International Soul Art Day Gallery

What Inspired you to do a Soul Art journey?

I find the work and creative ethos of Amadea Bailey truly inspirational. When I’m ‘stuck’ I watch the great little film on youtube where Amadea explains her creative process and her absolute joy in creating her paintings.
Being on Amadea’s mailing list I received a email all about the event so here I am! I’ve just watched the ‘intro’ film and its even more inspirational to hear from so many creative women, fantastic!!

How would you describe your creative process?

I’m pretty much a hunter gatherer of what I’ve come to regard as my own personal visual ‘triggers’ that are assembled/collected and displayed in my studio space. I use these to provoke a response or action and continuously make references to them in my finished works. These assembled triggers can be anything from a photographed object, a swatch of colour, pattern, surface or even the written word. Sometimes I sit and think, other times I move things around and rearrange the groups of clippings, photographic images, sketches, pieces of fabric, etc.

There are two ways of working, either in a considered, constructed way or a totally random expressive way. I love the contrast between the two and a combination of the two almost always find a way into the finished works. If I plan to paint or draw, as soon as I arrive I start working. Speed is of the essence. Usually I have an rough idea as to what I want to visually achieve but restrict myself by using particular tools so that in a way the materials are dictating what occurs on the surface be it paper or canvas.

What insight did you receive from your Soul Art?

I love the idea of a spiritual side of creativity, for me up until now my painting has always been fast and sometimes furious, today has put me in touch with my spiritual side, I’ve looked inwards. I chose my chest and heart as the area I wanted to concentrate on today.

What is the most important thing you would like to share about your Soul Art experience?

For me the most important thing is to do what ever comes naturally, I’ve spent a lot of time in the past worrying about whether or not my work is good enough!! Will people like it?? Now and even more so after today I make it for myself, its part of me that I’m sharing with the wide world. Its all about how I feel as a individual.