The Pursuit of Loosness

I was recently awarded a Develope Your Creative Practice grant from Arts Council England to use towards a project centred around Asafo flags. I planned to explore the stories and symbolism behind the characthers depicted on Asafo flags, as well as learn new applique techniques, and collect reference material to inspire my ongoing creative practice during a month long trip to Ghana, West Africa.

Though my plans for the grant have not drastically changed, since applying for the grant some of my objectives have shifted. I recognise that what I like most about Asafo flags are the intuitive, organic shapes, loose style,and naive composition depicted on them, I have also found that this loose and organic style is commonly found in the works of African folk artists such as Antoinette and Albert Lubaki.

Over the last two months, I have used the works of Albert and Antoinette Lubaki to practice painting loosely, and in the process I have fallen in love with painting. One of my plans for the grant was to take part in an apprentership, where I would be taught new applique techniques. I wanted to do this in order to have an alternative medium to work with, as the mediums that I typically work with (embroidery, soft sculpture, and animation) are very time consuming, making it difficult for me to produce work as frequently as I would like. However I would now like to focus my efforts towrards improving, and experimenting with my painting technique and style. Not only do I enjoy the process of making paintings more, but it is even less time consuming than applique, and I know that I will be able to produce alot more work by focusing my efforts on painting.

I will continue to create embroideries, soft sculpture, animations, and no doubt applique too, but I will like to focus the majority of my efforts during this period on painting, as well as cultivating a loose style that can distinguished within all of the mediums that I work with.

I plan on working with oil, acrylic, and watercolour paints, to produce a large body of paintings in various of sizes, as well as creating a small variety of embroideries, soft sculptures, and possibly animations too.