An introduction by the Editor:
Whilst it only encompasses a small portion of the magazine, ‘Your Artwork, Your Voice’ is not only the oldest section alongside the main artists but also constitutes a fundamental component of what Art Etcetera is all about. This is because this mag not only looks to include a diverse array of artworks, but also a wide range of voices and one of those is you, the reader. For artistic works, whether they are created by the person or not, can mean a great deal to someone. What’s more, is that when we see something that means something to us, that’s when our cogs and our own paint brushes, pens, and chisels get to work. Suddenly we begin
to construct a variety of designs, thoughts, and feelings in our mind, and it is for this reason that our thoughts should be considered artworks in themselves and ones that deserve to be articulated. Not only do they deserve recognition however, but they also need to be heard by others, because by shedding light on your mind so too do you remind people that they aren’t alone in theirs.
One key artwork we all construct is that of memory; abstract fabrications that we alone create in our minds, indeed, out of all the artworks we come across it is perhaps the most evocative of all, harnessing the power bringing tears of joy, or just, well, tears. What’s suggestively most interesting about our memories however is how and when they choose to exhibit themselves in the gallery of our minds. Often they decide to show up when we least expect it, be it through certain sights or smells, but sometimes we can choose when to feel the power of those memories and positive feelings that they bring – something that Kathryn here demonstrates all too well through her work.
Kathryn:
The attached image is a piece that I created back around 2007 when I was around 16 years old. It hangs on my living room wall today and probably remains to be one of my favourite pieces. It’s definitely still the one which grabs visitors attention despite how long ago I created it.
I love it because it is a constant reminder to be creative and not to be afraid to keep exploring different styles and mediums. Picasso wouldn’t have been Picasso had he not explored and developed movements like cubism and expressionism.
These days, it’s all too easy to get stuck into creating paintings in one style and one medium due to the social media pressures of keeping work uniformly consistent. But since when has art been uniform? It’s supposed to be about expressing yourself and if that means creating art works in different ways then so be it.
I love to work in a variety of mediums but in particular, watercolour, gouache and acrylic. Lately, I find myself testing out gold leaf, oil and at some point, when inspiration hits, I will undoubtedly be creating more cubist work in oil pastel.
I feel that exploring with material helps develop an artist and its this piece of mine which reminds me to keep on exploring. It also keeps things super interesting and fun.
Comments