|
Last year (2004) proved to be a momentous one for me. I left my
job after 14 years, registered myself as a self employed artist and designer
and became 50 years old.
We had both been working full time and had three children and
lots of animals at home. After a number of promotions I was always working
very long hours (many at home) just to keep up.
The outcome was that with the support of my family and with the
fortuitous meeting of an art dealer I now paint full time, work from home, am
there more for my family (although not in servitude!), accept that I suffer
from depression and am learning to live with it, rather than fight it. I am
learning to use the energy from the bad times in my paintings. The icing on
the cake has been selling my paintings.
I now know that my own mental health, well and ill, fuel and
drive my creativity and I have exhibited work under the theme of 'My
Therapeutic Art'. My current work is under the title 'Balance in Mind'.
Pattern
I have
always been fascinated with shapes and colours and enjoyed creating patterns
through the mediums of paint, crayons, pens, knitting, embroidery, sewing and
more recently stone carving.
I largely
use items around the house and garden as inspiration, but, often images pour
from inside me. What this tells me is impossible to say, but the effect on
myself is one of creativity and calm, hence the titles of these collections.
Painting on 3D Surfaces
I love
painting on a variety of surfaces such as:built-up card, papier mache apples,
cows, pebbles and cloth set in folds and wrinkles. Is this because I doubt my
abilities as a painter or is it just a quirk of mine? I don’t know.
What I do
know is that it gives me extra dimensions in which to explore and develop my
colour and shape themes.
Painting
favourite images by artists onto papier mache apples
Public Art
Manchester Cow Parade 2004 designed and painted 2 cows:
Veera the Volunteera
sponsored
by:
Manchester
City Council Commonwealth Games Legacy Unit
Rainbow
sponsored
by:
The
Co-operative Group
Exhibitions
Brighton
Festival - Open House 2003
Stockport
Art Gallery - Open Exhibition 2003
Arison
Gallery - 2004
Through
dealer in fine art at: Buxton, Manchester GMEX, Birmingham NEC and Tatton
Park
Future
Brighton
Festival - Open House 2005
Garden of
Delights festival 2005 -
To create,
for the ‘Garden of Delights’ Festival 2005, aspects of Joanna’s Beautiful
Garden and what lies within, promoting organic gardening and pleasure in a
small inner city environment, using and making garden furniture and objects
to paint and sculpt on. Painting and sculpture will depict insects and
wildlife found in our own garden.
Have you
visited: www.madforarts.com
Please email me if you would
like any further information on images shown on this web page.
|
