Creative Spirit Maryanne Moodie
Maryanne Moodie is a fibre obsessed maker from Australia who now resides in Brooklyn, NYC. She busily divides her time between designing and creating woven wall hangings, creating beginners weaving kits and teaching sold-out workshops across the world. Maryanne is best known for applying unexpected colour combinations to her nostalgic designs. She is inspired by the intricacy of vintage textiles, traditional costuming, modern art and the natural world.
Carrie: Welcome Maryanne to Artist Strong. Please tell us: when did you first discover your love of art?
I have always loved art and design. As a child I found my identity through colour, drawing and fashion.
Carrie: Can you describe the evolution of your artistic style? (Have you always made art with this unique vision or what was your turning point into recognizing this style was your authentic “you”?)
I have always loved colour. IT makes me happy and brightens my day to see bright bursts of colour on a grey day.
Carrie: What does your workspace look like?
Carrie: Can you describe your artistic process to readers? For example, do you follow the same pattern and track when you develop an artwork from idea to product?
I like to be inspired by what is around me and that helps me to connect to some emotion or experience in my own personal past. I use this as an impetus to begin designing in my book. I might draw a few pages of designs as a response to the moment or emotion before beginning to work on the colour scheme. I like to go through my design process before sitting down at the loom so that I am intentional during my hours of weaving.
Carrie: What is the first thing you do when you feel stuck working on an artwork?
I refer back to my design book and try to get back in touch with the emotion that spurred on the design in the first place.
Rainbows for Orlando. ? #weaving #weareorlando
A photo posted by Maryanne Moodie (@maryannemoodie) on
Carrie: Tell us about your workshops! Can you please share one story of positive outcome from one of your workshops?
I recently got this feedback from one of the advanced design workshops:
Thank you for today!
Andrea MacPherson
to me
Jun 26
Hi again!
I know you were on an impossibly tight schedule today so I just wanted to elaborate a bit on how thankful I am for your workshop. I already know that I love weaving. I am very novice and do enjoy looking at other weavers’ work to try ideas and develop techniques. However, one cannot achieve their potential for personal expression and fulfillment from an art form by simply mimicking another’s work. I have felt overwhelmed by the process of designing my own weave and quite frankly had no idea how to or where to start. Your piece about the design process today resonated so much with me and made me SO excited to start working on that process. It was truly an eye opening experience for me. I somehow knew that today would be an important step on this new journey for me, so thank you so very much. I feel deeply inspired and that is essentially priceless! All the best to you and yours.
Warm regards,
Andrea 🙂
Carrie: What were some of your first strategies for generating business for your art online?
I made many pieces and gave them away as I was working on my skills and identity as an artist.
Carrie: Any advice for artists who wish to work full time on their art?
Really refine your work before selling it. Make sure it is at a level that you are proud of and can sell for the value it is worth. I hate seeing artists selling their work for $50 on Etsy after they put so many hours into it.
Carrie: What is one creative resource you can’t live without?
My design book! I carry one with me everywhere I go so that when the spark of inspiration strikes, I can get something down in the moment.
Carrie: Who/what inspires you?
Everyday life. I like to draw on what is happening in the moment and the space I am in to help me connect to past experiences. I use art like therapy to really get to know myself and allow myself the time and space to experience feelings that I don’t otherwise give myself time to experience in these crazy, crazy times.
Spread the knowledge and pin this article.
Carrie: How do you define Creativity?
Really delving deep into what you are thinking and feeling. Allow yourself the time to meditate on a piece and bring it from inside you. Then you create something that only you could have ever made. IT is totally personal.
“Allow yourself the time to meditate on a piece and bring it from inside you.” (Click to Tweet)
Be Creatively Courageous: If you don’t already, carry a sketchbook around with you for 7 days. Draw in it everyday. See what happens. Then share it in the FB group.
Additional Contact Info:
Website: www.maryannemoodie.com
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