Having taught in primary schools for many years, I have always been inspired by story telling, illustration and the naive quality of children’s artwork. These elements very much inform the way in which I create my compositions with the process of polychromatic dye.
My starting point is observational drawing of wild and exotic planting in a variety of places. One place that has particularly inspired me is Donabate in Ireland. I draw plant forms over and over again until they become both simple and dramatic. I then play with these plant forms through collage to create highly imaginative compositions with layers of mark making.
The use of colour is central to an imagined sense of place. I mix procion dyes to explore colour and how these colours work beside one another. Ultimately I am trying to find a balance between shape, colour and mark making to explore the boundaries between real and imagined.
Most recently I have used the more dramatic elements of my plant drawings to create tiny 3D forms made from wire, stitched organza, paper mache and acrylic paint.
Instagram: @yvonnewatts9155