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

2020…

Hello! The Orange Peel Art Collective is active again for summer 2020!

Stay tuned for new Fresh Art content and think pieces!

-STAY SAFE-

‘OUTLET’ Exhibition

6th July 2018- We visited the ‘OUTLET’ Exhibition held at KES Highschool in Kings Lynn Norfolk, which was Curated and Organised by Meghan Martin-Lewis. Walking into the main hall, we are greeted by a semi-circle of worn easels holding a range of artwork all centred around the theme of ‘Mental Health’.

We loved that all the Artists involved in this exhibition are from Norfolk, but ranged in age, gender and technical ability. The range of artists helped to give multiple views on ‘Mental Health’ and varied the topics which were looked at, including personal expression, manifestations of different mental health issues, and what it feels like to overcome barriers. Our personal favourite were the portraits by artist Emilia D’Aloia , the almost bare portraits screamed Body Positivity and Self Eceptance which was verry refreshing to see in an exhibition on ‘Mental Health’ which can often be negative, (support her Artwork over on her instagram).

Meg was also raising money for the Charity Mind (West Norfolk) who ‘Provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem’, along with having amazing charity shops. This is one way that this exhibition helped the community along with providing a creative space where artist involved could express their own experiences which ‘Mental Health’ which is such a great way to help overcome issues and express your feelings.

Overall, this Exhibition was a great success in out eyes, as an Art Collective based in Norfolk it was great seeing someone elese open up a space where artists could express themsleves and present their work, but also after talking to people viewing the exhibit as well as some of the artists involved everyone was verry happy and super proud.

So, if you want to see more of Meghan’s work or talk to her about her amazing curating skills, you can find her @me3gg on Instagram- Or to help support Minds amazing work you can donate on their website!

Evie Chaplin

Today is Thursday the 19th of April, the hottest day of the year so far (its damn hot) and me and Evie have met up to talk about her work, brand and prospects for the future…

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

A- My name is Evie Chaplin, I’m 16 and I’m based in a little village in the middle of nowhere in Norfolk. Its tiny and Rubbish.

Q- Tell us what your creative practice/ art work is about?

A- I do a lot of visual arts ranging from photographic to print making and fashion, a lot of it is to do with the contemporary world and its effects on society and different groups of people. I focus a lot on the skating community and contemporary fashion and how these groups can feel really closed and regressive when your in a conservative place like Norfolk. Lots of my work comes from myself feeling creatively restrained because I live here, I also like creating aggressive and slightly vulgar clothing, mostly to get reactions from people.

Q-What are the main themes/ subjects you explore in your work?

A- I do lots of self exploration work, I often feel like a big fish in a small pond– and I think a lot of people feel like that who are from small communities-like you’re trapped inside yourself and need to grow. Im also starting my own brand which I want to explore a lot more- Ive named it ‘Dead Heading’ which is the process of cutting dead parts off flowers so they can grow again, so its to do with cutting of the toxic parts of your own life so you can grow again- because everyone has certain people or feeling that hold them down and I think it would help society if everyone was a “Dead header” so that we can all grow and be ourself freely.

Q-Who are your inspirations?

A- The Bratz Dolls! (BRATZ DOLLS) I think their fashion is great, I think what they stand for is brilliant! They came in at a time when Barbie was massive and she was an empowering image for feminism showing how women could do anything they wanted to, but Bratz came along and were so ahead of their time! They had a ‘fuck everyone, we can do what we want to‘ message about them and even the word Brat has negative connotations but they reclaimed it to be something so cool and empowering. Women can do what they want, and they can also do nothing which is fine too.

I also love an Artist call GIRLI, ( GIRLI , Feel OK MV) she dresses in all pink to represent female stereotypes but she’s so aggressive and has a great ‘fuck you’ attitude. Her music talks about the issues of being a women in the music industry and she’s a big role model for me and and other young girls. I like both male and female artists, I used to only listen to boys but have recently found lots of female artists I like and I think that reflective of a new age of women in music.

Q- What is individualism to you?

A- Its a very big part of my life, I love who I am and I think its brilliant to stand out but its also okay if you don’t want to stand out. People should do whatever makes them happy. You do you, and ill support that.

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

A- Five years, so ill be 21… Hopefully in London, I think thats where I need to be if I want to pursue things and have more opportunities, hopefully my brand will kick off and ill be able to explore lots of things. Its a great umbrella for me to be able to explore anything, fashion, magazines, photography its a header for all of that. Ive been thinking about what I want to do for so long and couldn’t find anything so thought id start something self.

To see more of Evie’s work check out her Instagram accounts and Website:

@dead.headd @deadheadinguk http://www.echapbusiness.wixsite.com/deadheading

Evie LR edits (3 of 9) — Self Portrait by Evie Chaplin

Evie LR edits (1 of 9) — Final Piece: Chance

Chloe Mountain

It’s a beautiful spring Thursday in Norfolk, and myself and Chloe are currently walking around Sandringham woods (one of the Queen’s estates), discussing life. We stop off in the coffee shop to talk about her practice and eat cake, the conversation goes as follows…

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

A-My name is Chloe Mountain, I am almost 21( so 21) and I’m based in London, and Norfolk.

Q- Tell us what your creative practice/ artwork is about

A- My field is ceramic, all of my work is basically plaster/ clay and glass that kind thing, but it always comes back to myself, the project I have been doing recently is very personal so it’s mainly my reflection/ response on how I fell about things opposed to manufactured ceramics. My degree is so ‘mass-made’ which I really don’t care about and I always try to stay away from perfect forms, I always try to push the mold, literally. The first project I created cups that had holes in them, they looked like perfect cups but they were completely pointless and unusable.

Q- What are the main themes/ subjects you explore in your work?

A- Because its obvious pottery, I explore textures and surfaces a lot as that interests me, I’d rather make something that you want to touch and engage with and not be something traditional. Its all about sensations isn’t it? I always try to incorporate that into my work.

Q- Who are your inspirations?

A- Noel Fielding (Noel Fielding), and I am massively into Basquiat (Jean Michel Basquiat)at the minuet, he is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen in my life, and I visited his exhibition at the Barbican last year which was amazing. Greyson Perry (Greyson Perry- what is art)who, everyone loves. But Basquiat is the main person at the minuet, I love his colours and bold forms.

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

A- Asleep, in my bed, if I’m quite honest ill probably be having a nap. Seriously tho, coming to the end of a masters degree in Sculpture, hopefully at the Royal College of Arts in London. I love doing my product design degree, but I don’t want to create things which are mass made so I’d love to move towards sculpture.

Q- If you could give a message to the world, what would it be?

A- Spend time with your grandparents! The older you get the more significant they and their wisdom will become. They’re not always going to be here bro.

Chloe w pot Grog pot

To find more of Chloe’s work you can follow her at @cm.syd and @chloemountain.art on Instagram.