“If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint,’ then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced” – Vincent Van Gogh
Hey there!
Hello and thanks for stopping by. I’m Alison, an artist based here in Manchester, and I run Awesome Arts Club. I have a degree in Textile design and a ton of enthusiasm for showing kids (and parents) how making art can be amazing!
I am a multi-disciplinary artist who moves between collage, surface pattern design, sewing, printmaking and mosaics! I hope to bring some of this mix to Awesome Arts Club and introduce children to techniques and processes that they may not have tried before. Most of all, making art with me is fun and inclusive and, I hope, inspiring too.
I work with various Arts & mental health charities here in Manchester using art to improve the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable adults. As a community artist I have tons of experience running workshops with adults from all ages and all walks of life. In 2019 I began teaching an after school club at my son’s primary school – and Awesome Arts Club was born! I hold an Enhanced DBS certificate, full Public Liability Insurance and have completed Safeguarding training.
On the right is one of 2 textile pieces that I made for the newly reopened Rochdale Town Hall. I was one of the artists commissioned to work with community groups to develop their ideas into final pieces of artwork, now on display in The Small Exchange in the Town Hall. I created the pieces using free motion embroidery, which can be thought of as drawing, but with a sewing machine.
I have now designed and created several large outdoor mosaic murals and below, you can see a selection of images. Among others I have worked with Onward Homes one of the largest providers of social housing in the north of England. The mosaics below have all been made in collaboration with older adults who live at the schemes. They are then installed in the shared gardens, for all the residents to enjoy.
Beyond that is an A3 linocut print ‘Eternal’ which I was thrilled to have selected for the inaugural Manchester Open 2020, which was on show at Home Gallery from Jan – March 2020.
