ARTZINE: What was the first work of art that spoke to you?

This Month – What was the first work of art that spoke to you?

I was trying to remember when it was that I first woke up to art, for instance when I first really looked at something and appreciated that someone had been inspired to create it, or when I first tried to create some art of my own.

My mother was very keen that I should visit museums and art galleries as often as possible and although I really enjoyed our trips to the museums, I must admit that I found the galleries a bit boring.

I thought the paintings were lovely, but I couldn’t understand why we had to keep looking at them, they didn’t really do anything for me.

I was much happier in the science museum pressing buttons, or in the natural history museum looking at the animals.

I wasn’t particularly good at art in school, even though I had been keen on drawing since I was tiny, and I think it was in my early teens that I suddenly realized art was actually interesting.

I was exposed to an awful lot of Christian art as a child, at home every wall was adorned with Christ, various saints and Madonnas, there was a crucifix in every corner and a statue in every available nook and cranny.

I think I consequently saw art as a religious thing and filed it under “Boring” along with other adult stuff like going to church and school.

Regardless it had it’s effect and when I hit my teens I suddenly wanted to be artistic and started by trying to recreate anything spiritual that I had seen and liked.

I remember a great drawing I did of Christ on the cross and I think I can probably safely say it was my first serious piece of work. I was about 15 and I used my boyfriend (soon to be husband) as my model.

We explored art together, but he started to sketch and paint on a huge scale, and I always felt my work was very immature compared to his.

Well you’ve all seen enough of my stuff, so this month I’m going to leave you with a few of my first husband’s sketches, thy’re a bit old and faded I’m afraid.

It was really him that woke me up to art and music and inspired me to want to be artistic myself.