ISOLATION ARTIST BLOG - DAYS 14 & 15

Good Friday

Today it's a double entry as I spent all day relaxing in the garden yesterday as it was my birthday and didn't get round to writing the blog.

I'd planned to talk about Archibald Knox, a well known artist from the Isle of Man who designed for Liberty's in London in his unique British Art Nouveau style. He is regarded as being a prominent influence in the Arts and Crafts movement. His Celtic designs and calligraphy are world famous and iconic in the Isle of Man. 

Knox was born on the 9th April 1864 in Cronkbourne Village very near to where I lived as a child. I wanted to mention him because we share the same birthday but also because he has been a great influence on my work as an artist. When I was a young girl I would regularly visit the Manx Museum and look at his watercolour paintings. The abstract quality of his work fascinated me and I relate to the strong Celtic feel of the work.

My Great Aunt, Emily Bregazzi was taught art by Knox during the early 20th century. Great Aunt Emily also taught me some oil painting when I was about nine and I still have the Manx landscapes that I painted then. Around this age, most Saturdays I was taken out into the Manx countryside with my Nana, and two Great Aunts Edith and Emily. We would park the car and look at the view for quite a long time. All of these early experiences have stayed with me to this day. I just love to sit and look at the view and a lot of the time I love to paint.