This collection of paintings is named 'Life' paintings 1, 2, 3, and so on. I chose the title 'Life' for two reasons. First, I wanted to create a mixed media piece that incorporated things reflecting my life experiences and use items that are personal to me. Here are some of the materials I included:
Birthday cards, including those from my 60th and my son's 21st birthdays
Birthday cards from my mother, which she had saved
Handwritten letters from loved ones, some of whom have passed away
Knitted and crocheted items, most of which I have made myself, as I have been knitting since childhood and come from a family of knitters
A variety of fabrics, since I enjoy sewing and have a collection of textiles that I have collected over the years
Clothes from my son when he was a baby
Blankets and attire that belonged to my lovely little dog Rosie, who recently passed away
Fabrics and images that evoke memories of my childhood
Ribbons and fabric badges, as I find haberdasheries visually exciting and can spend hours exploring them
Wrappers from my own and my family's favourite foods and chocolates
Sandpapers, packaging, gift wrap materials, semi-precious stones, and other materials from our workshop, representing thirty years of work as a designer and jeweller, alongside my husband John
Pieces from my earlier artworks
The second reason for this title is that when I had the chance to resume my artistic journey after a long break, I wanted to celebrate painting with a burst of vibrant, energetic colours. My inspiration stemmed from two abstract mixed media pieces I created years ago, where chance was used to determine the marks and materials added to the paintings by rolling dice.
I began the 'Life' paintings using an array of bright colours, but as I worked, I found myself gravitating towards darker tones. This shift led me to pause and start a much darker piece. While I was pleased with the outcome, I still felt something was missing. Ultimately, I decided to create a new piece that blended elements from both paintings and I was much more satisfied with the result, as it felt more complete.
I realised that these paintings were reflecting life, both happiness and sadness coexist and are important for a balanced life.