Isabel Warrington

Year of birth: 1968.
Where do you live: Malta.
Your education: Life. 
Describe your art in three words: eclectic, experimental, evolving.
Your discipline: visual and performing artist.
www.izzywarringtonartist.com | Instagram

Can you describe the journey of your artistic career, starting from your first formal training at the Malta School of Art?

Drawing and painting have always come naturally to me, however, my first formal training came at the age of 18 at the Malta School of Art. I was at an age where I wanted explore all possibilities but wasn’t sure where to start. Living on an island in the late 1980s was limiting, especially when it came to earning a living from art. My day job was as a bank teller and my evenings would alternate between art lessons and dance classes. Fast forward to my mid-20s when I decided I didn’t want to work full-time at the bank any longer and I had to find an alternative that would get me into a more creative environment. I enrolled at the College of Aberdeen since my boyfriend was based there at the time. I had a very vague idea of which direction I was heading, thinking all the while that I needed to earn a living from whatever it was that I chose to do. I figured graphic design would be a good avenue to pursue. My sister, also and artist, had a successful career in that field so I headed in that direction.

Isabel Warrington | The Comfort Zone

How did your experience at the College of Aberdeen shape your artistic style and approach?

I spent one year at the College of Aberdeen then returned to Malta when my funds ran out.

My experience there helped me believe in myself as an artist. The freedom I felt there opened up my small world and gave me the impetus to change my career path. I soon found a job as a graphic artist. It was exciting and new, and I learned a lot about marketing, advertising and publishing, but deep down I still didn’t feel fulfilled. I persevered for 25 years, even starting my own company and publishing my own lifestyle magazine. In 2002 and 2003 I had two solo exhibitions. Freestyle painting was sporadic then as most of my time away from my day job was spent rehearsing in the theatre. My acting career was thriving and I gave it most of my time and energy.

What prompted your transition from a career in graphic design back to traditional drawing and painting?

Graphic design and working in the advertising industry started to feel very limiting and stressful. I was tired of dealing with demanding clients and working towards their brief. The economy in Malta was booming, the world had opened up through social media and I had amassed a good client network, so I felt it was a good time to diversify and reinvent myself.

My priority was to do what I enjoyed and let the rest follow – a calculated leap of faith so to speak. Experience, perseverance and focus paid off. For the last 10 years or so my time has been divided between designing and creating costumes for the stage, sketching caricatures at events, doing private commissions, creating for my own pleasure and acting. I don’t do everything all the time, of course, but time management and picking my projects carefully have been crucial to my success.

Isabel Warrington | In spite of

How has your acting career influenced your artwork and creative process?

The theatre has been an important part of my adult life. The discipline and creative process have given me the foundation and courage to try new things. I had little or no confidence when I was growing up. Acting in front of a live audience gave me the tools to overcome my shyness and be confident. Showing my artwork can sometimes be terrifying, especially when I try something new. You are open to scrutiny, you are ‘naked’ in front of an audience… only this time you are yourself, you are not playing a character. It has taken me years to muster that confidence, although there are often times when I would happily hide away where it’s ‘safe’.

Can you tell us more about your experience designing costumes for the opera and how that has impacted your art?

When it comes to designing costumes, or anything else for that matter, I use the same principles as I did with graphic design. You have a brief; you discuss the ideas you have presented, based on that brief; you look at all aspects – the visual aspect, practicality, budgets, possibilities, the team you are working with, etc; then you set to turning an idea into reality. I’ve designed costumes for a variety of genres, each one with their own style and necessities. Each piece needs to be functional and not only visually impactful as the actors have to work in them, sometimes for several performances and in less than adequate conditions. I tend to love bold and opulent colours when I paint. The characters I tend to draw are either comical, etherial or distorted. This is all influenced by the theatre.

Isabel Warrington | Ambivalence

What inspired you to experiment with found objects and recyclables in your costume design?

I like to think of myself as an environmentalist, albeit a flawed one. The impact we are having on the planet is something that is of great concern to me. This is one reason that spurs me on to create costumes and art from recyclables. The other is that I like to explore different media, using the items we discard as the ‘raw material’ for my work. It helps me push my boundaries and explore new possibilities. With every new experience comes growth and I find this very exciting.

How does your statement, “Creativity is play,” manifest in your work, and why is it important to you?

The best way to learn is through play. My best ideas and work emerges when I’m ‘playing’, because I am not constrained in any way. If I make a mistake I learn from it, it’s no big deal.

I try something else, experiment, learn. When we are children we are the most creative, then we are conditioned and constrained by society. One of my biggest struggles has been to free myself from that in order to be more playful and more creative. My work is forever evolving. With every new skill I learn I develop and create new work.

Caricature of me as Fraulein Schneider

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