A Wonderweb of Women

By Tania Holmes

By the time I found myself walking cautiously down an unfamiliar Pleasley Mill corridor smelling toast and coffee on the go, life had delivered a really through bashing.

A multitude of harsh blows had impacted on health and finances, including pet illnesses and deaths, covid redundancy, family issues, business heartache and relationship breakdowns. Add on menopause, which crept up sneakily without me realising, plus awaiting counselling for past trauma, it is fair to say I was a crazy hot mess, feeling rather lost and alone.

Like a few local creatives, I work part-time at Bolsover Castle and my colleague Alice (@anxiousbunnydesigns) nudged me towards the Creative Women’s Network. Too scary. Meeting a load of strangers? No thanks! Spent a year avoiding it before putting my big girl pants on.

So…squashing down panic, I reluctantly ventured through the Platform Thirty1 door…then promptly escaped to have a much-needed anxiety wee and do some calm breathing in the loo. After hiding in the corner under a yellow comfort blanket for a while I emerged to discover a bunch of kind, tolerant and welcoming individuals who seemed as quirky as me. After a few sessions something shifted. Possibilities. These women were inspiring and somehow making things work creatively. These meetings were practical and productive. My business was struggling – Brexit had killed international sales, eBay fees were high and product visibility worsening. With loads of artistic and transferable skills it was logical to change direction. But how?

And thus, my bizarre journey began. I was accepted onto the Lean-On project. At New Year I declared to the universe via Instagram that this year I would make my creative practice make money and off I trotted into the world of the unknown.

Everyone was talking about Derbyshire Makes. This arts festival, but it sounded fabulous, so I applied to Junction Arts to wire-wrap a sculpture for Chesterfield Makes, a town where I’ve volunteered and worked for years. I wasn’t surprised to be turned down, but then magic began. An email appeared offering a paid contract for Bolsover Makes! EEK. This was really happening! What to do?

My interest was now well and truly piqued. A large metal sculpture evolved from deconstructed light fittings, Meccano, a Christmas tree topper, a waste paper basket, buttons, pins and various other objects! I embarked on a journey of trialling new techniques and combinations of mixed materials to reference shimmering iridescence and wing markings.

I then asked cheekily if I could sell a few things. Yes, said Junction Arts…WOW, seriously?! This sparked another path of discovery, experimenting with handmade felt and figuring out how to reuse all sorts of items to prevent them going into landfill and create something beautiful and unique. An array of baby “Wingy Things” were born.

I connected with the lovely Connie Poulter along the way. She had been to London to photograph the fossils and kindly produced massive prints for me to display so people could see the detail.

When Bolsover Makes day arrived I was armed with a local story to share, photos to show, a giant metal Griffenfly sculpture to finish and a new product range of winged creatures! It was a whirlwind of joy, including my very first art sales! I was humbled that people I knew popped along to support my new venture and lots of people came to chat and browse. It was incredibly inspiring to be part of such a vibrant festival in my home town. Folks shared information about the Griffenfly fossils, the mines, about mechanics and creative working due to the materials I was using and the subject matter.

The ball began rolling. Next, I was invited by Local to have a selling stall at Hardwick Hall’s “Women Who Make”. More learning, conversations and sales. Art was finally bringing in a small income! I used this opportunity to see if people who didn’t want to buy were potentially interested in workshops. I asked questions, listened and gained feedback on my art and was receptive to ideas kindly given for future development.

My hobby of creating pieces of ad hoc art and writing for the Steampunk World has ended up giving me a foundation for the future. I showed these pieces to Platform Thirty1, Junction Arts, Local, and they gave opportunities to grow and shine. There are no words for how it feels to have people believe in you after losing self-confidence and battling anxiety to be functional in group settings.

My love for “Wingy Things” – angels, fairies, dragons, birds and winged minibeasts has provided a niche and direction for future creative practice.

Wonderful things now keep happening.  There’s an Ivor the Engine commission in the pipeline and a metal wedding top table sculpture has just been completed.  I reinvested Derbyshire Makes income and have been accepted as an exhibitor at the Derbyshire Life Home and Gift Show. I’m so excited!

To have a piece displayed in a gallery would be a dream, so having discovered Opencuratorspace, special pieces have been made for submission. I’ve really enjoyed working temporarily with a creative youth project and will be facilitating various family workshops for events later this year with a few markets booked to boot! I am on board as a volunteer with Junction Arts now and have a paid day at a local festival coming up. None of these opportunities would have happened if Derbyshire Makes hadn’t given a local girl a chance to shine. In a few months my life has completely changed into a fabulous artistic whirlwind. 

Whatever next? Who knows? Watch this space!

Tania Holmes

@revampedcreations

revampedcurtains.co.uk/