Margaret Atkinson
margaret@art-atkinson.com
 
 As a child growing up in Manchester I dreamt of becoming a great painter and opera singer. I would stick paper flowers on my parents wine glasses and draw faces in my school books. Unfortunately, I didn't go straight into the formal arts education as life led me in other directions: looking after and nursing family members stopped me from furthering my own career at that time. However while in America as well as a little painting and drawing I did engage with the time honoured tradition of quilting and rug-making.
I have never been able to sit still for very long, always wanting to engage with the creative, imaginative aspect of my nature, be it writing, painting, drawing etc or fixing something or other around the home. To recharge my batteries I ride my bike in the parks of London, take walks in the country and along the coast. Upon returning from America to live in London I continued to be involved in the arts and crafts, theatre and singing with the Beaufort Opera Group in Fulham, the Massent Society and several choirs in and around London. After attending two foundation ‘fine art’ courses, I went on to successfully finish my BA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London. (2002). In 2004 I spent a month at the Limossol art studios which belong to the University of Cyprus. I have two main bodies of work. ‘Tulips from Amsterdam’ which has a theme of entrapment, gender and fragility of the human psyche and now has over 200 images including paintings, drawings and etchings. Redrosesareforever is my second body of work which was triggered by the sudden and tragic death of two friends, three days after they were married in Spain. This had a dramatic affect on my work, I found that I couldn’t paint, everything came to a halt. This new work contains personal history and address issues of litigation, history, memories and the cathartic process os healing which helped me grieve over the loss of two friends. ARTS AND CRAFTS EDUCATION - 1967 - 2006 Rug making and Quilting (with some teaching) - America USA - 2 year course Voice development, Choir & Opera singing - London UK 4 years Fashion and Interior design, City and Guilds - London UK 1 year Foundation Access to Art (The Strand Lambeth) - London UK 1 year Printmaking. London Print-works - London UK 3 months Photography workshop-Adult education - London UK 6 months Art and Design Foundation. Kensington & Design - London UK 1 year Chelsea College of Art & Design BA HON - London UK 5 years University of Cyprus (painting) - Cyprus 1 month 2004 Now a member of the londonbiennale group Printmaking and etching Morley College - London 6 months 2006 Louise Bourgeois, Anselm Kiefer, Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol are four artist whose work I studied in detail. Their work is, in my view, a gutsy challenge and a record of life and events, moments in time leaving a 'Fine Art' imprint of recorded history of both social and personal trauma. William Morris, Vermeer,James Ensor, Otto Dix and George Grosz. I admire George Condo’s drawings and Mike Rooney’s L. on Earth paintings. online gallery 'Tulips From Amsterdam' online gallery 'Red Roses are Forever'  Tulips%20From%20Amsterdam.htmlHome.htmlTulips%20From%20Amsterdam.htmlshapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1
house for sale - quilt 1980
 photograph taken 1984