Colour, culture, travel and excitement: Five minutes with artist Rebecca Pymar

Rebecca Pymar is a Painter and Illustrator based in Norwich. Her Art Deco style is influenced by travel and advertising posters of the 1920’s and 30’s. Much of the Architecture she depicts is of that era too. Rebecca uses bright, block colours and produces compositions that are well balanced and very eye catching. Strong geometric lines and the saturated colour palette are some of the things we love the most about her work. 

We had a quick chat with her about her particular style, spending summers by the Suffolk coast and the best book we could take with us on holiday...

EEP: Hi Rebecca, tell us...where did you grow up? Do you remember the first time you visited a gallery or museum? Who took you there?

R: I Grew up on the Suffolk Coast in a town called Halesworth. Halesworth, although small, has a thriving arts scene and lots of character. The high street was and still is lined with independent shops, cafes and galleries.

My first memories of visiting a museum would be the countless trips to the National Science museum in London with my Parents and brothers. We loved the life sized Blue whale!

One of the first proper exhibitions I went to was to the Tate with my Dad. American Realist Painter Edward Hopper had a retrospective on, I was probably 13 at the time but I loved his paintings and his work still inspires me today.

Office in a small city by Edward Hopper

EEP:  Did you always know you wanted to be an illustrator? Which were your other career options when you were growing up?

R: From a young age it was clear to me that art and creativity were important to me, I loved drawing, I would draw pictures for anyone I met! I loved sports too and having always been fairly academic there were a couple of subjects that interested me such as English Literature and Psychology/Science. Despite this I still found myself always being drawn back to art and being creative!

EEP: Where did you go to art school and what are some of the positive or negative aspects fo your experience there?

I went to Loughborough Art School which I absolutely loved! Within my subject I was encouraged to learn and explore so many different processes and techniques and it helped me to find where my true strengths were. Some of the negative aspects would be that I got a little bogged down with theory and concepts we had to learn (I did a Fine Art Degree) I struggled to get my head around some of this. I should also mention that I made some lifelong friends at University who I consider some of my very best friends!

EEP: There is a big Art Deco influence in your work.... tell us a bit about it and maybe a favourite artist or piece of work you've got?

R: To me Art Deco reflects an era of decadence, design, colour, glamour, culture, travel and excitement. The railway poster artwork gave people a snapshot into a different part of the country/world and offered escapism and freedom! I can imagine the excitement of travel back in the 1920s and 30s must have created quite a buzz and I love to create my own modern take on this moment in time.

My favourite contemporary Artist whose work has an Art Deco Feel about it would be Malika Favre. Work more of the time would be railway Poster Artists such as Frank Newbould and Alfred Lambart.

5. What's your favourite place to spend the Summer? And where would you love to go but never have got the chance to go yet?

For me The Suffolk Coast in the Summertime takes a lot of beating. The towns and Villages all have their own unique charm; the gentle rolling fields, country roads, big Suffolk skies... I am totally bias, but I love where I grew up.

Suffolk Coast

6. Could you recommend us a book to take on holidays?

Regeneration by Pat Barker. Intense but beautiful!

7. If you could define your style with a song, which one would it be?

Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks. Nostalgic, romantic and calming; Makes me think about how we take comfort in our surroundings. It's one of my favourite songs!

Ah waterloo Sunset is one of our favourite tunes! What are the odds? Get a glance at Rebecca's full range for East End Prints HERE, get inspired by a Retro Holiday :)