Oh Ameeeelia, you're making your art!

Sorry! I couldn't help myself.  It's just that every time I say the name Amelia I sing it to the tune of 'Cecilia' (nope- don't ask me why - just a stupid schoolgirl rhyming thing) and off we go again...

I have been making lots of progress artistically myself these days but have had no time to photograph the results. Let's face it, with the rainy spring weather, the light hasn't been that good either. Well, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it ;-)

(All photos of Amelia Critchlow's artwork taken from her blog)

So in the event that I can't give you any glimpses of what I've been working on, I thought this would be an ideal time to introduce you to one of my favourite London-based artists,

 Amelia Critchlow. 

Had I been better organised, had I had access to my computer much of last week, had I ... well, I would've set up an interview. But I didn't. So before I introduce her in my own words, I borrowed this off her website so you could get a feel for how she sees her art:

My work continues to explore an art (craft) often associated with a feminine tradition, with the use of hand-stitched household textiles. This is then combined with images from contemporary popular culture (magazines), to highlight issues faced by women; particularly the airbrushed and unreal imagery that encourages women to starve, cut and stitch themselves to physical ‘perfection’, making them ‘objects’ to be looked at, rather than active individuals and intelligent contributors to culture and meaning in society.

By using the personal (hand-stitched), with the public (magazines), I wish to investigate personal experiences and feelings about being a ‘woman’ and a 'mother', against public notions of what being a ‘woman’ and 'mother' is, and to explore the way women are portrayed visually. By playing with public images of women and cutting and stitching them together in a different way I hope to say something new, creating alternative narratives, and hopefully raising questions for the viewer. 

Being a mother with two girlies leaning towards young-womanhood, I sort of like her focus here. 

However, what most touches me about Amelia, is the artist herself. I would purchase Amelia's art not only for its beauty, and follow her online art couses not just for their content - but mostly for the uncompromising strength, conviction, sincerity and positivity she shows in every aspect of her daily life. 

You can read here and here about Amelia's personal triumphs and trials in bringing up a son with Asperger's as a single parent, while trying to keep sight of her own personal goals. 

You can read here and here about her current musings on life, what she learnt at art school (little to do with art itself!) and the little things she does every day to keep herself inspired and running on all cylinders ;-)

More importantly,  you can access her talent and conviction that everyone can be an artist here!

Amelia, (like so many of my fabulous blogfriends out there, who are soon to get an individual show of appreciation here over the coming months for the very unique inspiration each of you provide to me and the rest of the blogging world on a permanent basis) is quite simply a remarkable, honest, extraordinary ordinary person, who I admire no end. 

I've been the lucky recipient of a few other tags and awards over the last few weeks from some special people. I will definitely give these my most urgent attention although we are in France and lateness is perfectly acceptable if not encouraged ;-) In the mean time, introducing you to Amelia is my other way of giving some encouragement to a like minded soul who gives so much herself as she earnestly goes about living her dream. 

'Art is my desire to sing my song, tell my tales, and try somehow to rise above it all . . . .'

Amelia Critchlow

See you later in the week - weather permitting!!

Big Bisous