LAST DAYS ! CLOSURE WEDNESDAY 30 JUNE !
Twelve members of the Yeovil Creatives art group answered a call from Natasha Rand to make and contribute a piece of work in response to the theme of ‘Resilience’. All artworks will be donated to the Somerset Care home where the podcasts were recorded.
Yeovil Creatives artists involved: Rhiannon Cross, Jess Egan, Samantha Hann, Dale Perrett, Elizabeth Caires, Grazyna Wikierska, Lucy Hawkins, Joanna Martin, Natasha Rand, Hannah Botomley, Dawn Handy, Stephanie Max and Julien Bird.
Quedam, Yeovil. Opening time: Wed, Tru, Friday 11-2pm / Sat 11-3pm)
“Oh, the places you’ll go” Rhiannon Cross
Mixed Media Illustration/42x52cm
We all have a journey to make, but which route will we decide to take? Whatever life lays down in our way, there is always a path to a brighter day.
Instagram: rhiannon.cross
“This Moment In time” Jess EGAN
Acrylic painting on canvas / 60x60cm
When I think about Resilience, I think of inner strength, perseverance, and truth to yourself. The podcasts reminded me of the reassurance gained from others’ experiences from the past and a joy in our connections made over generations and over time.
When I listen to myself I am here, looking out to sea. I find inner strength putting myself in place to absorb the vastness of our nature and time.
www.jesseganart.com/Facebook: jess.egan.art/Instagram: jess.egan.art
“Solace” Samantha HANN
Mixed materials, 33x33cm framed.
Over the last year I have found great joy in nature, walking miles, exploring the Somerset levels, listening to birds, finding peace and solace in worrying times. I spent many hours at a local bird reserve, a beautiful environment to observe the seasons change and watch the starlings arrive in their thousands at dusk to nest in the reeds. A magical site. These memories I have combined to create the work; the softness of the waving reeds, the evening sky over the water as the starlings arrive.
Facebook: Samanthahannartist
Insta: samhann42
“Faisões” Dale Perret
Paper/ 13.5 x 13.5 inches
It has seemed that no matter where I have ventured, on one of the many walks I have been on over the past few months, it has been impossible to escape either the siting of or the vocal stridency of the male Common Pheasant. Across the South Somerset landscape, males encountering one another, fuelled by territorial instinct, have competed to prove who is strongest when together. The piece I have produced is a reflection of this experience with nature and of spending the time with a Portuguese close friend. Inspired by the ‘Galo de Barcelos’ I have decorated a black pheasant in a style influenced by this symbol of Portugal.
http://www.dailydale.co.uk/Facebook: DailyDaleArt/Instagram: dailydaleartist
“Feminine Power” Liz Caires
Collage and gouache on paper / 13.5 x 13.5 inches
My artwork is about women working stronger together during lockdown,for a better society. Women are a pivotal part of a larger revolution, like the feminist movement to make us all equal under the law and everyday lives. It’s important that we women continue to support each other in order to achieve a more balanced world beyond the virus and unite ourselves. The picture is about a celebration of liberation, solidarity, insight and empathy.
Instagram: theartworkoflizcaires
“The roots of awakening” Grazyna WIKIERSKA
Mixed media on paper.
When I am thinking about words together and strength I am thinking about collective, oneness with everything, wholeness, about being connected to the roots, to our ancestors, to nature, time – transcending past and future in the infinite now. In this sketch I was inspired by an old picture of my grandparents, their stories and my appreciation to all ancestors before me, also I am reflecting about awareness and what we are creating as a collective with our minds. In this work I use flowers as a symbol of beauty, fragility, and cycle of life. Thanks to these project I started to think about a new series of paintings and root sculpture in the future which will be reflecting about coming back to roots. As a collective we are working together and apart on inner transformation to create a beautiful meadow (world) of our minds.
http://www.grazynawikierska.com/Fb: grazynawikierska.art/Insta: grazyna.wikierska
“Somerset Holloway” Lucy Hawkins
Drypoint etching and watercolour. On Fabriano paper, print size A5 on approx A4.
