Tell
us a little about yourself and what you do.
In between working in the capital I was also a singer/dancer in a
touring Thai country band (see ). The name does not really describe it properly
as there is no equivalent entertainment in the West – I suppose the closest
would be a very large cabaret act with a full band and upwards of 80 backing
dancers! Back in the capital I was given the chance to take up painting with a
local tutor and took it, initially as a hobby, but soon I realised how much I
enjoyed it – I captured again that
wonderful feeling of freely sketching and painting that I had before I became
an adult. I found myself looking forward to getting home after work about
midnight (I was still working in a restaurant) and painting until 3am!
Forest Monks
The biggest change in my outlook, and the motivation for my
decision to try to make a living from my art, came upon returning to Chiang Mai
in 2010 and beginning my study under Ajarn Thanakorn Chijinda (Ajarn is a Thai
honorific meaning teacher / master).
Since then I have started teaching and exhibiting my watercolours of South East
Asian landscapes and urban scenes.
Who
(or what) inspires you to do what you love in your own creative business?
That would have to be my Ajarn, Thanakorn Chaijinda.
Where
do you get your inspiration from when you paint?
That is not so difficult here in Chiang Mai as we’re surrounded by
wonderful temples and natural beauty. My initial inspiration often came from my
favourite artists Robert Wade, John Singer Sargant and John Pike. Not that I
paint like them!
local-market-luang-prabang
What
are the five words that people who know you would use to describe you?
Jai dee literally good heart
in Thai, fun, karaoke-addict!
Tell
us about your very first job and what path have you taken since then?
It began with a commission for two large watercolours from an
acquaintance who had seen some of my earlier sketches. I must admit to have
been a little anxious when I handed them over but he was very happy with them
and they now hang on his wall in Oslo. Since then it has been a mixture of
commissions, painting for myself or for exhibitions, and teaching. Word of
mouth has been the main source of my work.
Describe
a typical day in your studio space?
Studio space... well my real studio space could be sitting on the
floor of the main room in our small wooden bungalow or at the current
exhibition, or sketching outside, or with other artists at a gathering with
Ajarn Thanakorn. An artist friend, Chris Chun, kindly shares his studio space
with me but I’m not often there. I think it must have been all those late
nights painting on my own whilst sitting on the floor that makes me a bit of a
solitary artist!
As
a Solo Artist, what is your biggest frustration?
I do love being solo artist so my biggest frustration is not
related to that it is of a more practical nature - getting a reliable source of
good quality painting supplies!
mook-wuth-citylife-garden
Since
you are working from home, can you please tell us about how do you connect with
other artists, and your customers (i.e. how do you network)?
What
advice can you offer other creative people who are just starting out and
following their passions?
It can take time and there will be setbacks but the payoff when it
comes is unlike anything else you will experience.
Wuth-demo-suriwong-2012
What
dreams do you still want to achieve or fulfil in your life?
It is not a very Thai thing to talk openly of one’s dreams! But if
I had to say, it would be the thought of finding a way to travel to paint; here
in SE Asia or Australia. I think the best way would be by arranging an artist
residency so I am starting to look for some for next year.
What
is your proudest moment so far?
A small thing which strangely follows on from the last question. A
few days ago, at our group exhibition, I got into a conversation with an
Italian artist who is over here for a short holiday and was very happy to
receive an offer of the use of his studio space in his and his wife’s villa in
Italy!
China-town-at-night
Who
do you most want to meet and why?
Robert Wade – outside my teacher, he was my first inspiration for
painting.
What
book are you reading right now, and do you have a book you would like to
recommend?
“John Pike paints Watercolours”. I really only read books on
watercolour painting.
Where
do we find you and your artworks? (list stores & links, websites )
Current group exhibition is at Suriwong Book Center, Chiang Mai,
until the end of July http://maps.google.com/maps?q=suriwong+book+center+chiang+mai&fb=1&hq=suriwong+book+center
Wuth sketching with Children in Burma
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