Bridie is the latest person to join the Designs in Mind team so we thought you would like to get to know her…
What are you looking forward to the most working with us?
I am most looking forward to being back in a studio environment on a daily basis , working directly with others to create beautiful work which has an engaging story and strong purpose , both socially and commercially. The diversity of the company excites me as it is a truly unique entity in which I could not be happier to be a part of.
What have you been up to till now?
After graduating with a BA honours in Drawing and applied arts from Bristol university , I have gone on to work freelance and exhibit across the UK and also in Spain all the while developing my practice as both an artist and a teacher . I have been working for an international interior design magazine for the past 18 months which has furthered my passion for all things design. I am currently living back in Oswestry and loving being back in my hometown surrounded by brilliant creative individuals.
There is something about Oswestry that I just can’t seem to find in the cities
that I have lived in, I think many people would agree .
How would you describe your creative practice?
Having specialised in illustration, printmaking and bookmaking throughout my artistic education – my work is a constant autobiographical narrative. I am inspired by the people around me and the complexities of characters and self awareness. I use my work as tool to engage with my own feelings about life and loss. This has ultimately helped me work through a lot of my own feelings of loss and grief and has meant I have been able to channel these feelings through a creative development process.
I am motivated by drawing- I like to observe and observe some more – then I will develop ideas through whatever medium I feel suits the observations and then create a body of work from this . It is great to be able to look back on a body of work and self evaluate – it acts as a visual diary of how you were feeling at the time and helps you move on personally but also physically in ones own development as a creative individual.
If you were going to go on an adventure where would you go?
I love food. Any decision to travel is always influenced by this – which admittedly is a bit strange. My favourite cuisine is Japanese – I would go straight there in a heartbeat – up to the mountainous regions , particularly Aso, a city located in the Kumamoto region . I would visit the hot springs, the rainforests and waterfalls and then on from there I would want to explore every part of rural Japan as I think it is beyond beautiful ….. this may take some time . After that I would want to experience the lights and excitement of the cities and the unusual traditions that are so unfamiliar to me. I love the Japanese culture especially the ancient practices , the art, and the infamous traditions.
I also would love to wear a real kimono, serve tea in a teahouse -the proper way,
and dance under the cherry trees.
Failing that , I’d hop on a ferry to southern Ireland with my dog where I would head to the west coast , climb mountains , explore the wild coastline and drink lots of Guinness . I love it there.
What is playing on your playlist right now?
It depends what I’m doing – if I’m painting I like classical – anything with piano as I play myself and find it helps me concentrate. The music that dominates my life is Mostly 60s & 70s folk as its what I was bought up on , mixed in with whatever makes me happy and swing my hips . This week I have been listening to lots of Dylan , Leonard Cohen and Nick drake . I have recently discovered Benjamin clementine – a Paris based singer songwriter who spent a lot of his life living homeless on the streets and has gone on to win the Mercury music prize – his music is amazing. I will literally listen to anything – as long as it’s not Justin bieber !
#OurStory #Shropshire