A 3-Metre Statement on Euston Road

Weekly Art Practice, issue 70 | The Outsider Artist known as SLART.

NEW HERE? WHAT'S THIS WEEKLY ART PRACTICE ALL ABOUT?

Every Saturday, I share my art practice. I'm captivated by the process, not just the finished pieces but everything from influences to materials. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes peek at an artist's world.

[If this masterpiece is too long for email, you can read Cream of the Crop in Substack. Or download the Substack app.]

Well, this was a nice surprise on Tuesday this week! Art Rabbit shared Memento Vivere on their Instagram stories.

As a result, I started to get some ticket bookings in.

I’ve ordered a 3m x 1m banner to go outside St Pancras Church on Euston Road, on the railings. I can’t wait to hang it!

Again, will this bear fruit (or is it bare fruit?) I don’t know, but I get these ideas. So, I get these ‘press open calls’ via email, and I replied with a piece, “How to buy art”.

The good news is, I got accepted! I must admit, it feels pretty cool being published somewhere other than my own Substack account!

Let’s see what happens. At the very least, it gets my name out there as an artist, if it starts inspiring people to buy art, then that’s cool too!

What’s next? If you recall, I applied to the Arts Council’s Developing Your Creative Practice fund last December but wasn’t successful. That experience stayed with me, and I’m happy to share that I’ve started applying again for the 2025 round—this time with a stronger focus on my artistic practice, research, and experimentation. I’ve taken the lessons from my previous application to heart and used them to improve my application. I’m submitting it before the 22nd May, wish me luck!

As you asked so kindly, I’ll share Q1 with you so you get an idea of what they’re asking…

1. Tell us about yourself and your creative practice

Up to 1,800 characters (approximately 300 words)

Using a naive style, my art expresses universal themes (life, death) as emotional release. While influenced by my life experiences of adoption, shyness, chronic kidney disease, transplants, and family loss, my work blends these deep themes with pop culture, nostalgia, memory, and humour to disarm the viewer, offering an uplifting perspective. This is achieved by creating a more accessible entry point into complex emotions, leading the viewer towards a sense of real hope and resilience.

I've harnessed my ADD as a creative advantage, using its divergent thinking to connect unexpected ideas for unique visual solutions. This neurodivergent perspective fuels my spontaneous, intuitive approach to art. My process, though starting with mood boards and reference photos, quickly becomes intuitive – I choose colours seemingly spontaneously and embrace unexpected results. I primarily work with acrylics on large canvases and sometimes murals, often while listening to 80s/90s music or podcasts on spirituality, self-improvement or art.

While juggling full-time work, I've built my art practice over five years and have shown my work about five times yearly across Western Europe. In 2022, my 'Fistula' exhibition raised £500 for Kidney Care UK. I've received recognition along the way, including mentions in the Luxembourg Art Prize (2022, 2023) and being featured as ArtJobs.com's Artist of the Month in May 2022. I teamed up with Gabriel Fine Arts and had my mural work featured on BBC News in 2022. I've also shown work at the House of Commons and kept up a regular Substack for 2 years, posting twice weekly, interviewing artists and sharing my art practice each Saturday. Through consistent work, I've managed to create a meaningful body of artwork and build connections in the art world.

If you'd like to read my art practice writings, please visit https://www.creamofthecropbyslart.com/t/weekly-art-practice

Second to last, but definately not second to least, sadly, my local MP cannot attend Art Brut due to other arrangements.

To end on a high, I have 3 whole days in my studio next week, I look forward to sharing with you what occurs. I’ve planned a load of paintings for memento vivere, printed a load of source material, so I don’t have to check my phone, and I’m excited.

I’m sure there’s more that occurred this week, I’ve been promoting like mad, but that’ll do for now.

Have a good week.

Take care,

Memento Vivere: Remember to Live.

Best wishes,

SLART.

P.S. One more thing, could you please leave a 4 or 5-star (Hopefully not 1,2 or 3) review on my SLART Google page? Just trying to level up my online game and get my art in front of more eyes, and this small, straightforward, and swift action would be immensely beneficial. Cheers!