A discussion about the 'Smile' collection, where it came from and where it began...
So over the past couple of months, I think it's fair to say we've all had our ups and downs in everyday life, trying to adjust to the new normal. For me it's been a mixture of feeling more lost and isolated than I ever have before, yet feeling more impulsively creative and inspired than I usually do. Being so intensely creative these past few months, I have been working on a number of projects, one of which is the Smile Collection. Here I will give you a little background into what inspired this collection, where it began and where I'm at now.
Back in January we entered into 2020, curious of what was ahead of us. As we watched on, of what was happening throughout the world with Covid-19, wild fires, amongst other major problems which is and are still happening today. We couldn't prepare for what was about to happen and with all this pressure mounting on top of everyday life, I wanted to escape. Escape from everyday life, even just for a moment.
Sometimes when life gets a little too much, I can feel more creatively inspired than ever. Whilst putting together pieces for the Love Bites exhibition, back in February, I was also writing little pieces of poetry. I wanted to speak to the earth, and talk about the damage we had inflicted upon her as humans, which is where 'Dear Mother Earth' came from. I then continued to create other pieces of work that reflected this also which were included in the 'Love Bites' exhibition.
In March we then entered a full lockdown in Northern Ireland due to the pandemic. These were scary and uncertain times and this is when the loneliness began to kick in. I created the 'Moving Heaven & Earth' painting, which features the earth in the shape of a heart, being shadowed by a rainbow in space. The concept for this was to spread a message of love and hope, that we are all in this together no matter what. All I wanted was to feel a sense of belonging, that I wasn't on my own.
Shortly after I then produced the painting of 'The Moonchild'. The Moonchild, is a character I created as an identity of myself. He is pictured living in the clouds and reaching for the stars and I also did a blog post giving a little more depth into the piece.
I then wrote the poem 'Dear Little Moonchild' as a reflection piece to how I was feeling at this time. I have a lot of support from close family and friends which has really helped me during these difficult times.
For me I find peace and happiness the most, when out in nature. Taking a moment to just be and enjoy my surroundings. Being a very spiritual person I find a lot of peace in nature which is why I personify it so much in the work I create. This is reflected in my painting 'Rainbow Falls', a place that doesn't exist, but is inspired by the true nature around me.
Finding my smile during these difficult times has been challenging. Though I find a lot of freedom and escapism through music and art. Katy Perry in particular, is a big inspiration to me as a person, as we have both encountered similar experiences of being on a journey of healing and feeling a little lost. Her most recent project 'Smile' has been particularly very inspirational to me as it tells a story of finding your smile, healing and hope. This is something which I carried through into my self portrait's which were created more recently. I just wanted to create something with a little fun and spontaneity. I wanted to capture all the emotions of feeling happy, feeling sad and using them together to tell a story. I named the pieces in relation to lyrics from the songs which reflected the emotions I was portraying the most. I also created all the garments and headdresses featured in the portraits as well as photographing them. I was in control, the same way as I am in control of my own happiness. An artist who I've always looked up to is Cindy Sherman. She is able to conceive these fabulous portraits taken by herself which tell a story of their own. This is something I have always carried into my own work as my favourite skill which I hold, is to tell a story through my work.
Looking at the collection in a whole, makes me very proud. As it tells a story of progression, from coming from a dark place to a happier place and to just have fun. Even though these past few months have been a little overwhelming it was something that I feel needed to happen. It's ok to have a little cry, or to feel a little lost cause nothing in life is ever perfect and we will all go through our ups and downs in life. What's important is to remind yourself that you are never alone. You are worthy of so much more and you can overcome any obstacle life throws your way. I hope that with this collection have created it will bring a little hope and happiness to your life and inspire you to be creative and just enjoy being you.
Check Out the full exhibition here: