A Date With More.... My Artist's Date in the City of Manchester

A few weeks ago I wrote about a 'Date with more Art' to my lovely readers of Soul Portrait Healing News and I found myself this weekend with about 3 hours on my own in the City of Manchester.  I lived there for 2 years when I was 18-20 and wow, has it changed!

Let me tell you, it was truly packed, the Christmas Markets had opened, over 200 log cabins weaving their way throughout the city, filled with delicious delights from around Europe and the World, artefacts and artisans.  

I'm not a great shopper, I can do only so much and then I just need to be quiet.  

Wandering down Deansgate, i stumble across a Juice Bar, which I totally knew would give me energy: yum! watermelon and pineapple freshly squeezed juice, it was just delish.

I then discovered, tucked away amongst the bustling street The John Rylands Library, owned and run by the University of Manchester, it is a working academic library that had such a wonderful feel about it.  I spent at least 90 minutes musing my way around, sitting in the lovely library chairs, admiring the ancient books and text, carvings and spending time educating myself about Polari.

After a couple of hours in here, I then rediscovered Paperchase, a huge store here in the UK and I hadn't seen such an array of pens, pads, paper for a long time.

I was in paper heaven.  Two Floors!

my kinda heaven... pens, pens and more pens!

a wall of paper, beautiful!

I finished off my few hours at The Castle Galleries, another place where I spent about an hour.  

This art gallery has sites over the UK and they had some wonderful pieces of modern art on the wall.  I was mesmerised.  I spent time reading all the artist's biographies and what I discovered was 7/10 of them were all self taught.  They had perhaps studied art at school, leaving with an O Level but hadn't gone to Art School.

This truly inspired me.  

I have often not declared I'm an Artist because I didn't go to art school, when in fact, the creative muse wants to now shout it from the rooftops.  I may not have learnt art school style, but I have developed my own style.

On paper, canvas and digitally. 

We often just need to get on and do whatever we need to do. Don't we? 

Let's stop hiding behind ourselves!

Whether this be create canvases, write books, create fabulous cakes, or design healing gardens [*insert your own here] 

I was taken in by Alex Echo's high glossed canvases.  He's an American painter and in chatting to the gallery manager, it appears he uses over 200 cocktail sticks to create the style of fused colours.  He also finishes his pieces with an extremely high gloss lacquer, and even a small fly, or piece of hair landing on the painting can ruin the entire effect. (Thank goodness I don't do this with the Cat and Jack Russell hair we have in abundance!)

I particularly loved Paul Kenton's cityscape style of paintings

I also adored Keith Proctor's work:

"When we are children, the future is today, we are innocent and free to enjoy. The day we start to think about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind." Keith Proctor.

And one that surprised me was Bob Dylan.  I never knew he painted and his style is something I just could really relate to.  This forms his exhibition called 'The Drawn Blank Series'.  Whilst travelling on tour between 1989 and 1992, Bob Dylan created a collection of drawings that were published in a book entitled 'Drawn Blank' in 1994. Dylan transformed these pieces using watercolour and gouache ahead of an exhibition in 2006. These paintings formed a collection entitled 'The Drawn Blank Series'.

Ronnie Wood, of The Rolling Stones is also exhibiting around the UK and there was a selection of his canvases.  Totally fabulous.  

I learnt alot in those 3 hours.  

I learnt that I need to take Artist's Dates regularly, so that I can connect with my Inner Artist.  

I learnt that I have the potential to exhibit and to show my work. [Did I just write that?]

I learnt that just because I never went to art college, I can still call myself an Artist!

All that in just 3 hours.

I have so enjoyed taking you with me on A Date with More Art, I hope you enjoyed it too.  I'll do it again next time I go. 

Why not tell me if you have A Date with More .... what is the More? 

Won't you let me know what you learnt wherever you went, in the comments below?

Till next time.
Love
Jules xxx

Hi, I'm Jules Dolly

I'm a healing artist and guide, inspiring women to heal the way they see themselves with Soul Portrait Medicine. 

I want women to look their Divine Muse in the Eyes and recognise her own beauty, right now, no change needed. By creating original, hand drawn Soul Portrait illustrations, I lead them on a deeply profound online healing journey.

Weaving Reiki healing and symbols into each image, what's produced are powerful magical totems that can be used in healing spaces, altars, meditations and visual journals.

"She has many things to tell you, listen and you'll hear her whispers. This, is, Soul Portrait Medicine".

www.julesdollyart.co.uk
www.facebook.com/soulportraithealing 
@julesdolly (twitter/instagram/pinterest)

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