2020 has been a chaotic year to say the least, with times changing so rapidly and our lives being shaken up dramatically, have you noticed any changes in your creative process or mindset?

For me personally, the current situation has affected me in many ways, times have been hard but also there have been great days as well, and I think this is something that everyone can relate to. However, talking from the perspective of a Fine Art student in their last year of university, it has been difficult coming to terms with the whole situation. There were many things I was looking forward to that will no longer take place, such as our Degree Show, which is an amazing opportunity to showcase work and create contacts, but also to celebrate the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one. My creative journey was also cut short very suddenly because the mediums and processes I use need specialist equipment that I don’t have access to at home, and at first it was really upsetting, and I would be lying if I said it doesn't still affect me. However, with all the chaos that is going on in the world, I think it is extremely important to focus on the positives rather than dwell on the negatives. The positives that have come out of this situation for me is that I have been able to reconnect with my family after living in student accommodation for the past two years, it has given me a large amount of time to relax before I start my new job as a technician at a college, I have been able to read books that have been on my reading list for months, I am saving money and I have also been given this amazing opportunity to exhibit my work with Shiver Gallery.

How did lockdown affect you creatively?

As I previously mentioned, the lockdown brought an end to my creative journey in university where I was using a lot of specialist equipment that I do not have access to at home. I was finding it difficult to create work relevant to my current practice, especially work related to my university submission. I have never been a fan of working digitally, whether that is for writing on Word, reading on a kindle or creating artwork on software such as photoshop, I have always been drawn to working by hand. However, lockdown has forced me to go down the digital route as it has allowed me to create new work in various ways. I have taken original prints and edited them on photoshop creating entirely new work and turning them into Giclée prints. I have been experimenting with Adobe Fresco and Draw to create new designs which I then use to create prints. It has opened up my practice in ways I didn’t expect, and I am excited to combine these new techniques to my alternative photographic processes in the future.
I have also been able to use this time to be creative in ways that I did not have the time to previously, for example, I have been able to sew a lot more over the past few months and I am hoping to make some patchwork curtains soon to match the quilt I have made.  

What do you hope to accomplish with your work?

My end goal is to create work that people would love to display in their homes because they feel a connection to the imagery. I want the viewer to look at one of my prints and be able to relate a memory or emotional experience to it and feel like it has been made personally for them. I also hope that my work can help people reconnect to nature. I feel like natural forms can be viewed as ‘over done’ in art, so I am aiming to try and represent these themes in a new and creative way. However, I think on more of a basic level, I just hope to continue creating work that people like and hopefully make an impact on them, however big or small that may be.

What does art/your creative process mean to you?

I think this is a hard question to answer without sounding too cheesy. As an artist, I have to say that my art and creative process means everything to me. I think that any artist reading would relate when I say that you do not feel like yourself unless you are doing something creative. Personally, this does not necessarily mean being creative solely through my artwork, it also refers to the everyday such as how I decorate my room, the clothes I wear or within my job. A lot of people do not realise how hard it is to break into the art world, and to be able to create you also need a steady income. I am lucky to be in a job where I can be creative and help others find their creativity. I think if I were in another job, I would definitely feel very lost, especially now I have finished university and left that creative atmosphere.