I came to Art from a sports background and having developed weak bones and a broken leg, I had to give up sport and now use my energy for producing art. So a competition? That’s right up my sporting streak, I love to compete and scoring a goal is amazing.  So combining art into a competition was irresistible for me.

I volunteer as a Workshop Leader at Centrepieces and use my sports coaching to develop confidence to produce art in fellow members. As many members will tell you, if you sit at my art table, be ready to score a goal!

Back to the competition; this year’s Art Prize has the theme of Joy and they introduce the writings of C S Lewis to develop this theme. Got me hooked and I started researching Joy as although it’s something I know of, I didn’t fully understand and couldn’t articulate what I understand as Joy. Scoring a goal is excitement, not Joy. I now understand Joy is innate, it’s calm and we just need simple everyday prompts to make it flow. 

Coincidently, at the time of the competition launch, I was running workshops on Portraits using the method I had witnessed at a Frank Auerbach exhibition ‘Charcoal Heads’. I was at the Lodge with Paul helping him finish off his Dame Kelly Homes Portrait and, as he didn’t need my help, I decided to do a quick portrait and pulled a  Mother Teresa image out of the folder and thought “yes, she has a very interesting face”. Then I had one of those sessions all artists will recognize where the image just flows out of you and your sub-conscious seems to take over and there it is, and you’re left thinking “who did that? It can’t have been me”! 

So I took the image home as I loved it and Monique (Partner) also loved it, but what do you do with it? Then Monique looked at me and said, “There it is, that’s your image for the art prize!” I didn’t understand at first;  why a charcoal of Mother Teresa?  Because she brought so much Joy to people in need! I then proceeded to research Mother Teresa and soon found that she has also written a lot about Joy and that Joy was the fuel of her actions. 

I am buoyant as I feel this is now not only an entry into a competition; aligned with promoting mental health management and Centrepeices Art Project,  I believe a social movement on Joy is possible to develop through the process of this competition that will benefit you, your friends and family and thereby your wider community. 

I could quote many quotes on Joy and will do throughout the competition process but here’s one that is powerful in today’s climate of global unrest.

“Peace begins with a smile” - Saint Teresa of Calcutta, AKA Mother Teresa

The competition goes live on August 5th  2024 and I will be posting a link to my entry on Social Media so keep a look out. If my piece and message speak to you please join the movement and vote online for my piece. 

Centrepieces will be developing the message of Joy throughout August so keep in touch.

WJC

To vote for WJC's artwork, follow this link and vote on entry number 96.

2019: The Year We Turned 20!

Two decades of expressive and exploratory art, promoting a better understanding of mental illness to the wider community