My Crying Girls series was a concept I originally birthed after my love and adoration, for the Roy Lichtenstein Pop Art painting, ‘Drowning Girl’. A singular square frame, paying homage to the cult ideals of the comic books of the 1950s and 1960s. Lichtenstein is known for his painting techniques, the dot art formation, but it was the glamour of the girls which caught my eye. I have always been obsessed with the style aesthetic of the Sixties, especially the women with their winged eyeliner, pale lips and big bouffant hair. From the photographs and portraits of David Bailey to Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman to William Eggleston, capturing the overly made up female developed into a key motif within my work.
I wanted to use this idea of a central iconic female, to build a portrait which would create a visual dialogue using; colour theory, pattern, prints, illustrations, repeat patterns and recognisable imagery, to build a body of work, representing each Girl independently with her own aesthetic. The idea of a series, an army of these girls organically took shape. I have around 9 or 10 Crying Girls now, each original painting is approx 46 X 60 inches and painted in acrylics. As I continue to build the series, my own painting style and reference imagery is changing, and I am pushing myself outside of my comfort zone to see my Crying Girls take on a new narrative
I have continually been told by clients and friends, that my art style lends itself to pattern and print design, especially fabric. So after years painting, I decided to try taking my artwork into a new direction, and printing my art onto fabric. I am an Artist and fashion illustration lecturer by day, so I work in the fashion sector of education, and teach both practical and theory in art and fashion, and now I am moving my work into the world of product and accessories too.
Working with Scott and the team at Forest Digital, has been an absolute pleasure. I am a very analogue artist, and literally do everything by hand, so understanding how to transfer my imagery into different bodies of fabric has been an immense learning curve. Scott made this transition very easy for me, and I asked many questions along the way!
I was definitive in my choice of fabric for my silk scarves, because I was aware of how I wanted the scarf to feel, to drape and to look when being worn, so I opted for the silk twill, as you can see the bite and weave of the fabric, which is important for me to acknowledge. The scarves themselves are a literal translation of my artwork. Capturing every pen mark, every brushstroke, every raw line or uneven paint saturation, but this is what creates a very organic and beautiful product, remaining true in its outcome to the artists hand and the creative process
I am excited to see where my new journey takes me, hopefully being worn by people all over the world, who find them as beautiful as me. I have more Crying Girls lined up to meet the fabric printer, and I hope to continue working with Scott and his team in a very successful partnership as more of my Crying Girls venture into shops, homes, boutiques and on the streets being loved by as many, as much as I adore them