Children’s drawings can often be a window in to how their imaginations work and a talented artist has brought their creations to life in the form of colourful fabric characters as part of an interactive arts project in Aberdeen.
Textile artist Elaine Grant (40) is inspired by her children’s drawings and uses them as inspiration to make quirky, textile characters from repurposed materials, including discarded fabric and vintage buttons.
Originally from Inverness, Mrs Grant graduated from Robert Gordon University’s Gray’s School of Art in 2002. She went on to create bespoke bridal accessories, working on private commissions and exhibiting in galleries across the UK.
While bringing up her two young children, her focus changed and she began to create whimsical textile characters inspired by family life. While initially making characters as gifts for friends, she now sells her latest creations at local fairs and online.
Mrs Grant was chosen for the first artist residency as part of the Inspiration Point project which has given her access to a newly refurbished studio in the Northern Arts Club, in the city’s Bon Accord Square, to develop her work throughout December and January.
Supported by the Aberdeen Place Partnership, Creative Scotland and Aberdeen City Council, Inspiration Point involves a number of artist and writer residences.
The project has also given members of the public the opportunity to participate in creative activities and also record what inspires and motivates them to achieve personal success.
A series of free Inspiration Point visual art and drama pop-up activities are being led by artists in the city centre which residents have been encouraged to participate in. They have been designed to engage and inspire audiences in the weeks leading up to a celebratory event at The Lemon Tree on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18, 2017.
Mrs Grant said: “I’m delighted to have been selected for the very first Inspiration Point artist residency. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to build on my experiences as an artist and become more involved in the flourishing creative scene in Aberdeen.
“Having use of a studio in the Northern Arts Club has given me time and space to focus on my work and the opportunity to further develop my creative practice. It has also allowed me to spread out my work and was very useful when it came to preparing for Christmas Fayres in December.
“I find inspiration in what surrounds me in everyday life and it’s great to be able to translate the child like qualities held in children’s drawings into real, physical characters. I love the process of transforming drawings created from children’s imaginations into tactile forms which can in turn, feed their imaginations even more.”
As well as drawing inspiration from her children’s creations, Rory (7) and Isla (6), Mrs Grant has been able to use the residency to focus on developing her work on a much larger scale which would be a challenge elsewhere.
She said: “Having worked on a relatively small scale to date, I’m keen to explore the possibilities of creating giant characters and the residency is the perfect opportunity to do that.
“I find this concept very liberating as I’ve never had the space to fully explore the potential of working on a much larger scale. I’m keen to experiment with this idea in mind, creating huge, playful textile characters that captivate and charm.
“Influenced by the concept of upcycling and reinvention, I always look to transform once loved, neglected, discarded and found items into fresh, unique pieces, many of which retain some of the original character and spirit of what once was.”
As part of her residency, Mrs Grant has also hosted a creative workshop and will take part in Inspiration Point’s celebratory event at The Lemon Tree in February which represents a culmination of the artistic work delivered in the city as part of the project.
She said: “There’s so much creative talent in Aberdeen and Inspiration Point is a great time to shine for the city’s arts community. I’m keen to play my part and have been exploring the possibilities of collaborating with other creative practitioners as part of the project.
“I’m looking forward to working with textile designer Donna Wilson who is going to be involved with the celebration event at the Lemon Tree as I really admire her work. I’m also very keen to further my participation in the project and gain more experience to successfully devise and deliver creative workshops for members of the public.”
For more information about Inspiration Point, please visit Creative Learning’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/creativelearningaberdeen, and follow Inspiration Point on Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, which all have the handle @InspirationABDN.
See more of Mrs Grant’s fabric character creations on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/creativemisse/