Art Works: Tim Mayfield

A lot of my pieces I’ll do in one hit. I’ll think about a rough plan for a day or two, then go in on it. Like the crisps, once you pop… you know the drill. This A4-size koi was smashed out in about seven or eight hours, starting with a rough sketch and then building up the layers with colour.

I work with acrylic paint and brush; also paint pens, mostly Poscas and Molotov. Watercolour is a medium I’d like to learn more about, to add a different dimension to my work.

Working full-time since I left school, I lost my passion for doodling and drawing cartoons. I’d done both from an early age, and wanted to continue as a “grown-up” but reality kicked in, and off to work I went. It was around five years ago, in my thirties, that I rediscovered my ability and desire to paint.

I’ve found that I now have my own style. Simply Koi is a prime example of that; a few peeps have said that you can instantly tell it was a “Tim painting” which is nice to hear, it gives you a boost to keep progressing. A good mukka of mine said “You can’t stop looking at them” of my paintings, which is the ultimate compliment an artist could want to receive.

I’ve recently been inspired by the psychedelic poster works of the Japanese pop artist Tadanori Yokoo. His use of vibrant colour is something that I like to incorporate, and the acrylic oranges used in Simply Koi give it an eye-catching boldness, with the sage colour chilling in the background. The bubbles were an afterthought which set that off, I reckon.

Working in my bedroom, surrounded by old paintings and materials scattered on my bed, I would like to eventually rent a space and work with some like-minded creatives to see where this painting malarkey goes. Ultimately, I’d like to not have to work for The Man.

I’m currently working on a couple of commissions, and always open to work on collaboration-based pieces as there’s a host of local talent in Notts. Let’s see what the future holds.

Tim Mayfield's Instagram: @t.mayfield.popart