Sophie Wake tells us how lockdown has impacted on her creative life
Hi Sophie – We’ve been in lockdown for over two months now. How has the experience affected you and impacted on your creative life?
Initially I found the silence of lockdown extremely moving and through the imposed stillness found myself going further into meditative practices. I’ve experienced what feels like a deeper grounding in my work which has enabled access to some richer seams of creativity.
Thanks to the Artist support Pledge, we have been able to keep our heads above water through this difficult time. Not only that, it has surprsingly been one of the most exhilarating times of my life, whilst of course remaining aware of the difficulties and suffering which has been the focus of this lockdown for many.
Can you tell us a bit about the Artists Support Pledge?
The artists support pledge was devised by the artist Matthew Burrows. Check out #artistsupportpledge on Instagram. Artists put their work up for sale for anything up to the sum of £200 and when £1000 is reached the artist pledges to buy a piece of work from another artist for £200. It’s a winning formula as buyers get to purchase art for less, the artist benefits from selling their work and getting a wider audience and supporting other artists too.
What has it meant to you being part of the support pledge?
It has been a wonderful experience and far exceeded my expectations. I’m so incredibly grateful to it. It has given us some financial stability in what could have been a very uncertain time.
I have been selling work almost everyday. At first I was selling pieces from my archive, and then taking pieces out of frames to sell, now I am painting fresh pieces most days. Some have sold within minutes.
Has it changed the way you work or think about your work?
Yes it has. I’m learning not to attach myself to my work, to move on, flow through, as paintings are on the move daily. It has been liberating, and posting them off to new homes ultimately makes way for more creativity, after all I can’t keep them all! I love the freedom of not thinking too much, feeling into my need for expression on a daily basis, feeling moved by whatever the day brings and expressing it in paint, usually through animals and sometimes figures. I’m doing my best to keep it LIVE, fresh, spontaneous and raw. It’s working very well for me.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
We are so lucky to have the Artists Open Houses in Brighton. The whole city becomes an arena of creativity for a month. I have really missed it this year. Art is so important, both in its creation process but also buying it to enjoy forever. Lockdown has been a reflective time and from that stillness a truth emerges which when expressed through art or any other form of creativity, resonates or chimes with something we recognise deep in our psyches. There’s something for everyone in the Artists Open Houses, and whether it brings us joy or moves us to tears, undoubtably creativity is something humans need in their lives. Enabling resonance can be achieved by remaining authentic and true to our own individual expression of the heart. Not always easy to achieve, but I wish for peace and happiness for us all, and the freedom to express our true selves in whatever way we love most.
Sophie Wake’s The Red Brick House was Winner of AOH Best Open House Award in 2019
My new website, shop and blog www.sophiewake.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiewake_artist/
Sophie says:
IN SUPPORT OF WHITEHAWK FOODBANK
20 Special Limited Edition Rainbow Prints for sale of which 50% of proceeds will go straight to the Whitehawk Food Bank in East Brighton Rainbow has been hanging in the window of our Artists Open House (The Red Brick House in Kemptown) which sadly remained closed this year, but when someone asked if they could buy a print, I thought this could be the perfect way to help raise money for our local Foodbank. So I contacted Rich and Joe from the Whitehawk Foodbank in East Brighton, who luckily were more than happy to receive 50% of the proceeds from any sales of RAINBOW to help fund the invaluable work they do.
Here’s what they said:
The Whitehawk Foodbank provides nutritionally balanced, emergency food for families and individuals in crisis situations. We provide clients with food parcels that contain a 3 day supply of food. During the Coronavirus Crisis the Whitehawk Foodbank has been supporting over 120 referrals a week which is almost 400 total clients! We have seen amazing generosity from individuals and organisations coming together to help us support those in crisis!
I am delighted to offer this print for sale, also the painting is available for sale with 50% of the sale of the painting also going to the foodbank.
To purchase RAINBOW – Limited Edition Print, please click here. https://sophiewake.com/shop/rainbow-limited-edition-print
To purchase RAINBOW – Oil on canvas – Original painting, please click here. https://sophiewake.com/shop/rainbow
Thank you ❤️
