UK-based artist Ange Bell is a woman who needs no introduction to the art scene. Having formerly specialized in sculpting, Bell has accrued 44,100 Instagram followers from posting uncanny oil-based portraits of notable celebrities and individuals. She is a member of the Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP), an organization whose members are some of Great Britain’s best contemporary portrait and figure artists, as well as the Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Society of Portrait Painters.
Despite her fame and accomplishments, Bell made time to talk to art teacher Tom Sena’s Portfolio Prep class via Zoom on Wednesday, Dec. 20, displaying great humility and wisdom when discussing her work and experiences.
Sena first discovered Bell and her work on his “Discover” Instagram feed: “I had followed her for a few years, and when the pandemic hit, [art teacher Michael] Kunz and I invited her to be a guest on our podcast ‘The Drop’…we’ve stayed in touch ever since.”
Sena’s students prepared questions beforehand to ask Bell. Among those students were seniors Emma Ben, Kiera Colon, Mae Dooling, Olivia Lanteri, Aubrie-Lynn Wilkonski, and Asia Mahgoub. The questions covered a variety of topics, such as Bell’s switch from sculpture to painting and how she deals with doubt in her artistic ability. She answered these questions thoroughly, showcasing her thought process as a working artist.
While explaining her origins as an artist, Bell detailed her evolution between mediums. Describing herself as “that kid at school [who] was always drawing,” Bell found herself being instructed by a teacher who encouraged her to explore other forms of art. “She said, ‘Can you please put down the pencil? Try something else,’ and helped me move towards sculpture, which was a completely different world. If it hadn’t been for her, I wouldn’t have taken that move and discovered all the joys of making something that can support itself,” Bell recalled. “I focused on sculpture my whole time at university and I spent about a week in the painting department and never went back. It wasn’t until my eldest son started school that I started to work part-time and get back into art; I asked myself, ‘What haven’t I done before?’ and it was painting!” she continued.
Although this moment was one of great transition for Bell, she thinks her sculpting experience informs her painting process: “Whenever you work in 3D, you have to look at something in a different way, like the shadows and how high it holds itself in a space, and I think I’ve put those elements in my painting… I used to think that painting was quite static compared to sculpture…so with my paintings, I try to give the surfaces a bit of energy and movement.”
Doubt in one’s artistic ability is a common emotion many artists, and especially art students, experience. Bell is no exception. She feels doubt daily, but has grown to recognize it as a part of the process. “If I don’t have it, something’s wrong,” chuckled Bell. “I’m being way too confident and happy with myself. I think it’s normal to have doubts about your work, but you have to look realistically at what you’re doing and think, ‘Why am I doubting what I am doing?’ What is not working? It’s about breaking it down.” She notes social media as a common source for doubt and self-criticism, where comparison is an easily adopted habit. Bell also touched on feedback from other people, especially from galleries where artists showcase their pieces: “There will always be other people who doubt your ability and will question your work. This is a really important part of the process…[when it comes to galleries], maybe your work is not up to their standards or maybe it just doesn’t fit in with the theme that those selectors have. It’s good to move on to the next thing.”
Frustration with a piece is another common experience among artists. For Bell, pushing herself through is how she gets past those rough moments. “There are quite a few [pieces] that get put to the side, but I think one of the benefits of pushing on with a piece that is not working is that sometimes you don’t have to be precious about it. You think, ‘This is a bendable piece of work.’ That’s where it’s going to end up. So let’s experiment and push things further,” she said. “Other times it’s because it’s a commission piece and a little bit of my soul goes with it,” Bell laughed. This message resonated with senior Elena McDonald: “[I liked that she said] it’s okay to experiment with your work and it’s okay to fail, but it’s all about the process and growth.”
Bell’s artistic style is distinct, with speckles of paint coating colorful, life-like portraits. The texture of her brushstrokes is raw and rough. “I have seen other artists incorporate texture into their work, but something about the way that Ange does it is fascinating. It makes the portraits appear as if the person is underwater,” Dooling commented. Like many artists, her style developed over time with experimentation and inspiration from other artists’ work. “[It took] lots of trial and error. Just experiment…You end up playing with the medium…Anything I find interesting, like scalpels or mesh, makes me think, ‘What would happen if that got introduced onto the surface?’” she explained. “When I look at other people’s work, I make notes to myself as things to reference in my own work, exploring what happens when you combine multiple elements in one painting.” Despite the comparison that comes with its use, Bell loves to use social media as a tool: “I’ve met so many people on Instagram to get inspiration from…I think being open to new things is important because you can always take something from it.”
Sena admires Bell for her enthusiasm to take risks with materials or subject matter. “I’m a big fan of movies and pop culture in general, and her portraits of movie stars were something that attracted me to the work immediately. I love the surface quality of her paintings and the energy they convey. Looking at the work, it’s almost as if you could cut a small section of it out and that small section could be a painting all on its own.” He hopes that his class appreciated a “strong, successful, female artist” who is wise and articulate while also being kind and humble.
Bell’s talk with the class was a highlight for the students as well as for herself. Wilkonski expressed, “Her talk really strengthened my passion for art. This made me enthusiastic to continue with art for my future career in becoming an art therapist.” Bell was enthusiastic to speak to the all-female class. “I think you are at a really exciting point in your artistic careers, and I feel such a privilege to talk to the next generation of women artists!”
