Ballerinas and Brooches.

Hello,
I have put a couple of more items on Etsy. So far I have been balancing life between finishing my module for my degree, decorating our home and Etsy. In a couple of weeks I shall be have the opportunity for pure studio time, bliss!
So introducing to the big wide web is a new character called Aleksandra and a dolly brooch called Scarlett.

You can find these characters here  Aleksandra
And here  Dolly Scarlett.

Sarah.

Dear Dead Dollies......

Dear Dead Dollies….

For a while now I have been thinking about the connection between childhood and art. Many artists I have read about have referred back to childhood within their own art work. I find this fascinating as I find that keeping the child within helps the artwork to grow. I remember declaring when I was young that I would never stop playing, to be honest I don’t think I have. Creating dolls, characters, art  whatever you may call it is in one way making sense of the world. Or bringing a different world into our own. This is how I see my own work, I know that other people would have a different opinion about why they create, which makes the whole thing even more fascinating.

I was thinking about when I gave up playing with toys and how the toys were put away in the loft, to be forgotten about. In those angst teenage years you forget, too busy trying to grow up

The Dead Dollies idea came from this thought,  the death of ones childhood in the form of a funeral. Saying goodbye to childhood the dolls are in a sense giving their own funeral. I know that most normal people do not bury dolls in their garden and take photographs, but who wants to be normal? Not me.

 

Maybe this could lead into another new project?

Sarah.

Inspiration in the form of ruined buildings….

I have always had an interest in all objects and buildings that are decaying, particularly in a world were everything tends to be new and shiny. There is something about old buildings, particularly ruined ones with the history and the memories behind them. This I feel is something we can take inspiration from.
I went to a derelict asylum and took photographs, linking to the project I am working on but also for general interest. I must point out that I am not a photographer, I just use these images to record. With the many textures and colours I found plenty of inspiration.

Inside one building which had been a theatre. There was a stage at the back.

Side view of Theatre Hall.

Looking up at the roof. The light coming through the roof was beautiful, lighting the black marks on the wall.

The wind was blowing through the window, causing the curtain to flutter. All you could hear was the curtain flapping against the window in the other wise quiet building.

The remainder of a stage curtain, which would have been a rich red velvet. Faded and torn fabric is what I tend to use in my work.

The black is from the fire damage, the black marks running down the wall are another favourite image.

Amongst all the rubble were some remaining items. For some reason there were lots of plastic flowers, maybe when the building was opened they tried to brighten the place up? One of the things when you take pictures is the randomness of objects in places, sometimes they make a statement about the place even though there is no intension. The use of flowers amongst the rubble could be highly symbolic, this could be used for all sorts of meanings.

Another section of the building, I have a huge soft spot for rusty metal.

Close up of burnt wood.

Another random text, which could be symbolic of the place or a persons state of mind!

I would like to make another visit to the building, but I think the developers are about to bull doze the area. Such a shame another bit of history is removed.

Sarah.

Asylum characters have come out to play.

After a long time spent in the studio I have decided to let my characters be released from the asylum and try to find new homes on Etsy. So here are a few little items I have put up.

The project with the asylum clowns has been a project that has been evolving for two years. It was then that I changed direction within my own art work and decided to use the theatrical design background I had with fine art. I had been reading books about Victorian Asylums and the treatment of patients.  This is a subject that really intrigues me and I ended up visiting an old ruined asylum for research. I took a lot of photographs, and found plenty of inspiration from the derelict building.

The two dollies are my first tentative step using resin putty, which has become the essential material as well as fabric in the studio. I have really enjoyed making these, and shall be making more.

You can find these characters here ....   

Sarah.

Hello

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the internet - the world known as Uncanny Curiosities. I am an artist interested in imperfection and creating characters with their own stories. My background is in Fine Art with a theatrical influence, and love of the miniature. I find inspiration everywhere but particularly love enchanted forests, old theatres, puppets, dolls, literature, aged and worn objects.
I love the idea of strange and beautiful creatures popping into existence.

I am studying a Humanities degree part time in which I hope to specialise in Art History and English Literature. I find that this feeds into my work and makes the creative process more exciting.

I hope to post more work and use this as a diary of some sort, hopefully full of musings!

Sarah.