This month we're asking Alison Holt. Alison is based in Shropshire and produces some exquisite embroidered artwork. You can view her collection here.
Well, here goes....
1 What clubs or societies have you been part of (school, university or as an adult) and what did you like about them?
I have been a member of Borderland Visual Arts, my local art group on the Shropshire Wales border for over 20 years. I enjoy the networking side and the opportunity to collaborate with other artists. It's great to work and socialise with people who understand the solitary nature of being an artist and the up and downs of the creative process. We have regular exhibitions, Art Trail weekends and art related events, I have formed some great friendships.
2 If you could have another career other than art, what would you like to do?
I wanted to be an artist from an early age and I honestly can't imagine doing anything else!
As well as creating art I have been fortunate to teach all over the world and write several books so in a way I have run 3 careers parallel. I enjoy the freedom and flexibility of making the decisions about which creative path I take next. I enjoy the solitary aspect of studio time but equally exhibitions and teaching offer more social interaction which I enjoy too.
3 Have you ever owned a pet? Tell us about it, if you haven’t had one, why?
I currently have a dog. Bobby, named by the rescue centre, not renamed because I even struggle to name my artwork let alone a dog! He is my 3rd rescue dog. They have all had very different personalities, Bob is a saluki cross, a sight hound. He is either racing around at 100 mile hour or asleep. He weighs 20k but thinks he is a lap dog. He has the longest legs and nose and is very elegant with a big personality, he is prone to leaping across the furniture if he sees a squirrel through the window. Adored by all the family, he is a terrific companion.
4 What artists are you in awe of and why?
Stanley Spencer, such an eye for detail, pattern and colour, I first saw his work at his Royal Academy retrospective and was mesmerised.
Also the Pre-Raphaelites, in particular Holman Hunt and Rosetti. I wasn't drawn to the subject matter particularly but to the execution. Discovering their work as an art student I was in awe of their rendering of nature and clothing especially folds of velvet fabric in paint.
Claude Monet and George Seurat, probably mainstream choices I know but the use of colour and sense of light they achieve in landscapes is inspiring to me. I have learnt by exploring the colour combinations they use how to give vitality to my artwork. My stitches are like fine colourful brushstrokes overlapping each other which creates depth and vibrant colour combinations influenced by the Post Impressionist style.
5 What have you had to work on most regarding your own art because you found it the most difficult
I continue to try to loosen up my style of working. I strive for a more painterly look to my embroidery but fall back into precision and detail. I tend toward the photographic because I am capable of that but really want my work to be more about my interpretation of the natural world so it becomes more in tune with my vision, my memories and experiences within the landscape. To strive is to learn and evolve, it will never entirely satisfy me as I continue to work and try to improve. I am excited by the thought that I haven't made my best work yet.
6 What is the last book you read? Would you recommend it or not and why?
At the moment I am near the end of a Barbara Kingsolver book called Unsheltered and really enjoying it. The previous book of hers I read recently was Demon Copperhead, I loved it. A retelling of Dickens, David Copperfield but set now in the Appalation Mountains. It's an great story of survival against the odds, an emotional journey where I felt myself so involved with this disadvantaged child who struggled with all life threw at him but picked himself up and just kept going. I would recommend it as an uplifting read.
Thank you Alison!