The meaning behind my art
So I wanted to start with a win...and that's to tell you that this year IS THE YEAR OF CHANGE! Without a doubt, this is the year where so much is going to happen and it's all for the greater good. I had far too much baggage attached to me by the end of last year (there's still a bit hanging on) and it took an awful lot of mental power just to reach the finish line. Well I'll be damned if I'm going to go through that again so I've pulled my big girl pants up and told myself to keep pushing forward and focus on what's to come
...and it starts now!
"I've pulled my big girl pants up"
I decided that starting fresh with a new perspective on things was a great place to start so i've poofed away the cobwebs, let a lot of fresh air in and started using my light box on a more regular basis (and yes I highly recommend them if you're the type of person that needs the extra Vit D boost among other things to get the momentum up and running).
Although I still feel like I'm in the early days of running my art business, I can already see and feel that my art has changed and developed over time, and this is to be expected. For me, art is therapy and it is the main tool in my arsenal I use to process my feelings - but these were all coming from places of negativity and bad experiences. I don't regret what I have created up until this point because it was something I needed to do to work through the bad times and express them out of me.
"For me, art is therapy"
I have come to realise that if I carried on in this way, there would always be a thread of negativity weaving through all my art and I wouldn't be able to shake it off. I wouldn't be able to move forward with something tugging at me keeping me from moving onwards, freely. I'll never forget, but it's time I shed my old skin of guilt and started living and feeling more positive on a daily basis. Looking forward to the rest of my life. The possibilities are endless!
The art I create now comes from a place of warmth and positivity. Things that make me feel good, things that I just love and want to share. The act of just making art and going with the flow.
"Things that make me feel good"
As an abstract artist I rely on vibrant colours, bold mark making and lots of layers to express the meaning behind each piece, but I also explore different themes as part of the process, emotions being the dominant one. I feel that emotions (and feelings) are connected to everything and it's important to pay attention to them. To celebrate the good stuff and to choose to raise them up above everything else to show that to feel good is available to all of us.
The theme of nature means a lot to me because I like to explore the outdoors, countryside...seaside, and more. Walking out in nature really helps with my mental health. To really take a minute to listen to the environment and notice how it makes you feel - does it calm you down with the sound of birds in the distance and the breeze through the trees? Or does it invigorate you on a windy day with crashing waves on rocks? Mother nature is just amazing and I could talk about her forever!
"I like to explore the outdoors"
Colour...where to start? Another powerful topic that is pretty subjective. It's definitely not a case of one size fits all, but it is fascinating to see how colour affects other people, with cultural links as well. For me, using vibrant colours in my work is so important because they bring life to a piece of art, colour enhances the energy in a room and gives you a real boost of feel good emotions.
This is what I want to do - to remind people that to feel good is a natural part of being a human being, to be happy and positive is a part of our human design and that we need to celebrate that side of us all the time. To never lose touch. When I feel good, I think anything is possible. When I'm happy, I love my life - and this is what I want to bring to you with my art.
The possibilities really are endless.
I love stars and flowers...
I love watching sunsets when I can...
I love crystals and the hope that they can bring...
I love that feeling you get when a chance encounter stirs a memory and makes you smile..
...and abstract art is perfect for exploring and expressing all of these things, putting real meaning in to how a piece of art makes you feel.
Something I'm currently working on