Local Talent: Miriam Vincent
Type of artist: Impressionism - Self-taught, lover of nature and colour.
Range of products: Paintings, prints, cards, fine bone china cups, coasters, place mats, and tea towels.
Price range: £2.50 - £700.
How long have you been an artist? It’s hard to say how long, when does one suddenly say, “Oh yes, now I’m an artist.”? But if you mean how long have I been selling my art, it would be between 5-6 years.
Where did you train or gain experience? I am self taught; experiences in life and being out in nature has played a big part of my journey on becoming an artist.
Artist statement: I’m becoming known as the happy artist as my work is full of life, colour and movement.There’s lots of texture in each painting. I use oil paints and love to really layer it up onto the canvas, where the trees, flowers, mountains, stars, moon or sun (all popular themes in my work)really stand out of the canvas.You can see the pallet strokes and the different colours blending together and almost feel the movement of the great outdoors.
After my mum died I couldn’t see any beauty in the world anywhere, I was so devastated, lost and angry that my wonderful mum had died and I just didn’t want to do anything. I even struggled to have conversations about ‘normal’ things. If I hadn’t had a young family to get out of bed in the morning for, then I’m not sure I would have, but I did, so I did.
I would walk or run, whatever the weather and as I ran along the straight mile, near my home, I would scream and swear out loud at cancer. Cancer had already taken my mum’s life and I was damned if it was going to take mine and my family’s as well.
Slowly, I started to notice the seasons change, the striking colours of the leaves on the trees, bulbs poking up out of the soil, beauty was everywhere. These were all the things my mum loved.
Slowly, my anger changed to sadness, a type of sadness that was so deep in my being but I was also able to remember the love that my mum had given me, the times we had shared together and how lucky I was to have had a mum like her.
It was then that I really started to paint, I painted without purpose, just to create, just to play with colour and I let the paint guide me, I didn’t realise I would end up painting what I did but the more I did the more I saw the beauty that surrounded me and I realised that it was also a representation of my relationship with my mum.
Bright, colourful, extravagant, (not with money but love and time), bold, beautiful, happy, joyful.
That is also the reason now for me painting, I want others to feel happier, have their spirits lifted when they look at my work but also to bring awareness of what is on our doorstep - Mother Nature is extraordinary, and we should take the time to really look at it and be with it, study it, the power of it, if we give her time, is immense.
Where can your products be purchased? The Makers Gallery in Abergavenny, Warehouse 701, Hereford and online: www.minnielaladesigns.co.uk
What has been your proudest moment? Having the courage to do it...
What would you class as ‘your masterpiece’? I guess it would be ‘Sunshine Kisses on the Graig’ as it was the first ever painting I sold.