Beyond Words Exhibiton - London

A piece of Me still remains - Mixed Media Art - Amanda Trought

I have been invited to take part in the Exhibition called Beyond Words - The Healing Power of Art, running from the 4th June to 27th June, taking place at The Darnley Gallery, London.

It is great to be included in the exhibition.  My work for me has always been about unraveling and sharing stories, and I feel that there is always an element in a piece of art that can be related to.  

The Arts have been used to communicate and express experiences in our society past and present, it keeps our cultures, and traditions alive.  It can take many forms through craft disciplines such as quilting, pottery, weaving, music, dance, and so much more with the stories at the heart.  Our stories and skills are handed down the generations, and with each generation we can look back, learn and add our experience. 

When we recognized the value of the use of story telling and symbolism in our art we will also see how using it as a form of expression around our health and well-being is valuable.

There is nothing more fulfilling than learning a skill, being taught by an elder/master craftsman and creating from what you learnt, and sharing that piece of work you have created with your own hands.

I have been using art and creativity as a way to express different aspects of my life and perspective. I remember the stories heard from our elders as they gathered around the kitchen table, kids were seen and not heard and often the adults would forget were were lurking in the background until we piped up with a question, and they would order us out.  This too comes out in the creations.  

Learning to capture moments of our lives in art and creativity tells part of our life experience that you might not see if you spoke to me.  When I think of my experience as a carer I learnt to look at my role in a very ordered way and the work I have in this exhibition looks at how I learnt to compartmentalize every thing I did when I looked after my mum who is living with Dementia, and the feeling invisible around all the different roles that are taken on.

A Piece of Me still Remains - Amanda Trought Mixed Media Artist

The different images represent the different roles that I had to take on to make it work, and the numbers represent the passing of time.  I was never able to express that it was what I was doing, but as I created the painting it was what was coming out and found its way to the canvas.

A Piece of Me still Remains - Amanda Trought

I hope you will be able to make it to the exhibition, there is a wonderful range of art work on display.  The official opening night is on Friday 8th June 

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Arts in Health Network

Join the free Arts in Health Network, find out about events happening all around the world, share your Arts in Health Network projects.

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London Creativity and Wellbeing Week

If you want to take in some other events then check out the Creativity and Wellbeing Week, an initiative of the London Arts in Health Forum

For a full list of events happening both in and outside of London click HERE

There is a great variety of events that you can go along to.  Who knows it might inspire you to do something totally new and nurture your creative voice!

Stay blessed and be a blessing

Dementia and Care - Asking for Help

Asking for Help

Being a carer for nearly 17 years to my mother who is living with dementia had it's ups and downs.  Amidst the feelings of hopelessness, guilt, anger and everything in between, there was joy, laughter, dancing and someone not wanting to leave the dance floor, (and it wasn't me!!!)  I shared some of my journey HERE

For those who knew mum before the dementia developed into the more severe stages they would think back and smile at her beautiful personality that always lit up a room, I am so glad I took so many videos and photographs of her

I  knew that at some point I would need to express how I felt the emotions that I experienced as a carer, those true and honest feelings that we very often keep hidden - whilst I shared the practicalities without emotion.  I wanted to share the ups and downs and how I dealt with them.  

Each post that I will share touches on an emotion but essentially I hope if you are or have experienced the same thing then you would have the strength to share your voice as well and not stay isolated - some feel it is a sign of weakness if you share what you are going through.  I think it is perfectly alright to share how you feel not everyone is going to get it, like it or you for that matter.  Not everyday is a bed of roses, and those are few and far between when all you seem to be laying on is the thorns.

What ever emotion you feel after watching the video it is alright!  Alright that you feel that way, but make sure that you listen to the message that is really the essence of the video.

The message is..... -  it is alright to ask for help, we don't have to carry this world and its cares on our own.  My triggers I guess are around the emotional ties of food.  If you didn't finish your food then you wouldn't be able to leave the table, that's what we were told when we were little.  At an early age my son was a fussy eater and I thought I wasn't looking after him well enough because he wouldn't eat at set times.  The health visitor after I shared with her said just let him enjoy and play with his food, put paper down to catch any he decides to fling, he won't starve himself, and you can take the pressure off yourself.  Admitting that there was a problem and how I felt she was able to make a suggestion that helped so much, and was the first glimpse for me about the emotional ties that I had with food.

