ARTISTS TALKS

.....to find out more about ways in which they work, collectively and independently; the ideas behind making, collaborating and exhibiting

Local artist, Christine Ross is involved with the Studio 51 group and the Leicester Sketch Club. Her work can be seen at Gallery 3 in Oadby. The Leicester Sketch Club will be holding an exhibition at the Richard Attenborough Centre on the 22nd – 23rd November 2008. This interview took place July 8th 2008.

Why are you an artist?

I love to draw, I love to paint and I love to create things. I don’t like to sit doing nothing. Creating something is to me better than other things, it’s the best thing I can do.

How did you get into art?

I always drew as a child, always made things in an amateurish sort of way. I can remember getting some fabric when I was eleven and I made a dress for my sister from this spotty fabric. That was the first thing I made sewing wise. But drawing, I have always drawn. Loved it. But I never had the opportunity until I was in my fifties to take it seriously.

I did an A’ level and then got head-hunted to go to De Monfort University for a Foundation course, which I didn’t finish because of health reasons. It’s just developed from that. The group (Studio 51) that come to paint here, we’ve all been to classes, day and night classes, etc. You get to a point where they can’t teach you anymore and where do you go from here? We decided to form a group where we all put questions in a box pull a question out and we’ve all got to have a go at that challenge. Everybody does it very individually, in their own way.

What is your background and how has it helped you where you are today?

My first job was as a tracer in a drawing office, that’s the closest I could get to doing anything with my hands. I’ve done lots of jobs, but the best one that’s helped me now is being a picture framer. You get to look at a lot of art and a lot of people’s work and you learn to frame it and what best suits the picture. That’s been the most useful thing.

What artists do you admire and who has influenced you and why?

Frido Kahlo, because she didn’t copy anything. She painted her life and the things that happened to her. Gustav Klimt. I absolutely love the colours and texture. I love everything about his work. Salvador Dali, just because of his technical skill and the weirdness and quirkiness of it all. I think I’m drawn to surrealist work. Escher as well. His work is quite mysterious. I’m not drawn to straight forward stuff.

I have done Dali projects with the group. Prior to getting into Dali, I was doing a bit of surrealist stuff on my own. I’ve got distracted by other things, but I would like to get back to it.

What inspires you to paint and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

Everything around me inspires me, discovering things. When I look at something it’s just an object, but when I draw it, it has a whole new dimension. You can learn about it.

If things get tough in the studio, I stop and have a cup of coffee! Usually if I’m stuck I’ll stop and do something else, then go back to it when I’ve renewed my motivation.

What is your starting point for a piece of work?

Usually the thing it’s self, that says paint me or draw me. I’m inspired by it so I need to do it. I’ll think about it first and the best way to do it and do some thumbnail sketches to get the best composition.

What are you trying to achieve at the moment in your work?

I’m working mainly with colour and texture at the moment, but it’s always something new, something I haven’t done before. A different way of doing things, because I experiment a lot with different media and different methods of working. I’m always thinking I can do better and keep going and going.

What other interests do you have besides painting?

Writing, I’ve always written poetry. I do a bit of dressmaking. Lots of creative sewing and embroidery. I love to cook, particularly cakes! I also like reading, but mainly art books.

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

I haven’t really handled it at all. We started doing exhibitions as a group and other exhibitions followed on from that. At the beginning it was a joint effort and everybody had an input from the group, not so much to market ourselves, but to interest other people and motivate them to get a hobby. Not necessarily art, but something that interested them to go ahead and do it!

We do promote our work and enter exhibitions, but the business side of it doesn’t really apply to me. It’s not so important for me.

What goals do you have and where do you want to be with your work in the future?

In an ideal world I’d like a nice big studio with lots of people to come and paint and swap ideas. That would be wonderful. Just to get better at what I do. To do something different, to develop a style that people will think ‘oh, that’s so and so.’ I don’t feel I have my own style at the moment because I do too many different things.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

Never give up. Keep going. An art teacher once said to me if you fall down seven times, get up eight! Practise makes perfect. You never get perfect, but you’ve got to keep going, until you’re happy enough with what you’ve done, enough to put it in a frame.

Christine Ross can be contacted by email at rossy@willsy27.wanadoo.co.uk

Anyone interested in joining the Leicester Sketch Club, needs to submit three pieces of work to go before the committee, who decide whether you will be accepted. You are always welcome to apply the next year if you have been unsuccessful. The application process takes place once a year in April. The club is based in Leicester and was established in 1898.

