05 May An exclusive interview with artist, Michele Coxon
The wonderful Michele Coxon has taken over our art gallery space of late and if you’ve had a peruse you’ll know how varied her artistic style is. We were intrigued to catch up with Michele to learn more about her and the inspiration behind her pieces.
How would you describe the style of your artwork?
Eclectic! I don’t have just one style and I love mixing and matching the materials I use in my creations!
What are your favourite materials to work with?
At the moment, I love working with fabrics. During lockdown, I started making memory blankets using any scraps of materials I found around the house which is where I rekindled my love for textiles.
That said, I love recycling and repurposing anything – objects, materials, you name it, I will give it another life. For instance, some of my latest papier-mâché work was made using all my old bank statements.
I love creating Children’s books – writing and illustrating them. My latest book ‘One Wet, Worried White Rabbit’ was a new technique using a mixture of collage and watercolour, giving me more freedom than my old style. I have incorporated photos of Mya, my young granddaughter, as the witch. The whole idea around the book came from Mya and her toy white rabbit that she carried everywhere.
What is it you find interesting about the materials and methods you use in your work?
I love using clay. However, ceramic is often hit and miss as you never know how the pieces will fire and how the glazes will work. Every time I open the kiln, I’m surprised it’s in one piece!
If I’d rather have a day of less stress, then I like to turn my hand to Papier-mâché – it’s fun to work with and it’s so easy to sculpt into whatever design I fancy.
However, during the cold winter, I love sewing in bed with an electric blanket and a few cats curled up. Not only is it super relaxing but it saves on the heating bill too!
I’m very much an adventurer, and on my walks, I enjoy collecting wood, discarded rusty metal and anything that will inspire a sculpture. Shards of broken ceramics found in the fields also come in handy when I’m making mosaic mirrors.
What is the inspiration behind your three favourite pieces?
This is a really hard question to answer as all of my pieces have a story or special meaning behind them.
The first piece I think deserves a mention is my large war horse. It is one of my powerful sculptures and was inspired by my love of horses. I wanted to portray the horrors of war and what the animals suffered.
My work at college was based on religious icons and used famous artists. Grayson Perry is one of my favourite artists and I have used him a lot in my ceramics. He owns one of my pieces. ‘No one Crucifies my Alan Measles’.
I’ve also created a self-portrait, named ‘Bog artist’. My face is taken from a plaster cast and I’m holding a paintbrush. Nature plays its part in this piece – you’ll notice I’ve used some green material within my self-portrait which I found on one of my walks in the Welsh hills.
We’ve loved finding out more about Michele and her inspiration. Make sure you come and take a look at her Exhibition – there really is something to suit everyone!