A creative journey

Creative journeys

Throughout my creative journey, I have explored various materials and themes, resulting in a dynamic collection of artworks. Each section of the collection stands alone while harmonising with the others, illustrating my evolving interests and inspirations.

A notable part of my work is a series based on inked imagery on cloth. This material serves as the foundation, with its earth and vegetation elements reflecting the origins of its components. The series exemplifies my focus on the natural world and its intrinsic beauty.

Another series centres around the use of indigo. Created later in my process, the addition of vibrant colour brought a new dimension to my work. The unpredictable patterns that emerged through the indigo dyeing process guided my creativity into unexpected and enriching directions.

Venturing into three-dimensional space, I introduced a series that adds intrigue and novelty to my collection. This 3D work, although a departure from my usual approach, retains the collaborative and spontaneous essence present in my other pieces. These pieces evoke a sense of ancient history and fantasy, expanding the narrative scope of my collection.

A significant portion of the collection is dedicated to themes of trees and leaves. I find these a fascinating source of inspiration. I have reimagined pieces to fit within new projects, finding renewed appreciation and relevance in them.

Finally, the Felt series explores the tactile aspects of my art. I normally work with alpaca fibre and working with raw wool was a new venture, offering a satisfying contrast to the smoother, cloth-based elements of my previous works. This series enriches the overall texture and sensory experience of my collection, showcasing my willingness to experiment and adapt.

What is the essence of your creative journey? I encourage you to venture into unknown waters as well as honing your existing expertise. Take delight in exploration and personal challenges.

A Natural Palette

The value of a natural palette

Celebrating the raw materials of natural inks and the colours they produce brings about a deeper connection to the art of creation, one that transcends the commercial aspects of other products. These raw materials have a voice, a unique presence that demands recognition and a place in the creative process.

Inks, in particular, possess an intrinsic value. They are living elements that transform over time, both in the short term and over prolonged periods. To achieve true satisfaction in this artistic adventure requires a leap of faith, embracing the uncertainty of the final outcome. We are used to bright colours which can dominate and flatten the perspective.  They can overwhelm our senses, limiting our ability to truly see. Natural tones within our environment invite a more profound exploration, urging us to delve deeper to uncover the richness and diversity within.

These more subdued tones enhance our capacity to appreciate the miraculous. Engaging with these natural materials requires time and patience. We must immerse ourselves in time, allowing the inks the space to adapt and evolve.

The inks offer a palette of nuance, their interactions shifting daily, echoing the aliveness of their environment. Each day brings a new dynamic, a fresh interaction, as the colours continue to live and breathe, responding to the world around them. This ongoing conversation between the artist, the environment and the ink is a testament to the ever-changing nature of art itself.

Serendipity

When we approach creativity with wonder, we unlock a magical transformation. It’s like stepping into a world where unexpected twists and turns lead to amazing discoveries. This journey involves embracing the unpredictability and unique opportunities that arise during creative work. By being open to these moments of serendipity, we can tap into our intuition and create something truly special.

Embracing a creative process that’s all about chance and surprises is like going on an adventure with an open heart and a curious mind. You let go of your plans and embrace the unexpected, and you discover amazing things along the way. It’s like a dance with chance, where you’re open to new ideas and inspirations that come your way.

This approach values the beauty of unpredictability. Sometimes, the most incredible ideas come when we least expect them. By trusting in the process and staying present, you can tap into a flow state where your intuition guides you, and you create something truly unique. Serendipity becomes your partner in exploration, leading you to places you never thought possible.

Mistakes aren’t seen as failures, but as stepping stones to discovery. This mindset makes you adaptable and resilient, and you learn to appreciate the connections between seemingly unrelated things. In the end, embracing a creative process based on serendipity leads to a rich, dynamic, and rewarding creative journey. The unexpected is welcome, and every moment holds the potential for inspiration.

I am an artist!

Look at a blank page, a blank canvas, a blank screen, a blank textile, or even a blank idea, and what do you see?  A challenge perhaps? Potential? A scary prospect? All of these are things to face no matter what the blank medium is, and this fear is often talked about in many places. But what does an artist do? Pick up a brush, a needle, a pen, or pound a keyboard— much as I am doing now. 

It has taken work to breathe myself into being an artist.  Not a painter, not a felt-maker, not a maker, not a hobbyist, not a craftsperson, not an artisan. An artist, as held in my own heart, regardless of how others may see me. For being an artist has to be part of you. You have to believe it—and yourself—wholeheartedly in order to step over the fear of that blank ‘whatever’. 

You have to build that part of you, layer by layer, that lifts you into a world of wonder.  Build the frame and then be brave enough to step into the image of ‘artist’, where you have the confidence to strike out on your own, to communicate part of your soul, to share your creations with others who may applaud, cry, laugh, criticise, or simply ignore… and sometimes they might even buy! As Henri Matisse is cited as saying, ‘Creative people are curious, flexible, and independent with a tremendous spirit and a love of play ... The artist begins with a vision—a creative operation requiring effort.’

I want to be that person who has ‘tremendous spirit’ and who is willing to put creative effort into their life. I am an artist because I want to be one. 

Quotes to ponder

If you have ever considered the question of art in our lives, then this small collection of quotes from ‘Life Force': A painter’s response to the nature poetry of Ted Hughes’ by Louise Fletcher may give you something to chew on.

Q1: If we do not make the most of our lives, if we do not throw ourselves into everything we do with commitment and passion, we will create art that is less than wholehearted. (pg49)

Q2:  Every work of art stems from a wound in the soul of the artist...Art is a psychological component of the auto-immune system that gives expression to the healing process.  That is why great works of art make us feel good. (pg68)

Q3:  Once I let go of the need to know, that was room for it [the why] to emerge. (pg 98)

Q4: ...capture this sense of direct experience of nature, without the filter of sophisticated understanding.  What would it feel like to feel water on your skin without knowing what it was? To float without knowing how you are doing it? To experience the world without the filter of knowledge? ((pg129)

Q5:  Hughes believed art had the power to tap into the universal energies and use them for good. (pg165)

Q6: ...the importance of art. It's about the ways in which an artist can touch us, move us, and inspire us, staying with us over the years and through the twists and turns of a life, offering nourishment, healing and inspiration. (pg7)

Q7:  So much of what we experience passes by only half-noticed. So much of our experience ...is subliminal. (pg23)

Q8:  ...it takes courage to go beyond pretty pictures or commercially viable art and to instead dig deep into one's own soul to find and share the deepest parts of yourself and then to share those parts with others...it means making honest, soulful, authentic art that leaves you no place to hide. (pg68)