Sometimes, I just think I am weird. Don’t get me wrong. I am actually quite proud of this statement. The truth is, I have never wanted to be normal or to be like everyone else. Luckily for me I didn’t have a conventional upbringing so this has never really been the case. The need (it has always been more of a need than an urge) to create has always been part of who I am. I have however, slipped into ‘normality’ from time to time to test the waters but I have found it to be beige, leaving me frustrated and uninspired.
The Urge to Create
The urge to create has been evident since the dawn of civilization with its roots still being explored and philosophers continually puzzled by what is behind it’s compelling drive. Over the many years I have been on this earth the need to create has been at the forefront of nearly everything I do. The urge is strong. The mediums or methods used have varied immensely. Creating has taken me on many journeys where I have learnt a plethora of skills. Painting, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, textiles, dressmaking, design, interior design, cooking, welding, weaving, casting, paper mache, gardening, jewellery making, paving, bricklaying, mosaics, photography, basketweaving, woodwork, card making, to name but a few! Phew!
I could say …’I am a Jill of all trades and a master of none’ although I do think I am pretty proficient at a few of the mediums on this list, now! However, there is always one constant thread that weaves everything together in my need to create and that is COLOUR.
Yet….with all these skills, I do not call myself an artist. Why is this? Maybe its because both my parents were artists and I grew up in art galleries or because that word “artist” has connotations that you must be successful, selling loads of your work in a gallery and be a professional in perhaps only one medium. For whatever reason, (and to be honest, I have many) I prefer to say that I am “creative.” This frees me up to create, be and do whatever I want. 
Which Medium To Use?
Most of the time it actually doesn’t matter in which medium or variety of mediums I am working, as long as I am expressing my creativity and my vision is manifesting before my eyes. This can even be as simple as what I decide to wear! My need to create is all encompassing. Colour has to be everywhere and my environment has to reflect this need and be inspiring!
Visionary Environments
Maybe this is why I have been fascinated by what I like to call “visionary environments.” These may be individual homes, complexes or communities. They are not your normal ‘run of the mill’ house and garden but environments where the individual is driven to create and build. They may spend every waking hour working to express that need, obsessed perhaps to the point of being ostracised by their family or community. Some of these environments may not even be particularly aesthetic or pleasing but can be incredibly detailed, wild and out of this world! There are ‘visionary environments’ all over the world. Some are very famous like Gaudi’s Park Guell in Barcelona Spain and others are very obscure.
I love to travel. Travelling opens my eyes and shows me the colours of the world and the splendor of nature. It helps me to understand history and the diversity of the human race. It teaches me tolerance and compassion. I also get to see the result of many individual and collective visions and their sheer determination to create something truly amazing. This can be said of some of the most iconic buildings or structures in the world like the Pyramids in Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, Versailles in France which all started as a vision and took creativity and determination to bring it into reality. Also, I might add in the above cases , power and lots of money!!
While the iconic buildings and structures are truly wonders to behold, my passion has been in the more ‘off beat’ environments. Unusual structures and environments, have been built in gardens, forests, busy cities, open spaces or even hidden places. Such environments represent one of the most extraordinary forms of human creativity, the natural urge to decorate and embellish one’s dwelling. This has resulted in unique testimonies to an individual’s power of originality.
Some ‘Creators’ have no contact with art schools or galleries and many with little thought of financial gain and may be known as ