Featured Artist Jane Lim
Art Form:
I mainly paint in acrylic or watercolours and draw, but I also enjoy ceramics very much. I have spent much of the last two years running workshops and teacher-training so much of my time has been spent helping children and adults explore various media.
Image details: Atomic Bonds
The triptych is painted onto black canvas and shows a series of hexagonal and pentagonal structures featured in the Carbon 60 molecule which is colloquially known as the Buckyball. This molecule was discovered by Professor Sir Harry Kroto while investigating material from outer space. Carbon 60 is the basis for nanotechnology and is used to make solar panels more efficient.
Who or what influences your work?
I still have an interest in things botanical and scientific and am fascinated by the structure of some of our common or garden plants. If there is any exhibition with a theme, I will research the theory behind the theme to find inspiration. The Senses exhibition is a good example of the way I work. I'd have to say Picasso is probably one of the biggest infuences on me. I love the way he never restricted himself to one particular medium or theme and was quite political in some of his work. Yet underneath all the experimentation, his draughtsmanship was absolutely first class.
Image details: Fullerene
The name of the series of Carbon molecules discovered by Professor Kroto and colleagues in 1985. Fullerenes produce a beautiful mauve solution when dissolved in sulphuric acid, providing the inspiration for this mixed media painting of hexagonal and pentagonal structures.
Name your top five websites:
http://www.mosi.org.uk Museum of science and industry
http://www.data.org.uk Design and technology association
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio For Radio Four
What are your plans for the rest of 2010? 
I am currently working with several groups as part of Farnworth Arts Festival 2010. To celebrate the end of the festival I will be holding a paper-making workshop at Moses Gate Country Park on 18th July with my colleague, Karen Brookfield. I am also working in primary schools and will continue to do this as it is very rewarding and great fun. In addition, I'll be entering various exhibitions in the North West.
Image details: By the Sea
My aim was to create a body of work using watercolours, with one consistent feature – the little yellow house with its deep rose-coloured roof tiles. My houses pop up in a variety of locations – on the coast, in the mountains and in the English countryside. They are great fun to paint and have been used on greetings cards and as gifts. I think they would translate well into illustrations for a storybook
Do you have any advice for emerging artists in your field of work?
Always try to record your work using a decent digital camera and keep it organised on your computer. You never know when someone may ask for a series of images to be sent to them. Also, be as professional as possible - keep to timescales, be reliable and don't neglect the paperwork.
Final word:
I took part in the Boomerang project last year. Women artists from Paderborn, Germany organised an exhibition which toured Europe. My painting of three women in the Whitworth Museum Cafe was selected for the commemorative calendar and was used for all the promotional material. It was a really great moment for me when the organiser bought the original for a friend for Christmas. Having spent much of 2009/2010 working with others on their creative development I am looking forward to painting again and will have some work on show at the Bolton Art Studios Summer Show next month.
Image details: Senses
Another painting using mixed media (beads, PVA and acrylic paint) which shows the physiological sensory centres. This painting depicts a skull bisected from front to back. The sideways view shows the different lobes of the brain, with those associated with the five senses painted five different colours. Text around the top of the head informs the viewer of the name of the lobe and the sense it controls. This painting featured in the ‘Senses’ exhibition at Bolton Art Studios in 2009.
