She threw herself at heartbreak
Author: Michelle Wilkinson
The importance of feeling held
It feels like everything is so vulnerable right now. I guess it was always this way, but somehow world events (arguably as a result of our misuse of nature) have led me to appreciate and value the individual so much more.
My summer of monarchs and metaphors
I became a little obsessed with monarch caterpillars this summer. In the absence of making, during a very busy and stressful time at work and with my family, my only outlet was focusing on these little creatures. I couldn’t make, there was no space in my head to do so, so have had to… Continue reading My summer of monarchs and metaphors
Head, Hands and Heart: Part 3 – Consider our invertebrates
Everyone can contribute to preserving biodiversity – the actions we take every day shape the environments around us, the ecosystems around us; what we choose to consume, how we transport ourselves, what we are doing in our backyards, or what we are not doing, all of these actions have an impact.
As a maker I need to examine my material choices.
Head, Hands and Heart: Part 2 – Hands
To escape from my head, I began to engage my hands. I started using what was stashed in my workshop – wire, paper, thread. These didn’t give me what I wanted, they were too considered and not organic enough for me. I then discovered an unopened pack of polymer clay… Following the principles of… Continue reading Head, Hands and Heart: Part 2 – Hands
Head, Hands and Heart : Part 1 – Head
Up until now my work has often been quite literal – forms are easily identified, stories are quickly understood. The experimental nature of Handshake has presented me with an opportunity to push myself into a different kind of outcome.
Through the looking glass, and what Alice found there
This new world is different. Just like Lewis Carroll’s Alice in 1872, we are now submerged in a backwards place. Busy roads are quiet, concert halls silent, and galleries are closed. Time is not quite running backwards, but it is going at a slower pace.
A Manifesto Mashup
I begin with research around an idea. I obsess over it. It fills my head, completely, overwhelmingly. Everything revolves around this idea. Then I need to take time to give it space. Try not to rush it. To unfocus for a while. My themes tend towards the dark side, so I have to escape them for a bit. For my own sanity.
Then, when all the madness dissipates, I begin.
LET’S BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING…
LET’S BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING… by Michelle Wilkinson | Mar 2, 2020 | Handshake6, Michelle Wilkinson In the last few days I have felt an almost overwhelming desire to stand in the ocean. Not to swim, or float or splash, just to stand. Waist deep, not moving, focused on the horizon. It’s been a busy few weeks at work and I… Continue reading LET’S BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING…