UK artist Tansy Hargan brings her background in architecture and landscape design into a vibrant mixed-media practice. From tiny thumbnail sketches to layered textiles, she explores colour, sound, and place with a rare attentiveness. In this thoughtful conversation, Tansy shares how observation, constraint, and play shape her distinctive art practice.
If you give yourself a task, then you will start thinking about things in a different way.
– Tansy Hargan
Takeaways from this episode
- Observation can be trained.
Tools like viewfinders and thumbnail sketches help distill a landscape’s overwhelming detail into something you can truly see.
- Constraints create freedom.
Working within a small frame or limited palette can spark unexpected discoveries, opening new pathways for creativity.
- Sound becomes form.
A passing bee, a distant train, or a rhythm of voices can be translated into marks and shapes, layering meaning onto the page.
- Colour is language.
Through synaesthesia and sensitivity to nuance, Tansy shows how colour can express memory, emotion, and connection to place.
- Daily practice sustains creativity.
By noticing small shifts in nature, sketching on trains, or painting for a few quiet minutes, creative momentum is nurtured over time.
Explore the artwork from this episode below
During the live interview, we shared some images of Tansy’s artwork. Since you’re listening to the podcast version, we’ve made these images available for you below.
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