The Sleeping Artist: An Interview With Lee Hadwin
GALO: In past interviews you mentioned that you yourself had never really acquired a passion for art or even stepped into a gallery before. Has this changed over the recent years? Have you become interested in any particular artist, work, or theme as your sketches have grown in detail and style?
LH: Yes, my first time in an art gallery was when I was being filmed for a program for ITV 1 back in 2006, as I had to! I have since visited The Tate here in London and a few galleries around the world. Some pieces I find fascinating, and others a little “out there,” but I believe, like I said earlier, [that] art is what someone wants it to be. It gives out a different energy to the individual. I also believe your mood has a lot to do with how you look at a drawing/painting. I now love going to art galleries and have a great passion [for] exploring more! My favorite artist would be Kandinsky. I just love the color and life in his drawings.
GALO: Is there anything you wish you would draw during these episodes that you haven’t yet?
LH: I would love to draw an elephant as this is my favorite animal, so fingers crossed, maybe one day!
GALO: You’ve recorded yourself drawing several times. What was your initial reaction to seeing yourself hunched over a sketch pad with pencil in hand, fervently drawing away? Were you surprised at the outcome?
LH: It’s hard to remember what it felt like the first time seeing myself [drawing]. I was 21 and I drew a small sketch of circles on an apartment wall in Tenerife [one of the seven Canary Islands]. It looked like I was drunk. To this day, I hate seeing myself on camera in that state. I get embarrassed! It’s a strange feeling that I can’t really explain.
GALO: Many galleries and buyers have taken a keen interest in your art. Do you have a particularly fond memory or experience with one that you could share with us?
LH: Yes, a gallery in North Wales where I held my first exhibition, it was great. A lot of the press came and a film crew from South Korea filmed the whole night – maybe it was because it was my first. Now Donald Trump owns a piece of my art. That feels pretty special!
GALO: Would you like to see some of your artwork on display in museums?
LH: I would love to see some of my art in a museum as long as it could bring something positive for others. That’s what is important.
GALO: Recently you’ve been doing live signings of several selected prints, giving your fans an opportunity to meet you in person. Have you considered doing live night shows in galleries or museums for an audience both nationally and internationally?
LH: A venue in London’s West end offered me to come down and do some live signings. It was great meeting other artists who came along and many people from overseas. I would love to do a night exhibition at a gallery, like a live installation for a few weeks where the public could watch me live online; it would be a great way to introduce people into the art world, whilst sitting in the comfort of their own surroundings. So if there are any galleries out there, I would love to hear from you.
GALO: How much do your drawings and paintings typically go for?
LH: The price varies on all my drawings and paintings. I have only sold a handful as I was told by an art critic to keep hold of them! Getting back to the price, [there were] several around the 10 to 30 thousand mark and recently, this year, one at six figures.
GALO: Have you sold a painting or drawing that exceeded this amount significantly?
LH: Yes, the one I sold earlier this year for six figures. It was all in the press and the BBC. I will not name the buyer. I will let you do your research on that one!
GALO: There have been many skeptics who feel that this might be some form of trickery. What do you have to say to those who doubt you’re sleep-drawing?
LH: It’s strange, when you start making a lot of money from something, you always get the skeptics coming out and people tend to knock you and want to put you down. They don’t bother me. I have had enough tests over the last 34 years and evidence, so I just laugh it off! At least, while they are talking about me, it keeps my art in the public eye, keep talking I say!
GALO: Your artwork has also been subjected to criticism from art critics such as Matt Collings who said in an interview for The Daily Mail that real art comes with practice and cannot be manifested overnight or defined by the subconscious as everything we do derives from our subconscious. What remarks do you have for such criticism?
LH: I respect Matt Collings. He has his opinion, like he said, “Art is not something you produce as if by magic. It is made from layer upon layer of experience. It isn’t just made when you are asleep. Real art comes from doing it and doing it over and again, developing and laboring over something until you create a piece of art.” I do agree to a certain point; however, I have been drawing and scribbling since the age of four, and some art critics have said, if you look at my work it has gotten better and better over the years. One even went as far as saying — I may have taught myself along the way. I also believe that there is more to the subconscious mind than we will ever know, especially from a spiritual level. But, as I say, I really don’t mind criticism. It makes you stronger and more determined. I think I might send Mr. Collings an invite to my next art exhibition in London’s West end in June.
GALO: On your site you talk about the 11/11 phenomena and how you encounter this number over and over again via receipts, time of day, or peoples birthdays. Could you go into more detail about this?
LH: The whole 11:11 phenomenon is amazing. I started seeing the numbers 11:11 around six years ago on clocks, till receipts, bus numbers, train platforms, and houses. Every time I would switch the TV news on, it would be 11:11. My mobile phone would read 11:11. This went on for months and months. Then a friend told me to look into numerology, which I did, and I found out that many people around the world see 11:11. I have done a lot of research into this and many people believe that the “Midwayers,” which they are called (like guardian angels between here and the spirit world), are communicating [with us] and that certain events in the universe will happen soon, and that they are preparing us for what is going to happen. I am still not sure I do [believe it]. However, I get a great feeling when I see the numbers!
GALO: Lastly, where do you hope your unusual talent will take you?
LH: I support the charity Missing People, which I have done after doing an interview alongside Sir Richard Branson on ITV breakfast a few years ago. We got talking to a lady whose sister was missing and she was looking after her children for her, and the pain and desperation [she felt] was horrific every day; not knowing if that person is alive, well, and safe? It must be a living nightmare. So, I just want to keep doing exhibitions around the world, and try to raise as much money and awareness for the charity [as possible]. So, if there are any galleries out there who wish to exhibit my work and support me in this area, I would love to hear from you.