An Intriguing title for Virginia’s talk and slide show at our meeting in November, which described her successful varied, (and continuing) artistic career in the Arts, of which she is justifiably proud.
Leaving home in the East of England for a Fine Art degree in Bristol she could not have foreseen where her creativity would take her.
Virginia took us through her early years and influences, and showed us the development of her art. Based upon a love of drawing it took her into “wall sculptures” 3D pictures in wood , which helped gain her first employment as an architectural model-maker for a local council. It was her woodworking and construction skills which then took her, to” Lyon’s Special Effects Company,” where work included building life size shire horses and a 60’ sperm whale! Later at ‘Asylum Models & Effects Ltd’ in London, she made everything from model chocolate bars, to nuts, and puppets. Here she also gained a reputation for amazingly lifelike bee’s, snails ,and frog models, used in stop frame animation. She was working in what must have been an intense atmosphere of long hours and constant deadlines, so although Virginia returned to work after the birth of her first baby, it was back in Bristol, and here we were all amazed to learn she joined the team at “Aardman Animations” working with world renowned director Peter Lord. On one project (director Nick Park) she headed up a team of 6 to create and build the Mrs Tweedy character (and others) in “Chicken Run”! We all remembered the Creature Comforts series which was another (smaller scale) Aardman project for ITV.
A move to Wyke Champflower near Bruton began a new period in her life, returning to her early love of sculpture taking commissions, painting, and drawing just for herself, until the need for a regular income led to a temporary job as “sculpture specialist “teaching at Millfield School. This was a turning point as she eventually became a full time art teacher at the school facing her biggest challenge yet.
The curriculum required knowledge of a huge range of art forms, media and skills, many of which she had to learn, but uses now to inform her own creative practice.We saw examples of embroidery, textiles ,stitch and paint abstraction experiments, as well as printing ,frottage, and art inspired by pill blister packs!
Today Virginia confronts her own history through her art, with work which has personal meaning, abstract experimentation ,and personal figurative work. To see more;
https://www.virginiamasonart.com/
instagram; vcm333 .