We love nothing more than giving classic French interior design a quirky twist to add personality and character; a beautiful, French bed paired with a cheeky piece of art is the perfect blend of timeless individuality. Here we chat to the mastermind and creator behind our whimsically fun art collection, Ant Fox, to see what inspires his insatiable creativity.
When did you first discover your love of art and all things quirky?
I have been painting since I realised I could smear shapes in my spaghetti hoops. I rarely use that medium anymore, but I won’t be surprised if eventually that becomes the last medium I ever use too. As a child I couldn’t see very well, so I would see a fuzzy shape of my mum in the kitchen and could run up to her, memorise her face and whatever cake she was baking, and then go back to my paper in the corner and fit the pieces together to help me make sense of the world around me.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
I often wake up giggling. My wife says “you have another one don’t you”? She then writes them all down in a leather bound book that we keep next to the bed. They are usually a three word phrase that makes no sense until I colour them in on a canvas.
What is a typical working day like for you?
I spend every day I can in my seafront gallery in Brighton. As well as affording me a space to work right on the seafront, it gives me a chance to show and discuss my work, live, with passers by. It is a convenient exposure to the zeitgeist of what people like and find amusing.
Which item in your home has a sentimental value to you and why?
My grandfather had a gold pocket watch that was given to him by his grandfather from the 1880s. I used to ask 'Grampy' to wind it up and I would fall asleep in his lap listening to its ticks and tocks next to my ear. Subsequently, he gave it to my father and now it is in a glass case and has pride of place in my living room. I wind it up three times a year, once on my grandfather’s birthday, on my father’s birthday and again on mine. It takes me straight back to that precious place.
When you travel, what do you miss most about your home?
That’s easy, my cats. I have been lucky to have visited some splendid places in the world, and whether from a distant ziggurats in Chile or a sacred cave in the mountains of Belize, I think about my cats Donkey and Malibu staring out of a window at home wondering what I am up to.
What’s on the cards for 2020?
I have recently been playing a lot with virtual and augmented reality and a way to build these concepts into my art. This spring I will be promoting a virtual gallery on show to visitors on Brighton seafront. Also I am working on a range of artworks for The London Palladium as part of The Royal Variety Performance later in the year. My dad would have liked that.
Which three French Bedroom Company products do you love most?
I have always been a fan of chandeliers. I have wanted one for ages but not had a space high enough to properly hang one, maybe one day and I can enjoy sitting on a Palais de Versailles Sacre Bleu Armchair to view it from. But most of all, what I like about the FBC, above their excellent products, is their attitude to life and business. Everything that they do is based on love and quality, not just in their furniture, it is evident in their attitude to business and to their customers.
Quick Fire:
Tea or Coffee? Tea in the summertime and coffee in the winter
Beach or Mountains? Always start off on a mountain and then work downhill to the coast for a chillax on the beach, perhaps with a bit of scuba diving
Yoga or Spin? I went to yoga once and fell asleep. What is Spin?
Night Owl or Morning Person? All the fun happens around the midnight hours. You won’t find me anywhere in the morning, I dare you to try.
We're huge fans of incorporating quirky pieces, like Ant's fabulous artwork, into your home to add style, personality and character. Contact our friendly and knowledgeable team for ideas on how to layer Ant Fox's art with our classic French style furniture and luxury beds.
