Wylie, 91, was born in Hythe, Kent. She studied at Folkestone and Dover School of Art and later the Royal College of Art. She is known for her bold, large-scale works on canvas that draw on popular culture, ancient civilisations and her own memories. She was married to the artist Roy Oxlade until his death in 2014. Wylie lives near Faversham with her cat, Pete.
I get up late because I often paint until 3am and sleep for eight hours. I don’t paint every day — you can’t, you’ve got to have space in between. But while a painting’s going I paint excessively and feel exhilarated when it’s finished.
The first thing I do when I wake is feed the cat. I’ve had cats all my life but Pete is exceptional, he’s like a human and a terrific companion. Breakfast is porridge and tea, and on Sundays, signifying the end of the week, a croissant and coffee. I take cod liver oil — in capsules because I can’t bear the taste or smell. They’re rather beautiful yellow blobs.
Then I walk round the garden 12 times, three minutes a lap, looking at tulips and snowdrops. I mostly stay home as that’s where I work. I used to go to London often, but rarely since Covid. When I go now, someone kindly sends a car.
Lunch is basic and fitted around what time I start work, usually at 12 or 1pm, or I’ll keep painting and have a late lunch.
I’m the first female painter to have an exhibition in the main galleries at the Royal Academy, which is unbelievable and just weird, considering it has been going since 1768. But it’s amazing to be there and I love the building, the Annenberg Courtyard and the location, right off Piccadilly. It’s run by artists and adored by the public.
I often choose irreverent titles, like Quack Quack for my show at the Serpentine in 2017, because of the ducks I first saw there aged five. I called this show The Picture Comes First because people often read print before looking at images properly. They think it’s more authentic and informative. I’d like to reverse that; I think the picture is more important than the print.
The exhibition is a kind of diary of what’s going on around me. I do drawings first. All you need is a pencil and an old envelope to note down what you see before you lose it. I’ll do more drawings and it develops organically.
I was 80 when I won the John Moores painting prize, which gave my profile a major jump. It has also brought fun opportunities, like modelling for Loewe last year for the fashion designer Jonathan Anderson’s penultimate collection. When nobody is looking at or buying your work it’s really tough and Jonathan bought a big painting from me a long time ago, which was such a help.
For dinner I’ll often make a stew, with carrots, leeks and garlic, adding wine. I don’t go to the cinema any more but I like watching films on television. I recently watched Babygirl as I’ve painted Nicole Kidman, so I thought I should see what she is doing. My son, Luke John, was watching with me and about halfway through he said he didn’t think it was family viewing. I paint portraits from films and don’t do commissions — if they don’t like it, you feel constrained.
My working practices haven’t changed since losing Roy. He rarely came into my studio because he’d always get paint on his clothes and only saw the finished product. He once said he thought the worst thing would be to be married to a woman whose work he didn’t like, but he liked mine so I was happy. He was very picky.
The work goes on and doesn’t stop. I’m preparing for a solo show in Paris in April. While working on a piece for it I repainted the view from my garden featuring a new view that suddenly appeared when the trees were cut down. I liked the seclusion of the garden and I dealt with that loss by creating a painting. My work has always been triggered by what I see and if it’s visually exciting I like to make a record of it.
Rose Wylie: The Picture Comes First is at the Royal Academy of Arts, London W1, until April 19; royalacademy.org.uk
Words of wisdom
Best advice I was given
When I’d get caught up wondering why I was painting, saying my work was crap and I couldn’t do it, Roy would simply say, “You’ll manage”
Advice I’d give
Keep going
What I wish I’d known
That rabbit-skin glue — a traditional preservative that keeps canvas from rotting under paint — can be quickly made by double-boiling
Rose Wylie, The Picture Comes First exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, LondonDavid Parry/Royal Academy of Arts
Rose Wylie, The Picture Comes First exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, LondonDavid Parry/Royal Academy of Arts
Rose Wylie, The Picture Comes First exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, LondonDavid Parry/Royal Academy of Arts
Rose Wylie, The Picture Comes First exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, LondonDavid Parry/Royal Academy of Arts