My Art has two parts/ sides: How i do and use art for me, and how i engage with others via art making/ facilitation.
Read below about both aspects of Art and Arts Health and ME.
Definition of Own Arts Practice
My Arts practice is defined by:
- In my art making, repetition and rhythm have been present, ever since the first verbal definition of my practice..
- The use of tactile materials like wool and textiles, as well as tactile collage mixed media techniques are present and prevalent in the techniques chosen to make Art.
- The process of creativity is very important, its involvement, feeling of flow, feeling of presence in the current moment where nothing else exists, only you, your art materials, and the process with which you transform your ideas from my mind into artwork.
- Spaces, both negative and positive, are considered in my art making processes. In my crochet work, spaces and utilisation of the object once it is made is also important/ questioned.
- Three-dimensional (3D) work and textures, sensory qualities of my finished pieces are big part of my Arts practice. Non-directive approach is favoured, underlined by personal values and beliefs, these values may influence the theme on occasion.
- Printing (mono printing in particular) has been utilised in the past. Mono printing contains the element of free hand drawing, not knowing exactly what the finished piece of Art will look like. This ambiguity is explored with enthusiasm.
- Emotions and feelings are expressed some of my two-dimensional (2D) work through layering of pattern, colour and simple strokes of pen/ pencil.
- My online presence is another part of my work, my website and blog (see LINK HERE) which track and present/ record and preserve my developments, in a discursive form of an online blog about my crochet journeys/ stories.
Definition of Own Arts Health Practice
My Arts Health practice is defined by:
- Self-conceptualisation (a concept of self existing in the world, influenced by inner and outer factors), self-esteem and self-confidence have always been key notions in my Arts Health practice. Projects/ workshops designed during my MA Arts Health course were both concerned with attempting to enhance self-conceptualisation.
- In particular, self-conceptualization of women as people of the world and in the world and the space/s that we choose to occupy in our day to day lives are often explored in my work with others.
- Art and creative techniques that are important in my own practice are repetitive, worked in a rhytmical fashion, are easy to learn so that they are accessible and inclusive.
- Crochet, which is also very tactile and sensory has been used in many ways for many outcomes. Crochet is the only textile craft that cannot be automated, so there is always a human presence needed.
- Textiles and printing are also of interest, and pattern forming is another repetitive technique which I have utilised in past workshops, as a way of helping others to engage in transforming chaos into order, disorder into pattern in a mindful way.
- Using my chosen techniques aimed at self and its/ their realisation as engaged in art making, possible transference of this process into other activities and feelings connected to daily living are what makes me interested in continuing to work with people with mental health in an arts health informed way.