To apply please write to:

The Leicester Sketch Club
Michael Haswell
28 Burton Road
Ashby de la Zouche
Leicestershire

For more information visit http://www.members.tripod.com/leicestersketchclub/ or email mike.haswell@tinyworld.co.uk


Gallery 3
19 The Parade (through Tippetts Florist)
Oadby
Leicester
LE2 5BB

0116 2712443


The Richard Attenborough Centre
University of Leicester
Lancaster Road
Leicester
LE1 7HA

0116 2522455
http://www.le.ac.uk/racentre/

Images of the Open Exhibition

The exhibition over last weekend went very well. I was really pleased with people's reactions to my work. It's given me a bit more courage to get it out there!

I decided to change the peacock jacket above in the end. I just wasn't happy with it. Now I am!

This is the Blue Bird Sari Jacket......

..and the Bird Bird painting to complement it on my stall. I was worried I wouldn't have enough to show as I had such a short period of time to get it all together, but I think it was ok. A big thank you to Kay for doing the calligraphy on my business cards and to Chris and Peggy for letting me squeeze in to the exhibition at such late notice!

Start Your Own Craft Group

I've just had my first article put into the local Arts Newsletter. I'm really pleased. I've been wanting to have a go at writing for so long and this seems a good place to cut my teeth on. Here's the article for anyone who wants to start a group and isn't sure where to begin.

Start Your Own Craft Group

Time spent with friends and like-minded people to talk and create can be a fun and enriching experience. The craft group my friends and I started had been a year in the planning, but it was definitely worth the wait. It seemed such a big step to get that first session organised and yet it was so simple. If you are considering starting a craft group I suggest you just go for it and reap the many rewards that will be on offer. I hope the following tips will help you get started.

Depending on whether you just want to meet up with a few friends or make it a more public affair will decide on how you promote the initial meeting. Flyers could be passed to friends and residents in the neighbourhood or posters placed in local shops. The Leicester Mercury will publish small editorials and the local radio stations will announce community news. There are also craft forums on the internet where you can find groups local to you. www.craftster.org and www.getcrafty.com are just two of the websites that information can be posted on anything to do with crafts and setting up groups anywhere in the world. Local websites include www.leicestershirevillages.com and www.leicester.gumtree.com.

Find somewhere everyone is comfortable meeting and check that there is enough room to craft. Our group meets once a month in the evening at one of the member’s houses, as she has the loveliest studio space and is happy for us to hold the session there each time. We always have refreshments that she has supplied or that one of us has brought along. You may want to alternate at different houses or have a more formal environment such as a village or church hall. Meeting regularly and keeping the same day and time helps maintain a feeling of stability for the on-going success and continuation of the group.

The first session may well be slow and you might not get much done. Don’t be discouraged, as everyone is feeling their way, some may not even bring anything to work on to begin with. This is ok. Chatting and seeing what others are doing will build confidence in those not used to showing their work. A community of encouragement, constructive support and informal advice can be developed and new friendships formed to create a safe place for members to show works in progress or finished projects.

Our meetings have proved to be inspirational and helpful both creatively and personally. Each member has contributed by showing what they have been working on. Books and magazines of interest and beauty have been brought along and passed round. New websites and weblogs discovered and the information shared. Also, any items or materials that no longer have a life for the owner have been donated and enthusiastically ‘adopted’ by the other members of the group. We have a raffle at each meeting, where every person brings along a small wrapped gift. It can be absolutely anything that you think another might find inspirational and might even be as tiny as a bead or button. It can be found, bought, made or something that you don’t think you will ever use again. This has been a rather nice element to the evening as it is exciting to see what people have given, how it has been wrapped and of course there is the thrill of opening presents if you are the winner!

Ideas for the group’s progression can grow quite organically. All those in the group could participate in workshops that have been decided on before. Next time we meet we will be playing with paint with different materials and techniques. These can then be used for future projects or might kindle new ways of working. Individual knowledge can be passed on through relaxed tutorials or new crafts can be learnt. Art swaps are a popular activity on the internet but this idea could be used for a craft group. Each participant creates pieces (such as postcards or trading cards) to swap with the others. Maybe the group could make guerilla art to leave in a public place for someone to find! If there is the time and inclination the focus of the group may move towards an exhibition of their work. Craft retreats or days out could be planned or a newsletter by email developed to keep members informed about dates and events or points of interest from the last meeting.

Keep it low pressured and go with the personality of the group. Make up your own rules. Starting a craft group is a wonderful opportunity to make time for you and your craft and learn new things. Our group has a lovely intimate atmosphere where we find out about each others lives, work and home and discuss life, death and the universe. We also laugh a lot. The next meeting never comes quickly enough!