What would you say is the most rewarding part of the process ? It was a great opportunity to look at my mum ’ s paintings properly . They were all around me when I was growing up , so I took them for granted , but looking at them for this project made me realise how good they are . She developed her work over many years and that practice led to her becoming a really talented painter .
What was the experience like to superimpose your comics with your mother ’ s oil paints for this book ? It was a difficult decision . I wanted to use the book to showcase my mum ’ s artwork , so drawing over the top of them had to serve a purpose . I ’ ve only done it in a few places , and sparingly so that the original painting is still the main focus . The idea was to show how important painting was to her – that the paintings actually became part of our family story . In the same way , being by the sea brought her a great amount of pleasure and I wanted to communicate that , which I did in places by superimposing text over her paintings . I wanted her paintings and my comics to work together , so in some places , as well as superimposing my comics over her paintings , I ’ ve used her artwork within the comic panels to contribute to the narrative .
In terms of audience , who is this book for ? The main reason for making the book was to show my mum ’ s paintings to as big an audience as possible , so I ’ d like to say it ’ s for everyone ! I think my mum ’ s approach to making art ( self-taught and with no purpose other than enjoying the process ) would fit into the Outsider Art category , so it might appeal to people with an interest in that . Whilst I was making the book I kept hoping that my dad and my sister would agree with my take on the anecdotes I tell about our family , so I suppose ultimately it ’ s for them .
What are you hoping readers take away from this book ? I ’ d like people to reconsider what seems ordinary to them – it can often seem special when seen from the outside . Also , that the act of creativity over the course of a lifetime can create a narrative that will live on into the future .
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