I’ve been working for Flare Arts in the past year. I support the team by curating a programme of workshops and networking events for deaf artists interested in starting an art career or developing their professional practice. I also get to take part in the events as well, which I found inspiring and educational.
When I went self-employed 12 years ago and set up a business 9 years ago, I didn’t have access to resources and events that would help me develop my art practice and business. I didn’t know any role models that were like me. BSL interpreters and captions were seldom when I came across any events and courses I wanted to take a part back then. Things are a little bit better today though (there are more online courses that are finally being captioned for example).
What Flare Arts does is amazing
When I attended Flare Arts’ workshops, for the first time in my freelance career I didn't feel alone – I was part of something. The workshops were accessible, with interpreters, and most of the participants are also deaf so I felt included and made new friends easily.
I am so happy that Flare Arts is now available for younger deaf generations to receive accessible opportunities that help them build their art careers – because that’s what I needed 12 years ago. Facing constant barriers and experiencing rocky growth in my career has been deflating at times.
A new collaboration
As we’re nearing the end of the first phase, I was given an opportunity to collaborate with two of my colleagues – Kim Waine-Thomas and Zoe Milner (who are also deaf artists) – and work on the project for 3 days in total. We were given creative freedom so the first thing we did was come together on Zoom to choose a topic to base our work on. We chose the topic ‘Grounded’
The fact of having a routine to keep us grounded cropped up in our conversations a lot. We agreed that a pathway should appear in our artwork somehow, as a representation of that routine. We compared our sketches of ideas and we liked one of my sketches depicting an infinite path with motifs (representing things that keep us grounded) dotted along the path.
It was getting exciting as we started to have a solid idea to work with.
Next we discussed materials and tasks
That part of the collaboration was more difficult because each of our art styles is so different – I paint with watercolour on paper, Kim embroiders on fabric, and Zoe writes typography on cardboard. We eventually agreed that our artwork should be fabric based, and I could experiment with painting watercolour on fabric. I was up for a challenge! Kim, being a fabric expert, recommended a callisto fabric and posted a big square to me.
I would paint the whole square of fabric from the sketch we chose and then Zoe would write words from our brainstorm map using Posca Pen on another square of the same fabric. Kim would then get our pieces together somehow, through embroidery, and come up with a poem at the end of the collaboration.
Before I started painting, I was terrified to draw or paint straight onto the fabric – so I made the stencil of the path using cheap printing paper first, making a few changes along the way. I then cut up motifs and positioned them until I was happy with how it looked. Making stencils gave me the confidence to start painting – knowing what it might look like – because painting on fabric is already outside my comfort zone! I drew the outline and then proceeded to paint the whole background, making the path and the elements into negative space.
I was pleasantly surprised that painting on fabric was fun!
It required a little more patience compared to painting on paper – the fabric would absorb the watercolour instantly, so it used up quite a lot of paint. The paint also sometimes bleeds in the fabric which is tricky to control and clean up. There were several imperfections in the artwork but I kind of love it as it shows the process of this brand new experimentation.
In our Zoom meetings, we’d all deliberated what colour we should use – agreeing on yellow, orange and pink. We wondered about earthy colours like green and brown, but we thought rosy colours spoke more of happiness, safety, calmness.
While I painted my picture, Zoe picked her favourite words from our brainstorm map and drew the typography using Posca pens on another square of the same fabric. Zoe and I posted our artwork to Kim so she could combine them both with embroidery. Kim then wrote a lovely poem and sewed tiny printed sentences onto the artwork.
Grounded – our deaf way
Oh peace, whisper our minds,
As we wander down this path we know
Where sounds are outshined by the silent green,
And the colours of the day rush in.
As if the trees all knowing and still stood tall,
Like us, all hushed chatting with their roots
Touching, embracing, hugging all
Inclusive, warm with earthy hues rekindled.
Oh joy, whisper our minds
When we enter that community feel,
Our tribe,
And knowing we can always be recharged
When we wander down this path we know.
By Kim Waine-Thomas
A couple of weeks ago, we got together and presented our project to the co-founders and directors of Flare Arts, as well as participants of the workshop we’d had beforehand. They were blown away by what we’d come up with and made together in 3 days – some got teary! We’re really proud of our collaboration project and although the artwork is not perfect, we did our best, stepped outside of our comfort zones… and had a lot of fun!
The importance of community
The collaboration reminds me of how important connections are. The community.
I’ve been feeling isolated as a freelance artist and being deaf has intensified the loneliness. I am introverted, so I do enjoy and thrive being alone, but there’s a line and balance to be found.
I was always drained after the workshops and events, but the more I attended it became easier with practice. And I always knew I’d be able to block out plenty of time alone to recuperate.
Flare Arts has been really valuable and I hope to continue working for them in their second phase. I will also continue working on connections and getting involved in the deaf community outside of that freelance work, and perhaps find more collaborative opportunities!