Test Valley Tales Art
Comissioned by Amanda Kane Smith and Test Valley Arts Foundation
Making Artwork for Test Valley Tales
Maija is interested in re-imagining folklore and fairytales to bring them alive in the present day. All stories have patterns, symbols and ideas that we can explore through the lens of our own lives to find new meanings. In the process of making artwork Maija finds it important to connect to the sense of magic and beauty found in nature.
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Artists Maija Liepins and Susan Merrick had 12 artworks to produce between them for the book of Test Valley Tales. Before deciding which stories they would make artwork for, the artists visited together the places described in the stories. Both multidisciplinary artists, Maija and Susan use their cameras a lot to make films and to capture performance and play. During their location visits the artists pretended they were in the stories. By playing they were free to enjoy the story and imagine what the characters would feel like. Photographs from these research trips were used to create digital illustrations by Susan, and to inspire the details and composition of Maija’s mixed-media drawings.
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featured blog posts
On the Project Blog I write about each of the images and the stories behind them. Click the images above to explore work in progress images and the research-trip photographs that laid the groundwork for my artworks:
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Podcast and Book
'Test Valley Tales' brings the stories and legends of this beautiful borough to life through the Test Valley Tales illustrated book of short stories and its associated podcast. With 10 story locations to choose from to visit, families can immerse themselves in the stories as they enjoy the wonderful walks and picturesque places Test Valley has to offer. This project was created by professional storyteller Amanda Kane Smith and with funding from Arts Council England. Website: www.merry-go-roundstorytelling.co.uk/testvalleytales Instagram: @testvalleytales |
Amanda Kane Smith
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