My new collection ‘A Casa’
A month ago I was just getting the feeling that things were getting back on track after my maternity break. Spring was just around the corner, I had a good few jobs scheduled in, some exciting collaborations in the pipe line, childcare was going well and I had settled into this new way or work/life balance. And like every single one of us, my life has quickly changed beyond recognition (for now), and we’ve had to adapt fast to make it work with a little one, and change in income. We’ve had to assume the roles of full time childcare, juggling work, housework and keeping sane, and it is massively overwhelming if I’m honest. But I know we are all in this, and we are so fortunate to have our health, and a happy home to hide away in, so I’m focusing on being really grateful for that right now.
The default thing for me to do with my time is create, it’s my actual joy, whether it’s drawing, designing, painting, styling, planning or sketching. So I decided to do something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and I spent the last couple of weeks creating a collection of original drawings and paintings, inspired by my love of Italy and the South of France. Places I was meant to be going to in the next few months, and places that mean a lot to me. These are made at my home for yours. A CASA. But dreaming of travel. The paintings are now for sale on my website, they are one-off originals. This is a step in a new direction for me - as a working artist - and my vision is that in a time when our travel is restricted I can share my work with a hint of the Dolce Vita lifestyle to enjoy from our homes. I’ve created the collection with black and dusky pink acrylic paints on natural and off white art paper. I would love to hear from you in the comments if my artwork resonates with any memories or mutual love of these beautiful places on earth.
I hope that in this strange and worrying time there will be a chance for us all to slow down, step back and reassess the busy hectic nature of modern life; figuring out what really matters, and remember what that is when this has passed. Don’t feel you have to be super productive in this time, it’s totally ok to just be quiet. Be kind to yourself and your family, it’s bloody hard, and weird, and overwhelming and no-one knows what is going to happen. And serious respect to you if you have kids right now in this situation.
We’re all in this together, and I pray we can move forward with a newfound respect for people, animals and our planet.