My interpretation of our theme “resilience” is about daily walks in lockdown; one foot in front of the other, keeping going and moving foward. I’ve spent most days exploring the Somerset countryside, walking through fields, woods and holloways, noticing the changing of the seasons more intently.
Facebook: lucytiptop/Instagram: Lucy Hawkins
“Here now” Jo MARTIN
Materials textiles and branches /52x42cm
This piece’s starting point was looking at us all as stars, thinking about the friendships and networks we make that make us stronger and make us feel supported. The cloud is a delicate, yet strong structure as is often found in nature. The cloud is in a branch of a tree – we have landed there in these pandemic times and we are finding new ways of working and creating, and coping, with this new everyday life.
Facebook: jomartinart/Instagram: Jo martin singing/art
“Soft Soundscapes” Natasha Rand
As the artist and producer of the podcasts, I wanted to visually represent the virtual connections I have made with the voices in the podcasts. I have been unable to meet them in person. The cushions represent this desire for physical contact, to hold and to hug. These are objects of symbolism for the homes we have spent so much time in.
Portraits podcast interviewees are photographically printed onto the canvas and hand painted with beautiful soundscapes of their interviews. These colourful abstract patterns are the images I viewed on the screen in the editing process. Not only is their beauty in the words spoken but there is visual beauty in how their words look when digitally translated.
www.creation-generation.com/Fb&Insta: Natasha Rand Creation Generation
“Things can be better” Hannah Bottomley
Silver foiled card and adhesive vinyl, 30x30cm
I was very drawn to Carol’s podcast in particular, she conveyed such a positive message of facing adversity and finding a way out the other side. She used her experience of post-natal depression as a positive and went on to help other people who were going through the same ordeal. My use of reflective card represents us accepting what is in front of us. The words which are partly obscuring it are both a barrier and a challenge; once completed, the view is clearer and life can go on.
www.hannahbottomley.co.uk/Instagram: hannahbottomleyart
“Rising Phoenix” Dawn Handy
Handcut tesserae shaped from vitreous glass, mirrors, recycled crockery, tiles and millefiori/45x45cm
I thought long and hard about the theme of resilience and a phoenix sprang to mind. It is the physical embodiment of resilience…I have created a rising phoenix out of recycled materials such as crockery and mirrors but am also using traditional mosaic materials like millefiori, stained glass and handcut tesserae.
Instagram: dawnhandyart
“Together” Stéphanie MAX
Drawing and cutting on paper / 15x11cm / 46 pages
For the Together We Are Stronger commission, I wanted a new challenge and to create something I had never done before, in response to the new challenging times we had and still have. I shaped a theatre book, page after page, storytelling about my own feelings and stories of the last months in response to the title ant theme of resilience. This pictorial narration is mixed with some parts of the podcasts too which resonated a lot with me. In regards of that, I designed a story of resurrection, through winter to spring, where being part of communities was more important than ever, which gave me strength, confidence and support. The wonder can be everywhere, inside of outside of us, meeting and listening people is a huge source of inspiration; people are treasure. Please, find the whole book on my website: stephanie-max.com
Fb&Insta: Maxdemoiselle
“Veerkrachtige” (Spring back) ph: veer-crack-tuh” Julian Bird
Sculptural welding / H 60cm W40 D40 cm
I attended Kara’s writing workshop which focused on the Resilience in the pod casts (of which my mother is one).Using mixed media: steel, aluminium and stainless steel spoons welded together, I have used recycled elements to reflect the passage of time. The spring represents the idea of bouncing back after trauma; the base is black with sporadic patches of silver to show we all have glimmers of hope in dark times. The cables represent how we can be held down by external factors at points in our lives; and the flower shows that no matter how dark things may seem there will be something bright and beautiful at the end.
Facebook: reclamationcreation/Instagram: reclamationcreations
Yeovil Creatives 
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