Welcome to IAAY number 15!
This week it's all about artist Micheline Robinson, our first French-Canadian (now resident in Liverpool), who's inspired by the Liverpuddlian musician and writer Brian Jacques. You can see her excellent portrait of him at the bottom of the blog.
The IAAY is published every Wednesday (yes, all of them), so there's plenty of time for you to join in too! Contact me via the comments section or via Twitter: @mickdavidson.
You can also read my blog about writing and randomly related stuff.
It’s All About Micheline Robinson
As I was determined by the age of 4 of becoming a composer/dancer/singer/actor/painter (I was certainly going to have cake and eat it too), I cannot help but think that my parents had something to do with it, real outside inspirations being unlikely at that age. My parents were wild, passionate, energetic beings with a love of the arts (I was born in the early 70's...perhaps can explain some of it).
Looking back, I guess one of the works of art that inspired me to be an artist was a collage book I created with my mother when I was about 3-4. We cut out images from magazines, I had Sesame Street characters in there with Fisher Price toy shops, a pink elephant cut out of material, a little girl that was meant to be me drawn by my mother. For years I treasured that book and created stories from the images.
My parents were also into the theatre and I was initiated to the stage quite early on. The world of the theatre created a real landscape of make believe, where sound, backdrops, costumes and people all came together to create a fantasy world that I could get lost in. Very strong bonds were created with the other actor children, and we did get into character quite easily. It provided an opportunity to time travel from 1912's Gary Indiana to 1820's St-Petersburg and back again. Guess from early on, I was converted to that parallel universe which is the world of the arts.
My work has evolved with me. From fairies and gnomes when I was a young teenager to absolute chaos now. I'm exploring depth and space with abstract shapes on a 2-d plane. All about illusions.
It’s All About Brian Jacques
One of my best works is the one of Brian Jacques. He wouldn't sit for me...too shy I think, but he liked a picture his son took of him as he said it made him look like an old rogue.
Brian was a docker, a true Scouser, lovely man with wonderful wit. He was a musician, a storyteller and a great writer. He was the author of the Redwall books that did so well in the US but not so much here.
I painted him on a 100 cm x 100 cm canvas, part of the Spirit of Liverpool event that took place at the World museum in the city in 2006. Viewers had to select their favourite Merseysider. The hat took me forever, I was seeing spots by the end of it...but truly proud of that work, as I really captured him. He loved it, as did his sons. Sadly, Brian passed away recently.
This week it's all about artist Micheline Robinson, our first French-Canadian (now resident in Liverpool), who's inspired by the Liverpuddlian musician and writer Brian Jacques. You can see her excellent portrait of him at the bottom of the blog.
The IAAY is published every Wednesday (yes, all of them), so there's plenty of time for you to join in too! Contact me via the comments section or via Twitter: @mickdavidson.
You can also read my blog about writing and randomly related stuff.
It’s All About Micheline Robinson
As I was determined by the age of 4 of becoming a composer/dancer/singer/actor/painter (I was certainly going to have cake and eat it too), I cannot help but think that my parents had something to do with it, real outside inspirations being unlikely at that age. My parents were wild, passionate, energetic beings with a love of the arts (I was born in the early 70's...perhaps can explain some of it).
Looking back, I guess one of the works of art that inspired me to be an artist was a collage book I created with my mother when I was about 3-4. We cut out images from magazines, I had Sesame Street characters in there with Fisher Price toy shops, a pink elephant cut out of material, a little girl that was meant to be me drawn by my mother. For years I treasured that book and created stories from the images.
My parents were also into the theatre and I was initiated to the stage quite early on. The world of the theatre created a real landscape of make believe, where sound, backdrops, costumes and people all came together to create a fantasy world that I could get lost in. Very strong bonds were created with the other actor children, and we did get into character quite easily. It provided an opportunity to time travel from 1912's Gary Indiana to 1820's St-Petersburg and back again. Guess from early on, I was converted to that parallel universe which is the world of the arts.
My work has evolved with me. From fairies and gnomes when I was a young teenager to absolute chaos now. I'm exploring depth and space with abstract shapes on a 2-d plane. All about illusions.
It’s All About Brian Jacques
One of my best works is the one of Brian Jacques. He wouldn't sit for me...too shy I think, but he liked a picture his son took of him as he said it made him look like an old rogue.
Brian was a docker, a true Scouser, lovely man with wonderful wit. He was a musician, a storyteller and a great writer. He was the author of the Redwall books that did so well in the US but not so much here.
I painted him on a 100 cm x 100 cm canvas, part of the Spirit of Liverpool event that took place at the World museum in the city in 2006. Viewers had to select their favourite Merseysider. The hat took me forever, I was seeing spots by the end of it...but truly proud of that work, as I really captured him. He loved it, as did his sons. Sadly, Brian passed away recently.