Come Full Circle

Mum began to store liquid in her mouth about 8 years ago, I coped,  but as it went on it got more difficult to deal with as you would have to physically remove it from her mouth which could be upsetting.  At one point the health visitors words about my son and not wanting to eat rang in my mind, and perhaps mum wasn't ready to eat, or maybe she didn't want what I was giving her.  Obviously there are the issues that might be about the dementia and the effects, but it was something that I couldn't control and perhaps she was trying to gain control and some independance.  If you don't finish your food you can't leave the table or have any pudding... what then, sometimes mum went all day with liquid in her mouth.  The emotions I began to feel were the same ones that I felt when my son wouldn't eat, that you failed at nurturing - what does that say about you now??? The Critic can be quite brutal, but that's for another post.

Asking for Help

There are people around you that are either waiting for you to ask them or for you to let go of the reigns and let them in to help you.  Though most see you 'seemingly cope' and feel that you have it worked out, don't know what to say to you or what help to offer.  It is alright to not have it all together, or worked out.  Dementia affects more than just the person living with it, but the wider community, and as a community if we all gave our support however small that is then families would feel less isolated and more connected and our elderly wouldn't be shut away in homes with no visitors.

I will be sharing more thoughts on my feelings over the coming weeks, in Art Journalling, video and blog, I hope you are blessed and share what you may be going through, how you deal with it, are there any creative activities that you use? You are not in this alone.

Think about the emotional attachments that you may have that are informing your current situation. 

*  What do you need to let go of?

*  What areas can you ask for help?

*  identify 2 people and ask

Stay blessed and be a blessing.

Altered Books - Studio Essentials

Thank you for joining me in my studio for the Art Studio Essentials Daily Series which I hope will kick start your creativity and enable you to check out some of your supplies.  Today I will be showing you my Altered Books.  These are a great way to recycle old and worn books.  Why not pay your Charity or Thrift store a visit to see what interesting books they have that you can use.

You usually find that the Children's section has a good selection of hard back books and they usually have some that have a variety of flaps that are used to tell the story that you can use for a feature in your own altered book.

Don't neglected your art supplies that are screaming to be used.

Check out the video below for more on some of the books I altered and why they are on my studio essential list.

I AM TEACHING

I am teaching on the BADASS Art Journal Course, and I will be offering a Free Bonus if you sign up using my link on the page.  Check it out here and see what Great additions that you will be getting!! 

BADASS Art Journal and Bonus sign up

Check out the bonus line-up HERE

If you are interested in learning how to alter a book check out some of the books I found on Amazon, also check out some of the art supplies listed in the video that available at a discount!

Altered Book Special Effects

The Following books I own and they have some really useful ideas for you to try.  Look out for my review

Altered Board Book on Amazon

Altered Book Collage on Amazon

Finally, sign up to my Mailing list and receive the publication 25 Ways to fit Art and Creativity into your Life!

Spinning and weaving - Sea Island Cotton Pursuits

 I have been growing Cotton in my garden and currently have 4 plants, 3 of which has been producing quite a bit of what is known as Sea Island Cotton.

Cotton growing in the garden showing the Bolls

 Excitedly I took a trip to a store in London, Seven Sisters that sold Yarn and other tools that would help me process the cotton. 

I never thought that I would get into weaving and spinning but couldn't let the cotton just go to waste.  Sea Island Cotton is grown in Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua and has a reputation of being a superior cotton.

Sea Island Cotton of Barbados, waiting to be picked

 As a Mixed Media Artist I am always looking for interesting ways to incorporate different materials in my work.  With the textiles that I have been working with this is a great way to incorporate the cotton into my work.

Check out the Video

The Handweavers Studio and Gallery is a lovely store to browse and they also have many courses to suit whether beginner or experienced which you can check out HERE.

I spent a good while in the store getting familiar with the different fibers that I can get to practice with, the books they had on display carried a wealth of information.  There are so many different terms for the different stages, as a newbie I have a lot to learn.

I didn't realize that there was so many different types of cotton and yarn in general

The staff were very helpful and I managed to spend 2 hours soaking up all the different yarns and equipment they had to offer.

The Handweavers Studio and Gallery has many courses to suit whether beginner or experienced which you can check out.

If you are interested in taking any classes check out Craftsy and their FREE Trial they have some amazing courses!

Craftsy have some  Weaving and Spinning courses in their free trial http://bit.ly/CrafAT18 at the moment!

Creative Bug also have a good selection of  classes and have a One Month Free Access!

Creativebug

I also found some books and resources on Amazon that will help me with my spinning and weaving skills, you might find them useful too!  

Click on the image to check them out in amazon

Hand Spinning

Yarnitecture

Hand Weaving Basi

Spinning Hand Dyed Fibre

Drop Spindle Kit

I will also be sharing on my Creative Gardener Channel how my cotton is growing in the coming months.  You can see 31 of the different plants that I am growing in my garden at the moment.

Who knows you might join me on this journey and feel drawn to spinning and weaving as well.  Stay blessed and be a blessing.