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27 June 2023

Collage Workshop at Ty Pawb

TinaArtArt Blogs aildanio, art, artbytinar, artist, collage, crafts, create, David Bowie, disability, disability arts cymru, disabled, Dylan Thomas, hybrid, make, online art class, painter, tina rogers

Workshop at Ty Pawb Wrexham
As part of ‘Aildanio’
Portraiture Using Collage

Many years ago or – BI – Before my illness, I was a primary school teacher, and I don’t think it’s something you ever lose – That buzzy brain and way of ‘explaining’ things. Though I have to say on being asked by DAC if I’d like to host a workshop, I was quite… scared. Teaching kids how to read is a bit different to teaching adults how to create something from collage.

The theme was ‘Aildanio’ or reignite – so rather than making it disability related I decided to concentrate on someone ‘famous’ who would appeal to the masses, and was very recognisable and would be an easy subject, and who had a ‘spark’ or Aildanio.
I choose 2 subjects (Not Frida Kahlo for a change!) Dylan Thomas

and David Bowie, after some discussion with Ty Pawb we decided to use Bowie.
I had to pick images that would ‘allow’ themselves to be good bases for collage – so I went to artist Edward Bell and the amazing cover he did for Bowie’s album ‘Scary Monsters’ – the stark clown face with a lot of white make up would be perfect for paint and collage.

With help from the lovely & Talented Gail Howard from Made In Roath and DAC, people who booked to take part in the workshop were sent a parcel of materials to use.
I knew that I couldn’t use any photos or drawings of Bowie because of copyright, so in order to use his image, I would have to provide the Bowie template, which I really enjoyed doing. Producing 2 portraits of him – One shaded, one with room to ‘create’. I then wrote a simple ‘How to’ using photos which was included in the packs sent out to participants.

I was asked to talk a bit about collage, so instead of giving a potted history, I talked for about 10 minutes about how I use collage – Which I use a lot!
I think in a lot of ways not having an ‘Arts education’ frees you up, so when I create something I never feel like I should or shouldn’t DO a certain thing because it’s ‘wrong’ – I just do it, and that applies to the collage I use. Several of my paintings have morphed into college.

The workshop was an hour long – and I now know it should have been at least 90 minutes. It was so enjoyable, and the ladies and gentlemen who took part all fed back to Ty Pawb and DAC that they enjoyed it oo! (Phew). Also quite importantly it was ALL online, done on zoom with a 2 camera set up (One pointing at my face, one downwards at the collage).
Thanks to Dave Robinson for helping me with a 2-camera set up, sound and vision (Oh bit of a Bowie nudge there!).
Thank you to Ceridwenpowellart for allowing me to show you the collage she produced at the session!

25 February 2022

The Body and I Exhibition

TinaArtArt Blogs art exhibition, artbytinar, artist, body confidence, disability, disability rights, disabled, fat, fat activism, keele university, tina rogers, women

THE BODY AND I Exhibition

16 February – 5 April 2022

Keele University

Social media can cause all sorts of problems can’t it? But it can also allow you to reach out to people you’d never meet in real life (especially when you’re disabled), and vice versa. Prea Kaur is a Phd student at Keele Uni and a few months ago I saw her call out for ‘bodies’ to be photographed for her exhibition. I couldn’t take part as with shielding from Covid and distance made it very difficult, but a few days later Prea contacted me as she saw some of my art on instagram.

I don’t share some of the art I create. Not because it’s personal and I want to keep it hidden, it’s more to do with the ‘Medusa Problem‘ – that seeing it, might offend or upset you so much, you could turn to stone.

Prea wanted all of my ‘hidden art’ for her show.

I think this is a subject I’ll come back to time and time again, women, bodies, expectations, perfection, ideals. Fat, thin. Mental health. Disability – Because it’s my lived experience.

The Body and I exhibition examines and explores body negativity and positivity as well as the minds relationship to bodies and food. The accumulation of voices helps address the concerns faced by many people who find they are at war with their bodies, because they do not look like the models and personalities that saturate social media, advertisements, and glossy magazines.

This exhibition encompasses mixed media, including photography, art and the written word. It marks the celebration of diverse bodies, acknowledges insecurities and focuses on power over fear.

Curated by Prea G Kaur an Indian British poet undertaking her PhD in Creative Writing at Keele University. She is currently exploring generational trauma and the Indian diaspora in England. Like many others, the pandemic made Prea realise that she was far from being content. Prea believes that if there had been more awareness surrounding our bodies while growing up, and a better understanding of the fact that our minds can hurt just as much, and if not more, than any open wound, perhaps she wouldn’t have developed an eating disorder, or would have recovered sooner.

The Body and I is an exhibition that shares stories of struggle, resilience, and power against our own darkest thoughts. Prea worked alongside the photographer Adina Lawrence. Adina is a Black British portrait photographer who enjoys implementing a fantasy-like feel to create flamboyant, conspicuous, and stimulating images.

: Madness Reigns In The Hall of the Cripple Queen

: FATFATLAZYFATBITCHFATPIGCRIPPLE Acrylic paint on round canvas

: Anguish. Acrylic painting. A3 11.7 x 16.5 cms 300g Watercolour paper

: Open to Whatever the Day Brings I