Meet Eleanor Johnson, Visitor Decide for Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2026 - Jackson's Artwork Weblog

This yr’s Visitor Judging Panel consists of six thrilling names from the artwork world of immediately, every of whom might be tasked with deciding on one favorite from the longlist to win their Decide’s Selection Award.

One yr after successful Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025, and now on the panel for 2026, Eleanor Johnson joined us within the Jackson’s studio to debate working inside a bubble with out outdoors influences, discovering the phrases to explain her apply by making use of to open calls, and protecting her work contemporary by doing issues that scare her.

Interview

Josephine: Are you able to inform us about your background, and the way you bought into portray?

Eleanor: My household are all artistic. My mother and father have a artistic backyard centre, and my brothers are artists too – one is a photographer, the opposite is a filmmaker. I obtained into portray at college once I was a young person and I had some very encouraging, pretty artwork academics, and so I went on to check Historical past of Artwork at College, after which a High-quality Artwork Grasp’s, and I’ve been portray ever since. It was seeing de Kooning and Rubens in numerous galleries that actually made me contemplate portray as a profession, and seeing pictures of artists I admired of their studios, like Jenny Saville and Paula Rego, and seeing that type of surroundings – one thing concerning the studio as a spot. I used to be like, oh, you simply have someplace to work. Then you may simply do it.

Flowers in Eleanor’s backyard

Josephine: What’s a typical working day within the studio, and the way do you get into the appropriate mindset earlier than working

Eleanor: I don’t actually have a typical working day in my studio. It tends to leap round and alter rather a lot, however to get into the appropriate headspace, I often plait my hair, I would gentle some incense, put some music on, or put a podcasts on. It actually will depend on what I’m engaged on, and I’m not all the time engaged on giant items – I is likely to be researching and experimenting and doing small works, however nothing ever actually stays the identical. It’s good to combine it up so that you simply don’t get bored.

Eleanor within the studio

Josephine: Are you able to inform us about your material and the concepts behind your work?

Eleanor: My work usually contain the nude determine, and alongside that I take into consideration spirituality – the ethereal and the liminal. It’s actually these two issues which are the principle topics in my work, so I consider it as wanting on the physique and the spirit.

Alongside that, I usually look in the direction of outdated grasp color palettes for inspiration, and I exploit a variety of layering in my work. The start of a portray is likely to be taking a look at a few totally different outdated grasp color palettes, altering them, manipulating them, and build up the layers from there. I would do a wash of paint as soon as that layer has dried and rub into it and reveal the layers beneath. After which it’s within the later phases of the portray that the figures begin to emerge.

I all the time like to go away issues slightly bit unfinished in order that it’s as much as the viewer to finish the figures themselves, and I all the time just like the work to have a dreamlike high quality and a way of exuberance.

Color Examine After Rubens

Josephine: Are there any particular methods or phrases of knowledge that make it easier to create your work that you’d be pleased to share with us?

Eleanor: I believe it’s good to keep away from evaluating your self to different artists and what different persons are doing, as a result of it takes the enjoyment out of making. Additionally, I not too long ago learn that typically the best concepts are the very best concepts, so I’ve been making an attempt to simplify the concepts behind my work and simply produce the work with out pondering an excessive amount of about it. And typically I believe that’s an excellent technique to carry on creating.

I really feel essentially the most glad with my work is once I’m barely pushing the boat out and doing issues that scare me. I believe David Bowie mentioned one thing like, “In the event you really feel secure within the space you’re working in, you’re not working in the appropriate space.”

A helpful tip for while you’re portray is to barely squint while you’re taking a look at your work once in a while, as a result of it simplifies the shapes in entrance of you and the composition to be able to see the place one thing may not be working. Or, take a look at your portray within the reflection of a mirror and one thing concerning the picture being flipped – all of a sudden you may see it with contemporary eyes and that’s a extremely useful approach.

Venus and Adonis, Peter Paul Rubens

Josephine: Are you able to inform us a couple of profession spotlight or a memorable second you’ve had as an artist?

Eleanor: A profession spotlight was undoubtedly successful Jackson’s Artwork Prize and every little thing that got here from it, just like the interview and the exhibition. It’s been a extremely great expertise. One other spotlight was undoubtedly spending a while on a residency in Northern Italy and the entire inspiration that I discovered there, and actually with the ability to totally immerse myself in Italian artwork and structure and historical past. It was undoubtedly an enriching expertise.

Frescoes within the Chiesa del Santissimo Corpo di Cristo, Brescia

Josephine: What are you at present studying?

