The Crying Games

Well it seems that the whole country has got Olympic fever.  It has defiantly made captivating viewing and artists across the UK have been inspired, myself included.  I have always enjoyed gymnastics as the closest you can get to dance (my second passion after art) in the world of sport.  However I have not gone down the obvious route of drawing the gymnasts in action, instead my attention was caught by the in between moments, when they were waiting anxiously for scores, crying, being comforted by their coach or celebrating with team mates.  With the live round the clock broadcast, it seemed to me that there was more coverage of these moments than from previous games where we probably received a more edited version.  This behind the action view provided fascinating TV, as I joined in the agonised wait for results, empathised and celebrated along with the athletes. The effort, dedication and hard work that had gone into their routines shone through in their faces and reactions, revealing individual personalities and moments with more drama than a year of soap stories.  It was this range of emotions that inspired me to create a series of drawings recording what the press have called the crying games.  

Here is a view of some of the work in progress. 

All Images © Bethany Y Milam

Need to Create

I have been considering what is so addictive about making art and being an artist.  Many artists talk about their need to create, as if it were a basic need like eating or sleeping. What is this need and where does it come from?

For me the most exciting part of being an artist is the thrilling moment a new idea falls into place, the eureka moment when the idea for an artwork pops into my head.  As well as the slower process of thinking about how to go about making something on a particular topic and exploring and developing ideas until they gradually start to come together into a coherent form.  I just love the excitement of the moment when I am on the cusp of starting a new piece, when it is all I can think about and with a flurry of frantic activity I race around the studio setting up materials, sketching and making notes.  The difficulty comes in keeping this momentum going when everyday life gets in the way.