Q&A: An Interview with Anna Rocke

What or who inspires your work?

What I love most about painting is the element of surprise – something unexpected always emerges in the process. When I sketch or plan beforehand, the final piece never turns out exactly as I imagined.

I’ve always been interested in childhood psychology: how I saw the world as a child, the emotions I experienced, and the strange, dreamlike quality reality had at that age. That perspective still influences my work and draws me to artists such as Tirzah Garwood, as well as surrealists like Dorothea Tanning and Leonora Carrington.

I don’t paint with a specific message in mind. It feels more like a sideways exploration, almost like “hacking” into my subconscious. Looking back at my work, I can often see how it reflects my state of mind at the time, though that’s never intentional.

I’m also drawn to creative processes shaped by limitations. I like working within constraints, such as the boundaries of a canvas. Perhaps that’s why I often paint interiors: their enclosed spaces provide a structure where my imagination can roam freely.

Why do you like to paint on a small scale?

I’m quite impulsive when I paint, constantly changing things on a whim. I rarely plan meticulously – maybe that’s impatience, but I also think it’s part of the process.

I love the absurdity of painting a vast room on a tiny canvas. There’s an intimacy to it; it draws the viewer in and creates a more private connection with the work. When I go to exhibitions, I always gravitate towards small, self-contained pieces that feel like their own little worlds.

Can you tell me about your process for achieving your desired material outcome? Was there a lot of trial and error in finding the right mix of materials to achieve the impasto look?

I want to create a tactile, tangible experience – an urge to touch, even though you can’t, because they’re paintings. It’s similar to memory: something you can recall but never fully access. Over the years I’ve tried many paint extenders: oil paint alone has the best consistency but is expensive and slow to dry, and most extenders are rubbish.

Beeswax, if mixed in the right ratio, holds texture well, though it can dry very slowly. Ground marble is my favourite so far: it speeds drying a little and thickens the paint, which is perfect for building up layers.

What is a tool you can recommend to achieve this material outcome?

My favourite tool is a simple clay tool I’ve adapted for painting. I use it to work into thick layers after laying down colour, and to scratch into thinner layers to reveal what’s beneath.