Hopes for a new career as Michael hits the art trail
Art Michael Meech joins the Chichester Open Studios Art Trail this year for the second time as he contemplates moving into art full time.
On the event’s Regis trail at Venue 123 (Langley, Denmans Lane, Fontwell, BN18 0SU), he will be offering porcelain sculpture with a twist of fantasy and a squeeze of macabre – dragons, wizards, witches, fairies and monsters.
“I am fairly new to the trail. I did it last year for the first time and I guess doing art more publicly is a slightlynew adventure for me.
“I have always been an artist, but as a hobby, but the past two or three years I have taken it out of its box. I just felt that now was the time.
“I am in my 50s and I just felt it would be a wasted opportunity not to show my art out there and let people see it.
“I wanted to explore the local area and meet people and artists.
“From the first week at school, I was the one that had the painting put up on the wall and I always knew that I had some talent.
“I have always modelled and painted for a hobby, a serious hobby at times, but then the usual things in life got in the way during my 20s and 30s. But now I am just feeling that I want to step back from my proper job and pursue what my passion really is.
“It is an easy decision in terms of where I want to go with my life, but it is a difficult decision financially. At the moment, I have not gone full-out full-time. I will continue with my job as a structural engineer, but the idea is for the art to take over in the next five years. That’s my plan!
“There are not many artists that seem to be able to make a living full time from their art.
“[Doing the open studios art trail last year] was scary and enjoyable. It is fantastic to see people come through the door and want to come and see your art and share what you make and how you make it.
“Most people are really interested in the process and very much enjoy exploring the process, but it was a bit scary to be laying yourself open to people. But it went well.
“I didn’t have that many people come to visit, but it was my first time. I am hoping for better numbers this year. I would like as many as possible, but a steady flow would be good.”
As for the work: “I mostly make fantasy art and sculpture. It is mostly porcelain, which is well known as a tricky material to use. In its soft state, it is quite difficult to manipulate. It gives for a while and then, all of a sudden, it is like it has suddenly had enough and says ‘I am not doing this anymore!’
“It has got a mind of its own and then it is quite tricky during the firing because it becomes soft and floppy.
“Creating the things that I create can be quite challenging.
“But it is fantasy artwork. It is all from my own imagination. It is not fan art. I don’t make Game of Thrones stuff, but in terms of people understanding it, it is dragons and wizards and some dark art that is perhaps a little bit uncomfortable.
“I have recently been dabbling in both oils and making sculptures from some more modern mixed media materials.
“One of my newest projects is a mixture of the two. I am making some ancient alien skulls in porcelain and then some of them are partially reconstructed.
“I have created skin and texture and colour in vinyl clay, which is like a plasticine to feel.”
The Chichester Open Studios Art Trail 2019 will once again offer a vast range of artworks to enjoy, all with the pleasure of meeting the artists in their own studios.
The 2019 trail will offer
160 artists exhibiting a wide range of work across 127 venues in and around the city of Chichester during the first two weekends in May (Saturday, Sunday, Monday, May 4, 5, 6; Saturday, Sunday, May 11, 12, 10.30am -5.30pm).