My philosophy
is that how you make people feel is just as important as what you make. I
compare my collage flowers to mandalas that I hope are as meditative to view as
they are to make. I take inspiration from the vibrant colours and textures of
the Cornish landscape and I am never happier than when I am at the coast.
My interest in
visual and performing arts has highly influenced me and traces of my theatrical
training are evident in my work. From the intricate stitching reminiscent to
costume making, to the loose flowing style that when viewed from a distance
becomes more defined like a stage set.
What does
your art process entail?
I am drawn to
the fragility of paper that can be transformed into something majestic by a
simple coat of glue. I produce unique one-off pieces of artwork out of paper,
which I lovingly source, intricately layer, glue or hand stitch into place. I
love the randomness of the torn edges, that slot together in a process I equate
to being like doing a giant jigsaw puzzle.
Did you
have an idea / theme in mind before starting your sketchbook?
I hadn't
created a sketchbook for years. My sketchbooks are often chaotic and very
random with image I've seen with my magpie eye, I wanted this project to be
more ordered and structured. My initial inspiration for this sketchbook was to
explore a narrative in a book form and to explore my own creative process. This
narrative theme which is often present in my work and was the reason I named my
blog ‘A Homespun Yarn’ revealing my love of storytelling and tall tales.
Has doing
the sketchbook helped your creatively, if yes how?
It gave me a
different focus and having added a limitation with the cut through element of
the book, it became a good test of my problem-solving skills. Looking at how
the images worked with each other in a sequence forward and back, rather just
on a flat plane as with a single picture. I also unexpectedly really enjoyed
playing with typeface in relation to the pictures.
What materials couldn't you live without?
Paper all the
way, I read magazines and rather than reading the articles these days I see
potential new artwork. I couldn't live without beautiful paper a passion I have
been perfecting since childhood and my tiny embroidery scissors in their little
leather holster.
Your future
art plans …
For the past
year I have been working on a 100 days paper collage project to try and develop
my artwork and to explore the limitations of collage. I recently exhibited a
picture in the Imagine Falmouth exhibition at Falmouth Gallery and I hope to
exhibit my 100 days project when it is complete in early spring.
With the
viewer in mind please complete the following sentence -
I hope my
sketchbook will …. raise the profile of collage art and what detailed images
can be made with the medium.
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