Cassie Waters

This week’s mini Artist Feature is from Zine creator Cassie Waters!

Read the full interview below for more info about her c reative Zine work!…

Q1: What is your Name, Age, and Where are you based?

A: My name is Cassie Waters, I’m 23 and I’m newly based in East London, although I am originally from Suffolk and have spent a few years living in Norfolk.

Q2: How did you first get into your creative practice/ work?

A: I have always been very creative but was put off studying art academically at A-Levels by a particular teacher who was not encouraging of practices that weren’t similar to his own. I quit early on in the year and switched to History. However, by not having an Art A-Level my options to study Art or Animation at university as I had previously considered, were slightly inhibited and I eventually settled on my other love, English Literature. In between then and now I have explored my practice in various ways and have now found my calling in creating zines (a noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialised and often unconventional subject matter). Since the Coronavirus pandemic, I have been obsessively making zines everyday and have amassed a pretty large collection in a short time!

Q3: Are there any main or overarching themes you explore in your work?

A: My zines tend to be about my experiences of living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, anxiety, depression, agoraphobia and being a working-class woman, but I also make zines about any subjects, from The Simpsons to racism in rural communities. I like to think that there’s no topic I wouldn’t explore in my zines and I don’t want to be held back by fitting into too strict a theme.

Q4: Highlight one of your biggest inspirations!

A: One of my greatest inspirations has always been Tracey Emin. I am fascinated by people’s inner lives and her work is so honest and confessional. She conveys love, sadness and inner pain like few other artists can. I also love how she combines the written word within her art, I suppose because that shares a likeness to zines. My favourite piece of Tracey Emin’s is her installation ‘Everyone I’ve Ever Slept With’. Her work inspires me to be honest and embrace my pain and experiences when creating art.

‘Everyone I’ve ever slept with’ by Tracey Emin

Q5: Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

A: In 5 years time I would like to be able to split my work 50/50 between my current full time job in publishing and my art and Zine-making. I love working in publishing and believe enormously in the power of books for change! But I also really enjoy the freedom and creativity that making and selling zines and art allows me. Having the best of both worlds would be amazing!

To see more of Cassies work follow her Instagram !

Or check out her Etsy store… https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ThisIsYourLifeZine

THANKYOU FOR READING, SEE YOU AGAIN SOON

James Greenhalgh

Seeing us into the new month of July is a fresh Artist Feature with London based photographer James Greenhalgh!

Keep Reading to find out more about his work based around Identity and Masculinity and creative inspirations…

Q1: What is your Name, Age, and Where are you based?

A: I’m James Greenhalgh, 21 and I’m based in London.

Q2: How did you first get into your creative practice/ work?

A: I first got into photography by total mistake. I had never studied anything creative at school and I thought I was going to be a computer scientist. I had to pick my A-Levels and one of the subjects I selected (Anthropology) was removed from the curriculum because not enough people picked the subject so I was pulled into my head of year’s office to quickly pick another random subject. I selected photography as I thought it might be a cool skill to learn but I thought I was going to focus on my more academic subjects. My teachers then introduced me to artists such as Wolfgang Tillmans and Nan Goldin; suddenly I saw how photography was able to communicate emotions, stories, and people’s experiences in a way that words can’t achieve. From there I started working on how I could use photography to capture my own identity and the people around me.

Q3: Are there any main or overarching themes you explore in your work?

A: My work explores my identity, in particular, how the way men challenge and express their masculinity has changed as we grow up in a generation where identity expression is more fluid and the traditional archetype of ‘Man’ is developing.

Q4: How has the COVID- 19 Pandemic affected your work?

A: COVID-19 has resulted in my graduation show being massively altered, final major university project being rushed to completion, and job prospects being put on hold indefinitely or canceled. I’ve taken this time to look back over my archive and reflect on what I’ve been creating, I’ve done a couple shoots over video call but for the most part, I just can’t wait to get back into the studio and creating work again.

Q5: Highlight one of your biggest inspirations!

A: David Armstrong: I was introduced to David’s work really late in my university degree and I only wish I found his work earlier. His portraits of people he encountered in his life (friends, lovers, and even acquaintances who left an impact on him) are so simplistic but through them, you start to see the life of David come through the images. He was also Nan Goldin’s flatmate for a long time (who’s work really inspired me when I was younger) and it was super interesting to research how they collaborated on different projects as their photographs tell similar stories of identity expression through other people.

Q6: Where can you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

A: In 5 years time, I hope to be working with amazing designers, stylists, artists and models for magazines and fashion campaigns. I’m currently working for other photographers and hope to follow in their footsteps.

