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

 

Winter inspiration for a Wednesday

What inspires? For me, it's virtually everything I can hear, see, touch, smell or taste - at some time or other and depending on what I am tuned into. I guess that makes me like 90% of the world's population, or at least the world's artists.

For the moment Toulouse is having a rainy, grey winter which dims the natural light inside my little farm house at La Rivière, making painting and fine calligraphy work a tad more of a challenge.

That makes it the best time for 'bricolage' (sitting inside wiring up my lights, made from the bits and pieces of 'junk' I find through out the year), and lots of blogging READING!

Flicking through my numerous books of calligraphers from around the globe and drinking in their style, precision, compostion and colour, is one of my favourite rainy day activities aside from running or mountain biking ;-) This little bijou of a book is my most recent acquisition and a constant reminder for me to look more deeply into shape and shadow, form and counter form, and composition - my personal bête noire!

Click on the image above and you will see the lettering that forms the intricate, twig-like pattern more closely.  It reminds me of the bare winter branches of the oak trees that pepper our grounds.

Doesn't it make you feel peaceful and zen?

The photo below is the back cover of her book ... Sand (read BEACH), now that's an inspirational idea for these cold wintery days. Recreate with ink the spotty texture of sand patterns. Now - how can I recreate a bit of sunshine and warmth using nothing but some astutely arranged splashes of ink? I may have to study this book a bit longer for that so don't hold your collective breath - the best I can do is offer my customary splash of ORANGE!

Denise Lach is a well known European calligrapher (to those of us who love calligraphy at least ;-), and teacher of lettering design and screenprinting at the Basel School of Design. She has a sharp eye for rhythm and balance, especially in nature, that I would love to capture by some form of telepathic osmosis, as well as the amazing talent of being able to replicate it with inks and various types of tools including plastic forks, medicine droppers and cola pens, over and above the usual nibs and brushes. Practice Ange, practice!!

Go on - you want to know what a cola pen is don't you???

Well, once again it's past 1am and I should think seriously about taking my new wee book, available on Amazon, to the quiet confines of my feather doona. I'll be back later to add a piece on Wishcasting Wednesday and Change the World Wednesday!

I can just tell it's going to be an inspirational day!!

Hope yours is too!

Ange

P.S.Don't forget!

 I still have my 'inspirational giveaway' going on here until Jan 9th

when the lucky winners will be announced!