Artist Non
Non the artist.
As a child I was fidgety and lost in my own head.
I scribbled, doodled and read voraciously.
Words made pictures.
Eileen Soper, E H Shepard, Mabel Lucie Atwell, all shaped my pictures, and were my first drawing teachers.
And then in the streets of London, posters by Jamie Reid, Andy Warhol and Levis jeans, punk and new wave, and performance. Banners on political marches, donkey jackets and top hats, hand painted clothes, and customised placards.
All the elements I still hold dear, and want to use now, were there in those formative years.
I love image, colour and the paradox of no images, and monochrome, and all that lies in between. Immersive art, and artistic experiences, images, colours and music, feeling art.
Of course you now think I’m a little unconventional, which of course I am! And rather more recently, I found myself. And here I am.
I could give you a list of academic stuff and honorary things, but actually picture a fiery fairy with pink hair and sensible shoes, a confused look on their face and paint on their hands and clothes…
I don’t fit in boxes, and art is not something I do, ART is how I breathe.
Non’s art.
Drawings. Pencil, charcoal, chalk, ink, aerosol, paint and anything that comes to hand.
Drawing portraits, sketches, doodles, live at festivals and raves. Simplified and embellished.
At the heart of all their art, is the want to draw, the need to draw. Recently saying “drawing is my living, if I don’t draw for a few days, my hand mourns the loss, and my head itches to create, I need to draw something”.
Paintings. Canvas, paper and wall, as well as boards.
Using conventional oils and acrylics, an accomplished and competent painter. This is where I am supposed to use long words and references, but basically I can paint like Raphael, Lowry, or EH Shepard, and I can copy well enough, but what I love doing is mixing styles, and images, and using humour or anger in my work. Paddington drowning in the Aegean sea, the Banksy miniature house in the style of Constable, but with toxic waste in the pond, a Raphael cherub in a chimp mask giving the middle finger.
I paint movement, and as ViBE paint live at festivals, and raves.
Vast body of work, and bursting with movement and energy. Well sold internationally, these works are popular and sought after.
A recent installation in the Resurrection Selective exhibition, was in fluorescent colours, and used changing lights including black light, this was very well received and this collection has ambitious possibilities.
Murals are by commission and through the Secret Garden team.
Wet paint and aerosols, illustration on a very large scale.
Essentially an illustrator, and having illustrated children’s books, interpretation of written text, and an understanding of the visual impact of emotions, there is always great impact, imagination and depth in large works.
The Secret Garden is a collaboration with wildlife artist Thain Wildman.
ViBE Active
Art and art provision has moved a long way from scratchy brushes in a draughty room in a hospital, and poster paint teddy bears.
Forward thinking and progressive companies are beginning to realise that art can be used as a tool to improve creative thinking and applications.
Art can be used to provide creative respite in a social setting during conferences.
Provide entertaining team building for networking both within multi faceted organisations and bringing interested roles together in multi organisation conferences and networking sessions.
We can provide a complete package for corporate support.
Creative thinking is the process that gives a department the edge when planning processes, campaigns and information sharing, as well as seeing projects through to the end, creative development fixes accidents, sees solutions and finds a not so straightforward way around problems.
The making of a great team is being able to complete a task when it is not going by the book and things go wrong. THIS is the factor that will give your company the edge over competitors, fast, quick on feet thinking and the courage to try a different way. With art we can help your teams find their creative edge.
WORKSHOPS AND SERVICES
Lecture.
We offer a brief history of art, from Lascaux to Banksy. This will cover patterns and re-emergences of styles. Renaissance and classical art, public art, illustration and different uses of art through the ages, and the relationship to creative thinking and accepting change.
Lecture on street and protest art, this begins in the C11th with the miserary chords in cathedrals, so it’s not what you might expect. These were important for illiterate communication, and the application of these skills are essential in rebranding.
Shape and colour theory.
Corporate application, Campaign literature, advertising, rebranding, building team identity, abstract thinking for HR planning, CEO structuring of management and downward communication development. Also, importantly, diversity and open accessibility with workspace layout and colour choices.
Community art project. Over a period of time, as a residency or smaller scale work, we can facilitate a community project, where all will be welcome and allowed to make their mark. This will be finished in situ, and can be displayed in a public area where each member of your company will have a place in the work, and be a part of the permanence of the company.
A happy and united team, and an artistic representation of your corporate family.
In all of the above, open communication, free expression and team building dynamics will be the function of the exercises. Development of verbal and non-verbal communication, public speaking and listening skills, thought processing and creative applications.
Through the medium of art, we have structured a series of activities that are not art skills based, basically anyone can do them. They are accessible and non-discriminatory. The function of the exercise is not to teach drawing, but expand creative thinking and enablement of creative thought and expression.
Networking.
Everyone remembers art lessons in school, you sat next to your best mate and were allowed to cut out pictures from smash hits or swap football stickers as collage and research. Chatting about football or music or boys/girls etc.… think of that in five to fifteen minute sessions, with comics, doodle pads, even tote bags and pens to have good conversations about who you are, what you do and what your company can offer another…?
This is how good innovative companies can build contacts and teams, look for interesting partners and even find team leaders who will facilitate success.
In a full day session we can have short introductions and then a longer chat, whilst engaged in a task that will encourage communication between the attendees. Following lunch, the afternoon session will bring everyone together on a task and allow you to observe the result, whilst the participants will learn more about each other, about potential skills application and team building..
