We recently spoke to Anne Bate Williams, an artist from Cheltenham who has a passion for mixed media/collage. She studied art and education at LSU in Southampton from 1969-1972. After completion of her studies she worked as a primary school teacher coordinating art at schools in Birmingham, and Swindon, and was also art coordinator in Cheltenham. Today we talk to her about many of her experiences as an artist and as a teacher.
I spent the first nine years of my life in South East London and then in 1960 my family moved to Cheltenham. My father had a selection of fine art books which as a young child I enjoyed browing through familiarising myself with different artists....
A priority for me was to ensure all pupils felt able to create a piece of art work that would please them. Often they would produce large, group collages, so when I began to focus more on developing my own practice, I concentrated on mixed media/collage work virtually where I had left myself in college days....
When I was at college I was heavily infuenced by surrealist painters and also Carl Jung's work on dreams The paintings of John Piper are inspirational, I find his architectural pieces atmospheric and his use of colour draws me in....
When my son and daughter in law asked for a mixed media piece of the church they married in, as a wedding present.....
At the time of writing, I was attending a printing course, learning collagraph printing, dry point and chine collee.....
I enjoy the organic nature of collage. I usually take many photographs of the subject, often a ruin then hone them down. I never know quite where I'll go with the piece, juxtaposition and colour are paramount and so it slowly develops. 'The Colosseum' was my first experiment and I began with the photographic image that would be central.....
heavenhappens.me TAP into Purpose a Facebook page - empowerment coaching for the real world
My website is www.annebatewilliams.co.uk and my Facebook page 'Anne Bate-Williams - on the wall.....
Kenn Art Show, 27th & 28th February. Suffolk Anthology, Cheltenham, 1st March - April 19th. Brewery Arts, Cirencester, 23rd May - 6th June
'Flower' No 308, 'Porch', 'Waving in the Wind', 'Mist Blowing', Cabin in the Woods'
This scarf was printed in Italy by Teresa Bunting, using two of my paintings, 'The Bay' and 'Roundstone II'....
