THE TIN EXHIBITION
The Tin Music and Arts, 10th Anniversary on 16th September 2023
From July 2022 to August 2023, The DPA has been running Well-Being Abstract Painting (CREATE) sessions at The Tin Community space. The space is fun and flexible, and the staff are kind and accommodating; it was the perfect place to relax without judgment and explore our well-being and creativity.
We hosted over 50 individual attendees and 15 sessions, with extraordinary creative and well-being results.
In September 2023, as a great honour, we were asked to be a part of The Tin’s milestone 10th anniversary. So I (Donna, Founder and Creative Facilitator for The DPA) have asked fellow members of The DPA group if they want to take part, and this is the result.
All of the work submitted was created by every day, not necessarily “creative” people working on their work-life balance or developing their creative spark.
Each piece says a little something about the artist. Each piece has its own love or hate story.
ANDREW FLETCHER, LIFE & DEATH (2022), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1982, Painter & Decorator & Games Maker
I think about the universe quite a lot: Stars, black holes, lightwaves, dark matter, all of that stuff. It seems to me that some things burst with energy, and some implode. Is that life and death?
Either way, it feels like circles might be important.
"Circles" was the theme for this piece, mostly because I saw a plastic cup and thought "that'll be handy". It was. But soon, I was using my thumbs and fingernails to knead and scratch an essential pillar of space between the explosions of life and that other thing—that immovable, unknown, probably spherical doom.
APRIL BROWN, UNTITLED (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 2011, School Student
In this painting, blue and yellow are my favourite colours; they make me feel happy. By throwing the black paint and the brown coffee, it starts to make me feel depressed and a bit sick. This was how I was feeling at the time.
I like coming to these sessions because I get to experiment and have fun. They are relaxed and help me take my mind off things.
BARNIE GILTRAP, HAPPIER (2022) ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1971, Art Student & Technology Consultant
Being in a better space, i.e. "happier" & content where I am now in life.
DEWI RHYS JONES, UNTITLED (2022), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
1984, Senior Customs Clearance Broker
I did a painting. I don't know what to say about it… do I need therapy? Answers on a postcard.
DONNA PREECE-JONES, FLORA (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1983, Creative Well-Being Facilitator
Colours are a beautiful distraction for my mind, and I enjoy playing with the energy of how I feel at that time, using textures and allowing myself to use the most appealing colours for the piece I am working on.
Flowers are a beautiful embodiment of colour, form and texture, making me happy and inspiring me to play with that energy.
KATE FORD, DARK SHOOTS (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1982, Mum & Trainee Play Therapist
I think the piece is about how what is otherwise a bright scene starts to be obscured by dark shoots growing up across it. I took from this that it's constructive to remain in the present and not allow the 'dark shoots' of what might have happened or what might happen in the future to obscure the brightness of the present.
MICHELLE HODSON, OCEANIC (2022), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1984, Graphic Designer
Influenced by our natural world, I wanted to create a piece of artwork that collectively resembled the ocean. I was thinking about the abstract nature of the sea, that you can get lost in its vastness. I've attempted to capture the mystery and depth of the ocean with the colour transitions of light to darker blues along with "bubble" effect techniques to bring movement to these pieces.
NOMATTER SANDE, A NEW DAWN (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1977, Reverend
This painting is my baby step toward expressing inward feelings through art. While creating the piece, I was thinking about how I could come out of my burnout situation.
RISHI GUPTA, SAGE (2023) ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Born 1985, Engineer
This set of 2 paintings were drawn together, with feelings of calm, peace, balance, and laminar flow. The colours are inspired by garments worn by grooms and brides at Indian weddings. The layers represent facets and depth in human personality and emotion with swirls and blotches of striking blue being the unexpected curveballs that life throws at us.
RUTH ARNOTT, RADIANCE (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1968, Life, Love & Leadership Coach
We each have a handful of qualities to bring into a room. These are the things that people notice about our being. One of the qualities that people reflect to me is that I am radiance. This energy is what flowed through me as I created this piece. I didn't plan the painting beforehand; it evolved organically, and my radiance found itself expressed on the paper.
TRACEY HUNT, TRANQUILLITY (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1961, Mum & Retired Carer
I love the colours orange and silver, which are warm and welcoming and give me a sense of deep calm and comfort. I was very relaxed painting this painting; using brushes and string, my mind was able just to switch off.
TREVOR PRICE, CREATIVITY IN CHAOS (2023), ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
Born 1989, Photographer, Videographer and Editor
This painting was one of the first pieces I did during a DPA session and one of my first times painting on canvas. This piece represents a very chaotic time in my life when DPA sessions helped me switch off and just paint.
TREVOR PRICE, THE BULL (2023), ACRYLIC ON PAPER
Born 1989, Photographer, Videographer and Editor
This piece is one of 6 pieces I created during a palette cleansing exercise in the session where you are meant to experiment without thinking. This painting is the one that stood out to me from all the pieces I have done, not just from the 6, which were not intended to be anything.
trevor@tvtrevphotography.com
