(aka The Boy and his Dream)
Elian, c. 2005
Elian and I first became acquainted in 2005 when I created him as a forest elf for a promotional piece of wall-art for a ‘fictitious’ children’s book – part of my Visual Arts Diploma work at the time.
Whilst I squirm slightly now at the work I produced at the time (although I passed the course with the school Award for Excellence) I realise that we all have to go through various stages to progress and find a creative path to follow.
Note: If only I knew 30 years ago how much I was going to fall in love with printmaking (which I only discovered about 3 years ago) I would be so much further down this road now. On the up-side, I still have masses to explore and plenty of time.
Elian has always remained in my thoughts and as an avid reader, an ex-modelmaker and a lover of fantasy it is time to resurrect him.
In this incarnation he is a young boy, around 8 years old, living close to the edge of a forest with his parents. As a loner and dreamer he weaves his adventures, imagines impossible scenarios and relishes the close escapes from ‘danger’ he creates in his dreams and forest wanderings.
Elian will be appearing in a series of prints, using numerous techniques. Sometimes there may be a short narrative, sometimes not. The viewer will be left to interpret the images as they wish and put together their own story to explain the predicaments in which Elian finds himself.
I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I, while these art pieces emerge and evolve as they will.
TactualTextiles 