An interview with Lorette

Lorette E. Roberts is a well-known in Asia for her ‘bestseller’ sketchbooks on Hong Kong, China, and Singapore. She is particularly respected for the way she captures the ‘raw face’ of her subject in a manner that only a true local would know their surroundings.

Lorette now lives in Suffolk, England, where she has her own private studio and holds watercolour, sketching and mixed-media classes. She is also an experienced speaker who has lead many seminars and workshops both at home and in Hong Kong when she visits.

As a successful artist, Chit Chat features Lorette Roberts in this month’s ‘Journey To Success’, and interviews Lorette to bring you her story of being an artist.

Chit Chat:

It is easy to see that you have a great amount of affection for Hong Kong by the way you manage to capture the raw face of this city and the subjects you choose to sketch.

Lorette Roberts:

Well Hong Kong is magnetic, no doubt about that; not only a whirlwind of excitement and a dynamic environment but it is balanced with culture, history and even countryside. It is difficult to top that!

Chit Chat:

How long have you lived in Hong Kong and would we be right to assume that Hong Kong is one of several places that you call home and hold close to your heart?

Lorette Roberts:

I first came to Hong Kong twenty years ago and lived in Mid-Levels for nine years, but my interest in the place started when I was a child. Not only did my eldest brother visit HK when he was in the Navy, but he would bring home exotic, albeit touristy gifts for the family, and my best friend in boarding school came from Hong Kong. So yes, HK is a definite “Home away from home”.

Chit Chat:

How old were you when you started drawing and when did you decide to go professional?

Lorette Roberts:

As the youngest of five kids, I cannot remember when I didn’t draw. My mother made us all draw Christmas and Easter cards for each other, write little books and illustrate a weekly Newspaper.

However, I sort of slipped into becoming “Professional” – I ran a business in the UK as a “profitable hobby” which was an excellent grounding. It was then a natural and easy step to set up a registered business in Hong Kong.

Chit Chat:

How do you feel art helps young children to express themselves and in general development.

Lorette Roberts:

This is an interesting one! How long have you got?

In my opinion, small children unconsciously use drawing to express themselves before they can read and write. So it is essential not to be critical of a child’s art because they can completely lose confidence if they are told that their art is not good.

Interesting it is not possible to make a mistake in art- unlike maths, English and other school topics. There is no right and wrong way to draw something. (Scientific illustration’s Excluded!)

The child drawing a picture is the one to judge whether it is “correct” or not. This gives children an early insight into self-criticism and achievement.

Chit Chat:

Can you tell us a little bit about your life as a traveling artist and your journey to success.

Lorette Roberts:

I am incurably inquisitive. When I am travelling, I linger in Museums and ask startled strangers unusual questions, disappear down alleyways,
always with a sketchbook in hand.

Sketching is often seen as less threatening than a camera and is a useful way to communicate.

Chit Chat:

Did anyone ever try to convince you against following your dreams as an artist? How did you deal with this?

Lorette Roberts:

I never got to Art School. My parents were eager to retire by the time I left school so I had to take up another profession. The downside is, of course, that I have no art related qualifications but the upside is I have tons of “know how”!

Every artistic disaster has been self-inflicted and self-righted so you can’t beat that sort of experience!

Chit Chat:

How difficult did you find it to support yourself when you first started out and do you have any tips for our young readers which may help them in finding their way, identifying opportunity and achieving success.

Lorette Roberts:

I started small and took on every commission offered. Soon I was able to pick and choose and this is when I adopted my mantra of only working on subjects that interest me. I did not over price my work either and soon generated sufficient funds to support a business.

I am good with accounts and I have learnt to take myself seriously. These are both essential skills if you are going to be even remotely successful.

I love trying new ventures, even if I have no idea how to make them work. When I started on my first book “Sights and Secrets of Hong Kong” I knew nothing about publishing, little about printing, didn’t realise I needed a distributor, was virtually computer illiterate and scared about getting an ISBN, but I just had to go for it.

I am also a little quirky, and yes, there IS a little snail in every sketch or painting I do.

Chit Chat:

Could you tell us about some of your most memorable achievements.

Lorette Roberts:

Getting that first book was quite a big thing, and the books that followed were memorable especially, perhaps, the book that I illustrated for the Peninsula Hotel. But the thing that pleases me most is when I am able to encourage someone back to painting again.

Many people who loved painting in their youth loose confidence for whatever reason; be it that they are too busy, had a traumatic experience, etc. It is a real joy and an honour for me, to help them to achieve the sort of work that they thought would elude them for ever; some even go on to hold their own exhibitions – I count these as my greatest achievements.

Do you have aspirations to rediscover your childhood dreams to be an artist? Is art something that your children enjoy? Do you feel that art helps people to express themselves and to build confidence be it in young developing minds while we look for new interests and relaxation.