Eleanor: One e book I’m studying for the time being is Magic Maker by Pam Grossman. I’ve been following Pam’s work for a number of years and he or she’s considered one of my favorite authors and podcasters, and on this e book, she’s wanting on the intersection between creativity and spirituality, or the paranormal ways in which artists can channel that into their very own work. It’s a really, superb e book and I actually suggest it. After which the second e book that I’m listening to for the time being, which I typically hearken to once I’m portray, is named The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer, and I’m not too far into it but, however to this point it appears to be about consciousness, and the way power flows via all of us and connects us. And that’s additionally a really inspiring e book.

Eleanor making ready her palette

Josephine: What exhibitions or artists have impressed you during the last yr?

Eleanor: For the previous yr I’ve been making a brand new physique of labor, and once I’m making new work, I wish to work in a little bit of a bubble. So I typically don’t go and see exhibitions and I attempt to not go to too many openings or galleries or museums just because I discover it very simple to let the work bounce round an excessive amount of and it turns into a bit inconsistent typically since you’re taking in a lot totally different inspiration. So the final yr I haven’t been to many exhibitions, however there was an expertise that was actually inspiring and type of prompted this entire physique of labor, which is once I was in a position to go to a sea collapse Mallorca and the expertise of stepping into there and being surrounded by these waves and the environment throughout the cave. It led to a complete physique of labor exploring the dream area and dream-like mythology. So this yr, it’s been the experiences that I’ve skilled which were inspirational to me.

Josephine: What made you enter Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2025? Did you ever assume you’ll win?

Eleanor: I undoubtedly didn’t assume I’d win Jackson’s Artwork Prize and I used to be very pleasantly stunned to win. I type of utilized on a little bit of a whim as a result of I knew how revered it was, and I additionally actually cherished shopping for issues from the shop – I exploit it on a regular basis for my very own artwork supplies so it felt like a pure factor to do and I’m actually pleased I did.

Eleanor’s successful work Slick With Olive Oil, featured on the Bankside Gallery exhibition banner

Josephine: Have you ever ever been unsuccessful in an artwork competitors and what did you study from that have?

Eleanor: Like many artists, I’ve been unsuccessful in making use of to numerous competitions and residencies and alternatives, however I believe it’s necessary to not be discouraged and to maintain on making use of since you by no means know the place it’d lead you.

One thing I realized from making use of to Jackson’s Artwork Prize was that it’s good to be selective concerning the issues that you simply do apply for – select ones that you’ve a connection or an affinity with, since you’re extra more likely to spend time in your utility.

Set up view of the 2025 Finalists exhibition at Bankside Gallery, that includes Slick With Olive Oil by Eleanor Johnson on the again wall

Josephine: How necessary do you assume awards and competitions are to artists immediately?

Eleanor: I believe awards and competitions are actually necessary to artists working immediately as a result of it will get your work on the market in entrance of various audiences, and helps you develop into actually organized in documenting your work and writing about your work. Making use of for awards has undoubtedly helped me discover the phrases to explain my apply and my ideas – I’ve discovered that that the extra I apply to, the extra I perceive how one can describe my very own work.

Color Examine of Flowers

Josephine: How do you are feeling about deciding on the winner of your personal Judges’ Selection Award, and what are you going to be on the lookout for within the submissions?

Eleanor: I’m actually excited to decide on my winner, and I’m going to enter the choice course of with none preconceived concepts or something like that, and I’m going to see what jumps out at me. I really feel that you simply by no means actually know what you’re going to love till you see it.

Pink Sky at Night time, 2025
Eleanor Johnson
Oil on canvas, 100 x 160 cm | 39.3 x 162.9 in

Josephine: What recommendation would you give to artists who’re serious about getting into Jackson’s Artwork Prize 2026?

One thing useful to do is to maintain a listing in your telephone of the entire competitions and alternatives that you simply wish to apply for over the yr. You may get a suggestion, or hear one thing that another person has utilized for. Have a look at one other artist who’s just a few steps forward of you – in the event you take a look at what they’re making use of for, you type of know what you ought to be aiming for subsequent.

About Eleanor Johnson

Eleanor Johnson holds a BA in Artwork Historical past from UCL and an MA in High-quality Artwork from Metropolis & Guilds of London Artwork Faculty. In 2019, she participated in a two-month residency at Palazzo Monti in Brescia, Italy. Her work is in non-public collections and establishments within the UK, US, Europe, West Africa, Asia, and South America. She at present lives and works in Oxford, UK. Eleanor received Jackson’s Artwork Prize in 2025 along with her portray Slick With Olive Oil.

Observe Eleanor on Instagram