In this edition of Culturalee Emerging Artists we interview Miche Watkins, a UK-based pop artist whose bold use of colour, strong black line work, and female-centric themes celebrate women beyond surface beauty. Shaped by her formative years living and exhibiting in Cape Town, Micheline’s artistic journey blends warmth, vibrancy, and emotional depth with a distinctly contemporary Pop Art aesthetic.
From her evolving “Line Art” style to her powerful themes She Is Unknown and Alone Not Lonely, Micheline’s work explores identity, independence, and the quiet joy of solitude. In this interview, she shares how African light, British skies, faith, and daily creative rituals inform her process, along with the artists who continue to inspire her, from David Hockney to the transformative influence of Michael Craig-Martin.
This is an intimate look at an emerging artist using colour, form, and conviction to reframe how we see women, and ourselves.
How would you describe your artistic style and aesthetic, and how has it evolved since you began your creative journey?
My style evolved through my years in Cape Town, South Africa. The sunshine and warmth there inspired me to use bright and vibrant colours in what I then termed Line Art. I have only recently discovered this is actually Pop Art. In those years I only painted women, but always without any facial details, or by cropping the images, so no face at all. This was because I believed, and still do, that as women we are so often judged on the beauty (or not) of our faces and we are very much more than that. I always outline each piece with a solid black line to bring it all together, hence Line Art. I sold my work through a couple of galleries in Cape Town and much enjoyed the creative learning process during my years there.
I have since returned to the UK and the grey skies that appear for so much of our winters here have changed my journey with Pop Art. I use brighter, cheerful colours to lift the spirits and bring a little more joy. I have had to create smaller pieces on the whole, as people tend to live in smaller houses here than in Cape Town. Storage is also more of a problem.
What does a typical day in your studio look like – from your creative rituals to how you develop and refine your work?
I am very much a Lark as opposed to an Owl, especially as I age. I am usually awake by 6am and at my easel by 9am. Painting is in my DNA and has been since I was a young child. I was always drawing Princesses, while my 3 brothers were running around playing football or scrapping.
I start the day with coffee always. I brought back from Africa a very aged overhead projector which I would use to transcribe my original drawing onto my large canvasses. Very hit and miss as the image was usually so faint, so a lot of fine drawing tuning involved. I have finally invested in a modern projector which has transformed my life.
I then set about layering up the colours. I am always after an opaque blocked in colour before I go onto the image altering black lines, which define the finished work. Opaque is not easy with acrylic paint, something I did not struggle with when I painted in oils. I usually have to use 3/4 layers before I am happy with the result (when is an artist EVER happy with the finished result?) I have recently discovered gouache which may be a light bulb moment for me as the pigment seems stronger? I use white paint to get the opacity, but of course then lose some of the vibrancy with the colours, so am never completely satisfied. I am experimenting with art mediums, but so far not very successfully.
The black outline pulls the whole painting together and just transforms it. I love this part of my work. The outline requires two lines to make it cohesive and I then use Posca pens (another recent discovery) to fine tune details.
I paint either in silence, or have some loud worship music blasting away, which surprisingly helps me create my art. I have a very strong faith and am forever grateful to be able to paint, as I shall never retire, just carry on carrying on painting. I finish painting around lunchtime and then head out for a much-needed walk. I paint every day, mostly, but the creative juices are exhausted by lunchtime.
Who or what are your biggest inspirations, and how do they influence the themes or techniques present in your art?
Women are the inspiration behind my work. I have two themes to my art, both female centric. The first is ‘She Is Unknown’. I believe that women are judged on the beauty (or not) of their faces and we are so much more than that. My paintings of women never have any facial detail or I crop the image to leave out the face completely.
The other theme is ‘Alone Not Lonely’. These artworks are nearly always of swimming pools, slightly cropped and abstract in style. My take on this is that women CAN happily go on holiday alone, have fun and grab new adventures without having to be part of a couple. Just sitting by a pool in the sunshine with a book/coffee/cocktail can bring such peace and joy. No interruptions.
I am drawn to sparseness and isolation, but also a sense of peace and joy. Being alone does not have to mean being lonely. Edward Hopper’s work can have that sense of aloneness, often also of a woman on her own and he is definitely an influence, albeit in my signature Pop Art style. Julian Opie/Patrick Caulfield/David Hockney have all inspired me.
However, my biggest influence has to be Michael Craig-Martin and his truly amazing Pop Art, which I only discovered by chance last year in an article in, I think, the Sunday Times. I was blown away by his use of colour and took myself off to his Retrospective at the Royal Academy in London. That was a complete game changer for me. His wonderful use of colour, the compositions, the use of aluminium to paint on, the walls of the Royal Academy of Arts painted in vibrant colours to complement his work, it was all mesmerising. Thank you MCM, I would LOVE to meet you.
All images Courtesy of Micheline Watkins.
Follow Miche here.
