Behind the Scenes - Helen Wiseman

16th August 2012: Our artist of the month - newly signed watercolour artist Helen Wiseman gives us a sneak-peek behind the scenes from her family home on a farm...

What's your favourite design/piece of work & why? It changes all the time, at the moment it's a painting of Sheringham in Norfolk - I absolutely froze painting it!

What's been your best-selling design or piece of work to date? 'Dinosaurs Marching' and 'Thaxted Guild-hall & Church'

Which part of the process do you like most? Being in the middle of a piece of work - I know what I'm doing and how I'm doing it

Which part do you like the least? Starting!

What would your dream project be? Being sent somewhere (anywhere!) to paint and illustrate as a reportage project

Who or what is your biggest source of inspiration? Everything around me, kids, friends, generally people give me ideas & recent exhibitions (Hockney)

Which is your favourite Art House Licensing artist & why? I love Ele Pack's colours and her boats & I like the design element and 'print' quality to Jane Robbins' work...

Which is your favourite Yellow House artist & why? (www.yellowhouseart.com) Hannah Cole's boat paintings, Victor Stuart Graham's wooden boats, and Ken Eardley ceramics - Actually, I really like everything on this site - it's all right up my street!

Do you have your own work at home? If yes, which piece? Which room is it in? Yes, everywhere! We have some holiday lets so my work's also framed up and on the walls there too

When designing your studio, what was the most important factor? Unfortunately I don't have a studio - just the kitchen table - but warmth & light are very important

What's been your biggest mistake?! Listening to the wrong advice about my work...'What was I thinking!?'

What's on your drawing board /easel right now? 2 commissions, one for a poem to illustrate and one for a children's book

What is the last book you red? Marks out of 10? 'The Power of Six' 10/10

If you could own a masterpiece, what would it be? Anything Pre-Raphaelite, especially Burne-Jones

What is the last exhibition you went to? Marks out of 10? David Hockney - 9/10

What's your proudest achievement? Apart from children, being known locally as 'The Dinosaur Lady'

What's been your biggest challenge? Illustrating the book that I'm currently working on!

What's your favourite aspect about working with Art House Licensing? I love never know what's going to happen next!