CLARENCE NOVA (AKA AMY ATKINSON)
As a visual artist, I am exploring notions of sustainability and new materialities within my works intertwining painting, drawing, embroidery, and collage inspired by my travels and work as an art teacher in (currently) Hong Kong. I am further inspired by the entanglements of the natural and urban environment highlighted by my walking practice inspired by A/R/Tography, always endeavouring to celebrate the beauty in the ordinary.
My latest works explore movement and light through an emphereal lens of time and space. The quiet and stillness experienced through the pandemic lockdowns and 4 different quarantine experiences had a profound impact on my artwork and has inspired me to explore in more depth our connection with the earth and embrace the responsibility of our presence, endeavouring to use new materialities to find connection within our own fragile spirit of place. |
HELLO!
First off, thank you so much for your interest in my work!
I often receive emails asking about my creative process and more so asking for help and guidance from art students; specifically those working through their IB DP VA submissions. If this is you... you can find more information on my IB DP VA with Miss A site.
I can't respond to every email as my time is divided between teaching IB DP Visual Arts in an international school in Hong Kong, working on my Ph.D. studies in Art Education with Concordia University, co-editing the Canadian Art Teacher journal, teaching and creating Secondary Visual Arts courses for Ontario Virtual School, working on my own studio practice.. and finding time to meditate and sip my Ito En green tea. What follows are a few answers to some common questions I get asked.
First off, thank you so much for your interest in my work!
I often receive emails asking about my creative process and more so asking for help and guidance from art students; specifically those working through their IB DP VA submissions. If this is you... you can find more information on my IB DP VA with Miss A site.
I can't respond to every email as my time is divided between teaching IB DP Visual Arts in an international school in Hong Kong, working on my Ph.D. studies in Art Education with Concordia University, co-editing the Canadian Art Teacher journal, teaching and creating Secondary Visual Arts courses for Ontario Virtual School, working on my own studio practice.. and finding time to meditate and sip my Ito En green tea. What follows are a few answers to some common questions I get asked.
WHY CLARENCE NOVA?
Because it makes me happy. It's also my instagram handle. And my we-chat name. When I signed up for instagram, for some reason, I thought I was supposed to make a creative name that wasn't my own name. Clarence Nova is my plant. It's a rubber plant that I found outside my residence at UofT when I was a student. At the time it was literally a stick in soil. No leaves, nothing. And I said, I can bring it back to life. It's masssive now. ClarenceNova currently lives at my sister's house in Toronto because her house has the highest ceilings.. and I can't take him on my travels. But... between you and me.. the name didn't just come out of the blue. Clarence was a nickname of one of my favourite friends in high school and Nova was the EPIC car that was passed down through the kids in our family and I took on many adventures. |
HOW DID YOU BECOME AN ARTIST?
I think this one usually means WHY did I become an artist. Because the how is pretty straightforward.. just do art and you are an artist. Actually, I believe we are all creative and we are all artists, some of us just haven't realized it yet. I just always like to create stuff. I love an empty white wall/canvas/paper. And I am always looking at art and watching other artists and thinking of ways that I can do what they are doing, or use their ideas through my filter to create something that I like.
I think this one usually means WHY did I become an artist. Because the how is pretty straightforward.. just do art and you are an artist. Actually, I believe we are all creative and we are all artists, some of us just haven't realized it yet. I just always like to create stuff. I love an empty white wall/canvas/paper. And I am always looking at art and watching other artists and thinking of ways that I can do what they are doing, or use their ideas through my filter to create something that I like.
WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU USE?
I love oil painting. And spray painting. Walking around and playing with my camera, spinning and moving trying to catch a melange of colour and movement. And lately, my new obsession is dying with juice and photography light and colour. That came out of the pandemic and being locked down in my tiny apartment in Montreal in winter. I couldn't work with my oil and spray paints and I juiced alot. At the time I was obsessed with celery juice. So there was alot of excess vegetable fiber that was filling up my garbage and I thought, there must be SOMETHING I can do with this.
I love oil painting. And spray painting. Walking around and playing with my camera, spinning and moving trying to catch a melange of colour and movement. And lately, my new obsession is dying with juice and photography light and colour. That came out of the pandemic and being locked down in my tiny apartment in Montreal in winter. I couldn't work with my oil and spray paints and I juiced alot. At the time I was obsessed with celery juice. So there was alot of excess vegetable fiber that was filling up my garbage and I thought, there must be SOMETHING I can do with this.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Lately, I have become inspired by sustainable materials. I am also in a more reflective stage in my life, so I feel myself thinking back to my childhood and wishing to celebrate some of those moments of innocence. I am inspired by colour, boldness but also flowing organic things. My favourite artists are James Jean, Botticelli, Lawren Harris (of the Group of Seven) and Georgia O'Keeffe. I am also currently obessed with Rafik Anadol and digital art and am playing with augmented reality. There are about a zillion artists that I follow on socials that constantly inspire me and give me new ideas.
Lately, I have become inspired by sustainable materials. I am also in a more reflective stage in my life, so I feel myself thinking back to my childhood and wishing to celebrate some of those moments of innocence. I am inspired by colour, boldness but also flowing organic things. My favourite artists are James Jean, Botticelli, Lawren Harris (of the Group of Seven) and Georgia O'Keeffe. I am also currently obessed with Rafik Anadol and digital art and am playing with augmented reality. There are about a zillion artists that I follow on socials that constantly inspire me and give me new ideas.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS AND ART STUDENTS?
It is interesting to see the journey that is your life entangling itself through the years and seeing how your art develops, changes and flows. My advice to anyone and everyone is just keep making art. To be honest, I have curated this site to show you only my latest works because it has taken me a LONG time to actually like my art. I have a whole storage container full of massive artworks that I did as I developed. My family also gets many of works that I do. When I was younger, I would paint the walls. So my houses are also full of my paintings. Sure when I look back my artwork seems not so great.. but at the time.. it was fun and I worked hard at it.. and I was happy with it. And as you continue to create, you develop, learn and grow. I couldn't have imagined the artwork that I am doing now a few years ago. And I have no idea the artwork that I will be doing 5 years from now. THAT is the adventure. And... if there is a certain process that is stressing you right now, like so many students get freaked out with drawing, thinking that they can't do it. But I think it all just takes time and comes in time. So if there is something you can't do, find a work around. Use procreate and trace shapes. Work with photographs and paint over them. Eventually, the skills that you lack or are insecure about will come to you. |