the paintings or series I work on mirror my life and thoughts or have been inspired by my life experiences. My work explores human interactions therefore easily masked or diluted with the more personal story accounts. I resist the urge to point out which series is me or not and it’s not essential to enjoying the work anyway.

7-What do you dream about?  Painting, living on an island in Greece, being content with life, having no regrets and being healthy. The older I get, going back to my roots is becoming more and more important. It almost feels like a necessity to close the circle.

8-How do you define success? Being in balance with myself and people closest to me. Creating work which is appreciated and stirs emotions.

9-Best advice you ever received in regards to your career as an artist?  To create my own style so it stands out as my very own, resist copying and masked reproduction.

10-What advice would you give putative collectors? Go to the smaller galleries and seek the work of emerging, non- represented artists. Fill your houses with work you love, not what others tell you are cool.

11-How would you like to be seen as an artist years from now?  An artist whose work is immediately recognized.

12-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration? I don’t have a specific place, person or thing really. I have realized when I keep myself busy a certain momentum and then inspiration always finds me. Taking big gaps, say a holiday can sometimes harm that flow but of course I am human and do need a break so I make sure I always pack a sketchbook. Oddly enough, sometimes, late at night, when I am feeling tired, I often find a real groove.

13-If you could have dinner with 3 artists living/dead who would be at your table? Lucian Freud, Joan Mitchell and a contemporary living artist, Adebayo Bolaji(interviewed by Jimon).

14-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio?  My sketchbooks, old and current, I often revisit old ones, my espresso machine and lots of light.

15-How would someone find you on Social media? 

instagram @theodosia_marchant

16-Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:
Art= Expression
Food= Joy
Sports= Endorphins
Politics= Violence
Poor= Relative
God= Atheist
Rich= Comfortable
Luxury= Time alone
Sex= Life
Picasso= Grand
Religion= Conflict