My Art life this week has been lovely, creative and busy. So I’m going to start today by letting you know what I’ve been up to.
I recently collaborated with The Mother Magazine to create a holistic colouring book which they have put together beautifully with my images. This is now available as a download for just £1.99 from their website. It would make a great gift for a little one or for adults who love to colour in and find it therapeutic to do so!
I recently heard someone talk about ‘colouring in’ limiting creativity. I can see where this point of view comes from but I have to say I disagree (my opinion only). As an Artist (who used colouring books as a child) and a mother I see it as an addition to creativity. For some children and adults art, drawing, putting any colour to paper, or even creating shapes or patterns out in nature doesn’t always come easily. I’m not talking about simply being worried it ‘won’t look right’, but for some the freedom to explore in the visual feels overwhelming.
For some, colouring in can be the first step to realising it’s not scary or limiting. You can add any colour, or stickers or mud, or craft, my daughter likes to cover the whole picture in one or two colours or add extra lines and shapes to the image. It can be a discussion about a picture or a challenge to change it in some way. Creativity for any of us is a gift, and it is limitless. So hopefully some of you will buy this colouring book, create whatever you or your child want with it, alongside exploring any other creative form you wish indoors or out!
The other project I am involved in with The Mother Magazine is their exciting new app ‘Mother’s Connect’. They have an indiegogo campaign to raise funds but they also have some exciting developments going on behind scenes too. My involvement is supplying 2015 Calendars to them for some of their packages. The Calendars are a collection of my ‘Life’ illustrations and look so lovely. The app is a wonderful idea as it not only connects people but it will connect parents based on their interests, parenting styles, location, activities and so much more. If anyone reading is a parent you may understand the craziness that often becomes your life when having children, and connecting with others can often feel like a lifeline so go and check it out!
I have also this week added my first two basic drawing tip clips to my YouTube channel, Susan Merrick and I will be adding a clip per week for anyone to use as a guide or tool for picking up basic drawing ideas.
My Christmas Sale has started and is on for the next week – I will be creating 10 illustrations, most with a winter theme, and posting them to my FB page. These signed originals will all be for sale for just £35 each!
Finally I have today announced the winner of the competition I launched last week. The lucky winner (check out my FB page) will receive the original sketch of their choice from the official music video I created for the Glass Child’s single ‘Yesterday’.
With my weeks news announced I want to move on in my Wonderings and start talking about the inspiration behind some of my work. So today I’d like to introduce the large Oil painting that I created this Summer, ‘See Me’.
The image is a gathering of figures laid together, holding one another in various poses and positions to pull together the image of an eye.
This was a very personal piece to paint. Since becoming a mother the various roles I have in my life have become many and often the chaos of this (often self created) seems immense. The change from individual woman, to family, to mother. My working roles and my roles as a parent. There was an awakening that this brought in me in relation to the feminine and sensual but also this was also entwined with the demands of routine life.
The duplicity and medley of selves this can create at times makes a person feel less visible, confused. So ‘See Me’ brings about the many selves and shadows and shapes of oneself. As a whole creating a larger more striking image and enhancing the person, not reducing her.
Thank you for reading, I will be back next week to see what the next few days bring and what my mind begins to wonder about! I shall leave you with my vintage outfit of this week. A silk skirt and separate underskirt that I found in a lovely charity shop, along with a jumper I got from a vintage section last year.
It feels a bit luxurious, like I’m going to a party….. And why not 😉
have a lovely week!
Susan xx