Michelle
Clare
I
work mainly in pen and ink as I love the freedom and discipline
of this medium, although I also work in water colour
and gouche, and struggle with acrylic--I find it like trying
to paint with treacle. When not actually interpreting
a piece for illustration, my inspiration comes from the natural
world, folklore, mythology and music. My work may thus
be divided into three main areas:
1)
Natural images, animals, birds, plants and how nature heals
and reclaims given half a chance. As a child I played
mainly on derelict land, and learned to see beauty in the
weeds which grew amongst the rubble, and the patterns and
textures of brick and rusting metal.
2)
The spirituality of nature.
3)
The weird stuff with skulls and masks. Lord Byron has
a lot to answer for, bless him!! I love gothic imagery,
and the idea that a mask can express more than the face, releasing
the personality, as it does for the shaman and the carnival
reveller. On the darker side of masks - well... "the
executioner's face is always well hidden"...