A Conversation with Hugh Caughey

What do you do?

I’m an Australian Artist / designer based in Sydney, Australia, working with traditional mediums such as ink and lead, whilst utilizing more contemporary methods such as CNC 3D sculpting + laser cutting. My work focuses on the shapes / lines / textures found in nature and their relationship with contemporary forms & design processes.

What does your workspace look like? Where do you like to create?

I have a studio in my home, here in Richmond, just outside of Sydney at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, which provide a lot of inspiration. As I work mainly on paper, a lot of my works begin outside my studio, using a wide variety of materials. My studio is bright and naturally lit, and is close to my coffee machine!

What role does the pencil play in your process?

I form ideas and lines in one of my notebooks to land on a specific shape or pattern, then again in the production process of the artwork the pencil plays another role of adding texture and weight to the work in a way which is different to mediums such as paint or ink.

Why do you choose to work with pencils and, specifically, Blackwings?

One of the things I love about the Blackwing pencils, is that there is no disconnect between myself and the paper, there’s no void like I’ve found with other pencils.

The form I want to be transmitted to the page flows easily, there’s no point where I am working against the tool to obtain the line or texture I want to achieve, as far as tools go, if it can work seamlessly with the user, then its 100% effective.

What other tools are essential to your process?

I begin with planning versions of my larger pieces in my Field Notes, these are my ‘blueprints’. Working with paper requires me to have a selection of blades and cutting mats. Another very important tool is my Macbook, it’s the tool I use to bring my art into the digital arena, where I can then design and produce sculptures using CNC and other machine based methods.

How do you overcome artist's block?

As any artist/maker can relate, I have my bad days, days where the lines and patterns just aren’t working for me, I find switching to a new project helps greatly, this allows me to just ‘jam’ in another area of creativity, so when I return to the artwork, I have ‘stretched’ my mind or hands and can look at the piece from a new angle.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Be true to your own work. No one else can get the ideas out of your mind and form them into something relevant, we each have a unique opportunity to create from our own minds, so be honest with yourself and allow all of your visions and ideas to form in a way true to what you imagine, despite how others think your work should look.