Marisa Cherry Saunders – Dreaming With Your Eyes Wide Open
2nd March to 31st March 2010
Open eve 3rd March 2010 7-9pm
My images are created when I am lost in a sea of elaborate swirls and whimsical fancies; a dreamy yet conscious state of mind. This collection invites the viewer to discard reality for a spell and become submerged in the delicate detail of the art. Playful aspects frolic while darker elements hide amongst the innocent, and gentle wisps of folk art caress the paper.
I have been involved with Printmaking for many years now, but have been drawing for most of my life. There is something very honest and free about drawing, it is the key to unleashing inner beauty. My own practice involves a plethora of relief printing as well as hand drawing, and I believe these methods dovetail into one another nicely. I am so attached to lino cutting; perhaps it has something to do with the drawing element that is infused with the intricate carving of the material, or the way that I delight in the linear boldness and the little specks that are left behind during the cutting process. I prefer to hand-colour the images with water colours because of the fluidity effect; I like a contrast in the art between the intense bold lines and a colourful but softer filling.
I have exhibited in many venues throughout Kent and in London, my illustrations have been featured in published magazines and posters, last April I was commissioned by UCA Maidstone to create a piece of artwork that commemorated its first year as a university. A large lino print featuring an odd assortment of creatures now hangs in the foyer.
I gather inspiration from various sources – I am fascinated by the sea, its mysteries and its movement, I am constantly depicting it subtly in different ways but retaining my linear qualities. Music and literature of a certain nature inspire me as do my family and friends, my images are often sparked off by random conversations or events that unfold from adventuring. Weaving in these personal motifs makes my work stronger, but also more playful. My interest in secretive creatures and telling tales visually adds to the playful element, tales of humans that want to become something else – a state of metamorphoses that could be organic or bestial.