Jill Clay
by Helen Johnson
Jill Clay is basking in the satisfaction of having published a book about her passion: silk painting. Her achievement is even more gratifying because she left school at sixteen, after being told she was no good at art.
'I'd have loved to go to art school,' she says, 'but the teacher told me I was no good - and I had to go to work anyway.'
However, Jill continued art as a hobby. 'I tried most things,' she says. 'One day, I spotted a silk painting kit. My husband bought it for me - and as soon as I started,
I loved it.'
Silk painting is special because the paint moves through the silk fabric. Effects can be achieved by either allowing this flow, or stopping it with lines of 'gutta', a waterproofing material applied before the paint. Other effects are made by intentionally introducing watermarks onto dried paint, or by using salt, which concentrates the colour around the crystals. The finished article retains the lustre of the silk, giving the colours a special clarity.
Jill lives in rural North Yorkshire. There were no silk painting classes available locally, so she practiced and taught herself. Eventually her work became good enough for her most honest critic, her husband, to praise.
'At the time, I was working as a cleaner, but it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. So I rang up an arts centre in a nearby big town, and asked if they'd like me to run a children's class,' says Jill. 'They said yes - and then I panicked! But I went and did it, and saw the same expression on the kids' faces that I'd had.
'As soon as you apply the brush, the paint moves. It's so exciting: the children held their breath,' say Jill. 'Now, it's just as much a joy to teach as to paint. I do residential courses for adults as well. At the beginning, a mouse-like person will aim to paint a six-inch square, and by the end of the week, they're painting five or ten metres. It's something you just don't get bored of.'
Jill has been teaching now for seven years, as well as selling her own work. She teaches adults and children, both vocational and leisure classes. She does workshops, demonstrations, and is 'on show' herself, painting, at her exhibitions. 'People like to see me working: in fact, they'll often want to buy the piece I'm actually painting,' she says.
The idea of writing a book grew from the classes.
'I was absolutely cheesed off with seeing the same directions on silk painting in every book. I thought: I'm reasonably good at English, I'll give it a go,' she says.
'So I wrote to the Guild of Master Craftsmen, saying 'can I write a book for you?' They wrote back asking for a synopsis, so I wrote one. Then a man said 'yes'.'
This, however, was just the beginning. 'The man left, and a lady came. Eventually she said yes too - then she left as well,' says Jill.
'I thought: this is becoming challenging.'
But, crucially, Jill did not give up. 'I kept writing to them, saying 'are we going to do this?',' she says. 'I'd written the book by then - just to prove I could - but it took two and a half years before I saw a contract.'
'They gave lots of advice on setting it out and so on, but some of the words they wanted to change are important, and I had to put my foot down.'
Despite the changes, Jill's personality shines through the book. 'It's my class in a book,' she says. 'I tested every chapter on someone who hadn't done it before.' Consequently, the book is easy to read, with clear instructions and practical tips. And it is beautifully illustrated with inspiring examples of Jill's work.
Jill's enthusiasm comes through too. After her school experience, she is keen that anyone who wants to have a go should be encouraged to try. The thing she makes most clear is that drawing skills are not necessary: lines can be traced, then painted in.
'Drawing was something that I was scared of. The first kit I did had the lines already drawn, so I didn't have to worry about that, I could just have fun with the painting,' she says.
'There are lots of patterns in books for stained glass, that you can just trace and then paint,' she says. 'But now I can draw, because when I couldn't find what I wanted to trace, I'd have a go at drawing it myself.'
While Jill is immensely proud of her book, it won't, she says, 'make me rich. Sales in the USA and Canada only yield 5% to me: about 17p per book.'
'I did quite a lot of marketing myself too,' says Jill. 'I got it onto Amazon.com, and I sell copies myself. But its main value is in profile raising: it makes people take notice of you. It's also brought in more orders for my mail order supplies.'
Jill has worked hard to make her passion earn a living for her. 'Last year I had no days off. I used to take all of the work that came. Now I can afford to take the odd day off.'
Even so, she still tries new things. 'I've been able to afford a good printer, so now I sell prints and cards. They're good for people who like my work, but can't afford £100 for a framed original.'
She also doesn't stick to one style of painting. Her portfolio on the day I visited included flowers and leaves, abstract patterns, beach huts in bright primary colours, landscapes in soft natural colours, and a Japanese lady full of intricate detail.
'It's always scary when you introduce something new,' says Jill. 'Rejections hurt - they always hurt. But you learn to think oh well - someone else will buy it. Then they do, and you think good, that will work!'
