Shoshi Pearkes

Now in my 70s, I have been creative all my life. I have recently completed a year-long drawing course as I considered life-like drawing to be my weakest area. I love to draw with ink, coloured pencils and graphite, and use some watercolour and pastel pencils, and acrylics. I enjoy pattern and see it everywhere, and I use the patterns of Zentangle to create art. I work in mixed media to create books and albums, pop-ups and interactive pages, collage and generally getting messy with inks and gel medium, and I also love gel plate printing. I love working with yarns and fibres and have designed my own knitwear. I also crochet and do embroidery from my own designs. I adore colour as well as monochrome, and am a total texture junkie. I enjoy making art from trash and recycled materials and have an ongong joke with my hubby - I see something completely unrelated to art and wonder, "Could I make art out of that?" and he replies with a resounding "NO!" which I take as a challenge to prove him wrong!

We have two silver tabby cats, little sisters called Lily and Ruby who give us constant affection, joy and delight. We enjoy visiting stately homes in the UK and admiring the craftsmanship of the past in the form of antiques and the beauty of architecture. We both love Victorian Gothic revival, Art Deco and Art Nouveau. My hubby enjoys pen and watercolour painting.

I have some health issues which make me housebound unless my hubby takes me out. My limited mobility and low energy levels do not prevent me from being creative and enjoying my now somewhat limited lifestyle and I am never bored.

The most important thing that defines me apart from my creativity is my Christian faith which has sustained and blessed me for 40 years. I believe that God, our ultimate Creator Ex Nihilo has blessed me with my creative gifts and I love to use the raw materials available to me, to attempt to add in some small way to the existing Creation.