When young, I was interested in many textile crafts and enjoyed making things. At school, I was generally good at most subjects - special favourites being art, maths and geography. By 'A' level age, I wanted to study fashion and/or textiles with aspirations of attending university or art college to obtain an art degree. Hoping to extend my creative talents & ultimately provide a rewarding & absorbing career for my future, this ambition was rapidly ‘shot down in flames’ by parent(s) who thought it totally unsuitable for me & that I should leave school & earn a living, get married & have a family. They somehow overlooked or forgot it wasn’t what I wanted to do at that time in my life but as they were older than me (& apparently wiser!), I had no alternative other than to 'comply' by 'going to work' where I was enticed by computers. Over the years these 2 diverse interests have prevailed while being fortunate to work successfully in both fields.
But to date, the original dream as a young girl in the 1960s has continued to haunt me. I’ve kept ‘family’ happy & earned money - I’ve been creative for others - BUT missed something important to me. The expression of how I feel in a creative form ... that artistic need to interpret how I see the world around me. It’s something that has never disappeared & over recent years, its magnetic ‘pull’ has just got stronger. Now arriving at an age where I feel that 'incomplete dream’ of being a full-time practising artist can be (somewhat) fulfilled & the creative interpretation of ‘my world’ can now begin. Being older & wiser I can time for self-analysis & being more critical or objective of things I learn & discover, hope to understand how I can share ‘my world’.
So shortly after my birthday in 2011, I made a decision - to fulfil that 'dream' I’d had before leaving school. I chose this new direction and although uncertain if it is 'the right way' to do it, it will be MY WAY and in MY TIME! Periodically (as a means of reference, direction and/or interpretation), reference will be made to old notebooks, sketches and a series of 'textile collections' gathered over the years. Hopefully this will develop into a visual 'narrative' with additional 'notes' added as I travel this delayed creative path. Using a digital camera as well as a variety of computer and artistic skills to record what I see, the artistic directions should be visible. Coming across any 'detours' may mean going 'off track' but these I'm sure will not prevent the journey but only add to its enjoyment.
At each major step (or perceived stage) along the various 'exploration' routes, progress will be 'taken stock of' - transforming into a creative art form and consequently displayed at CiCi-Creations or as Stages. Naturally on an 'adventure' such as this, I don't know how long it's going to take and like any other journey, I (or anyone else sharing this experience) won't know whether it was enjoyable until the end is reached!
Assisted by an online "digital world", the record of this journey begins.