Q7: If you could share a message with the world, what would it be?

A: Please listen to your Black friends when they share their experiences of racism, don’t argue, just listen. If you need a place to start your research into racial inequality, read “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” by Reni Eddo-Lodge or “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo or if you need a short book to get you started, read “Dark Days” by James Baldwin. Black Lives Matter.

To see more of James’ amazing photography work visit his website… james-greenhalgh.com

Or Instagram ! Where there is also a link to his BA Degree show!

Thankyou So Much For Reading, see you again soon…

Sophia Wakeman

Today we are very excited to be publishing our first Artist Feature of summer 2020! !WOOHOO!

Myself and Sophia had a “New Normal” Zoom call meeting to discuss life, art, and the future!…

Q1- What is your Name, Age, and Where are you based?

A: Its Sophia Wakeman, I’m 19 and I’m based in Cambridgeshire, well just in-between Norfolk and Cambridge.

Q2: What is your creative practice/ work?

A: Digital artwork at the moment, I used to do traditional art but didn’t have the facilities. I use a free version of Procreate for my computer to make the work. Its nothing fancy but works well for me!

Q3: Are there any main themes you explore in your work?

A: Drag Queens! I gravitate towards celebrities and mostly Drag artists for their eccentric looks and makeup, its different than just drawing a regular portrait. I tried landscape but it just fizzled out, then moved more towards portraits. People message me asking if I will do specific portraits of Queens, thats why I drew Crystal Methyd because someone asked me to do her, they helped that person become themselves.

Q4: How has the COVID-19 Pandemic affected your work?

A: I think I’ve been more motivated, as I have more time on my hands. I don’t have the pressure of completing my college assignments, so I can explore the work that I want to produce.!

Q5: Highlight one of your inspirations!

A: There’s is one person, her name is Francoise Nielly, she creates portraits using just pallet knives and spatulas, not tradition brushes. She’s one of the first artists I ever took inspiration from in secondary school, and I want my work to be bright and colourful like hers! When you scroll past it you can’t help but look.

Q6: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

A: Hopefully the goal is to be a self-sufficient full-time artist, selling work that supports myself. Thats the dream! I want to have a year or two focusing on myself and my work and maybe go to University, but that could always change.

Q7: If you could share a message young artists, what would it be?

A: Just- Do your art work for you! Don’t do it to gain an audience or please people, I did that for a while to create a following on Instagram but it doesn’t make you happy. Now I produce work to please myself. I feel like if you enjoy making the art and put yourself into then people notice your passion.

To see more of Sophias work and support her, check out her Instagram– @ wakemanart

And Website– https://linktr.ee/WakemanArt

Thanks for Reading!- Elsie.

Sophia Wakeman- Crystal Methyd Portrait.

Sophia Wakeman

Lauren MacGowan

Today myself and Daisy, (co-creator of the OP) are heading to Taylor Made Tattooz in Kings Lynn, for an appointment we have been thinking about for months! Which was finally happening on the 2nd of August, and we also had the amazing opportunity to talk to Lauren MacGowan about her creative practice…

Q- What is your name, age and where are you based?

A- Lauren… MacGowan, i’m 21 and i’m based at Taylor Made Tatooz in Kings Lynn! (followed by some freaking out about the voice recording!) (‘Don’t worry everyone hates their voice’)

Q- What is your art practice about, or what do you specialize in?

A- I tend to specialize in Mandalas and Dot work Style, I like doing realistic stuff too but prefer the dot work now. I also like to do painting if I get spare time but I’m very busy with the tattooing at the minuet.

Screen Shot 2018-08-06 at 16.53.14.png

Q- How long have you been tattooing?

A- I Qualified on the 2nd of January, this year, but I’ve been tattooing for about a year and a half since I was 19. I’ve always wanted to do it since I was 16! I did my Alevels, and then I started taking my portfolio around everywhere until I found somewhere that would take me on.

Q- Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?

A- Hopefully being invited to different Tattooing conventions, like in London or Manchester or guesting at different spots! I would like to have my own shop one day but I think that’s a bit further in the future.

Q- If you could give a positive message to yourself or younger tattoo artists what would you say?

A- Probably never give up! Because I went through a phase of rejection which was really hard, but I kept pushing myself to do it which worked out! Keep your portfolio open, I had pastels, watercolor, animals, script, portraits, flowers, a bit of everything, which really helps too!

Thankyou to Taylor Made Tatooz for letting us take images in your shop, you can find them and their amazing artwork on their Facebook page!

And to see more of Laurens work head to her Instagram!