The Project
Hands, Head & Heart
"Those who work with their hands are labourers. Those who work with their hands and head are craftsmen. But those who work with their hands, head and heart are artists".
This quote was the inspiration behind my 2018 photographic project, or more accurately it provided me with the title for a project I had been mulling over for a few years.
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Using a series of environmental portraits I wanted to show the artist at work, how their work is created and perhaps gain an insight into the artist themselves and their creative process along the way.
So, using the above quote as my introduction, I put out an open invitation to anyone who considered themselves an artist to get in touch to take part in my project. All they had to do was agree to be photographed by me in the space they use to create their art, and answer 9 questions - the same 9 questions I asked all artists who took part.
I was delighted with the response I got and pleased that I had a wide variety of styles and mediums. Traditional and abstract painters; a musician; a writer; a textile artist, all identified with the Heads, Hands & Heart quote and they all seemed to welcome the opportunity to talk about their art which, without exception, they were clearly passionate about.
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During this process I met and made friends with some very creative people and, I hope, was able to shine a light on them as individuals and their talent.
Please take a look at the relevant pages on this website for the end result.
Hands, Head & Heart Part II
Little did I know how much the world would change in the few short years since I completed this project. Which got we wondering what effect has a global pandemic has had on artists and their creative process?
With this in mind I've decided to revisit Hands, Head & Heart but with a new set of volunteers across a diverse range of mediums and are now displayed on this webpage.
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James Warman
