Bio

MA Fine Art, BA (Hons) fine art, Interior designer

Patsy’s recent work, Reading between the lines is a body of work comprising first person stories illustrated through vignettes that marry visual memoirs with my Letters to the Pope. Referential, irreverent and at times confessional, these spontaneous musings subtly reveal the dysfunction of my Irish/Scouse, Catholic heritage and how I try to comprehend the world today with a late diagnosis of ADHD. The arbitrary nature of the letters permit me to be in the past and present, contradictory, a bit vengeful, yet empathetic. All the contradictions that make for human connections.

In tandem with Reading between the lines, Being frank with Francis is a collection of ongoing correspondence to the ‘Franciscus’ Instagram account…..a direct line to the man himself,….or so I would vainly hope; where I respond to his contemplations. Playfully conflating the ubiquity of contemporary confessional platforms such as instagram with the more archaic ritual confessional framework of the Catholic Church the musings lead the viewer to examine the subjects raised and their own relationship to the topic.

#Hashtag is principally an expression of my ADHD. Interspersed within the etchings are deficits associated with the condition: #misadventure #emotional dis-regulation #be on time #dopamine is the Devil’s drug and ultimately #not my fault. The etchings are like the mantras of self regulation and awareness. They expose my existential angst and vulnerability in my desire for autonomy in our contemporary journey of self-representation.

Whilst the self narrative explores the often problematic relationship between self and socialisation in a self deprecating and unapologetic voice, it also seeks to parody the prevailing phenomenon of self representation both of author and recipient.

Artist Statement 

Magical Women is important because it was the first place I began to recognise my neurodivergence and the workshops gave me confidence to pursue my art practice at art school as a mature student. Now I have a Masters to boot!

Magical Women

Alexandra Brown’s Reflection of a Magical Women facilitated Collaboration to create more and new words whilst responding to another artist’s artwork in a shared space.

Bio

Alexandra Brown, is an Oxford (PGCE) graduate teaching RE, Philosophy and Ethics. She studied non-western Christian and Womanist theology. Specialist subjects include Social Justice; race, class, gender, and critical pedagogy. Brown is a freelance writer, poet and academic. She is British born  of African-Caribbean (Ghanaian and Jamaican) heritage.

Website:
https://www.alybrownart.com
https://blackfeministcollective.com/contributor-alexandra-brown

I see myself on the walls and throughout this land…. See for yourself. by Marisa Mack

How did Elinor initially respond to my prose?

Initially when I sent my prose to Elinor, whilst she liked it, she said she felt it was ‘incomplete’. As a way of adding to my prose she suggested a possible collaboration, which would involve an artist responding to my work. Confident within myself that I did not wish to add anymore to my prose and I excited at the prospect to work with an artist, I decided to work in collaboration with another artist.

The initial project with the collaborating artist

Elinor initially facilitated a meeting in which both the artist and I could meet, share our interpretations of each other’s work and come to an agreement about when to meet again.

The artist initially responded to my work with an art piece.

A few weeks later, both myself and the other artist went ahead with the collaboration without Magical Women’s holding of the space.

The meeting was immensely powerful and highly insightful. I was humbled to listen to the story of the artist and how my words touched upon both her and her family’s history. I will always look back and think of that time and space with fond and warm memories.

It was particularly powerful as, like me, the artist was a black woman. Despite our ethnic background and personal experiences being vastly different, our pain was the same. The realisation of this, ‘beautified’ our painful memories, allowed for introspective reflection and allowed for growth to emerge.

The process

Whilst I do not wish to share the contents of our conversation as it was both incredibly personal and intimate, whilst we discussed our work, and lives, she began to draw a piece which would act as an additional response to my prose. As she did this I responded in words to her art piece and conversation we were having. It was a multi-faceted project.

Photograph by Nadiya P.

Enlightened by Marisa Mack.

Artist, writer, performer and academic

“I designed six miniature paintings that aim to illuminate the science surrounding female anatomy, while also incorporating surreal/abstract imagery that conveys personal and figurative perspectives. The pieces are not meant to ‘symbolize’ menstruation, as one might with a lotus or a river, but rather depict it directly, celebrating the female form while also breaking down stigma and taboos surrounding it.

The paintings have all been constructed on small canvases. My main medium was acrylics; I used them to create viscous textures, such as menstruation blood and thick pearl ovaries, the bright nature of acrylics has meant that each painting has stark colour contrasts. To add many of the details I used a mixture of paint pens, coloured inks, and black art pen. My work is characterised by centralising complementary shapes which I then merge with excessive details. I enjoy discovering and working out what is best for paintings while creating; the specifics of the final product are always a surprise.”

— THE ARTIST, EMMA ROBDALE

Reflections on the artwork by Emma Robdale

artists

Louise Amelia Phelps

Magical Women are excited to introduce to you the artist Louise Amelia Phelps whose precious and sacred skills spin threads of joy from fauna & flora to become works of art, that unravel warmth and nurture for all.

Spinning Colours of Flora

“There is so much beauty and magic
in the processes of spinning fibre to yarn.
These symbols and metaphors run deep
in the psyche of our human hood.”

Louise with her creations, photograph by Guy Latham.

I wonder if this has made me work

to

a very small scale,

work that can be packed, tucked and completed

sketchbook size.

Tiny palm size woven bowls with handspun and plant dyed yarns created by Phelps.

I

do

intricate

lace-like bead work

around the tops in shining patterns

that I saw glinting

on the Bedouin women’s night black veils.

Everything is small scale

and made

with dedication,

each one is about 20 hours in the making. 

My home is a living space and studio combined:  

a yarn gallery hangs along the wall

and my spinning wheels rest in front of the fire

like family pets.

A pan situated on the ground in the garden of soaking plant material. Photograph by Guy Latham.

The hanging skeins of drying yarn

are a beautiful sight

and

this love of life, process and materials infuse my work. 

Dying threads in fruit and natural treasures. Threads are vibrant jewelled violets and purples, pinks and mauves.

Natural treasures are everywhere.

This is a much longer discussion, but in short,

conscious reciprocity with ‘nature’

within craft processes

is

a definite old/new path.

We must remember that we are not working with ‘materials’ but threads of life that do not end.

“We must remember
that
we are not working
with ‘materials’
but
threads of life that do not
end.”

Yarn nestles itself amongst ivy on stone ground.

The mid of Phelps’ torso as she stands clutching ivy leaves that dangle from her hands.

There is so much

beauty and magic

in the process of fibre to yarn

and

these symbols and metaphors

run deep

in the psyche

of our human hood.

Phelps in the background using her spinning wheel.

The mid of Phelps’ torso as she stands clutching ivy leaves that dangle from her hands.