i have been asked to write a bit on being a parent and artist. so i have been thinking about it over the weekend.
i suppose a bit of history might help. my kids are big, 18, 16 & 12 and i have been divorced for 5yrs. before i started foundation/uni i was self employed painting murals and trompe l'oeil, i also worked for youth offending teams and youth clubs doing art based stuff. but it wasnt til foundation that i started to find my own practice and language. so i see the before and after v.differently, even tho it would still be viewed under the same job description.
anyways, what do i reckon about being a parent and artist? i really don't know what it is to be anything other than. i do know that, generally, i always have a sense that others views and opinions count, not that they are necessarily right, or that they should change my direction. small things matter, perhaps as a mum i have had to be more sensitive to body language and little signs. it's usually busy, making work makes it busier. and apart from all of that, they are a great inspiration. things grow, change and emerge, constantly. i work with the flow.
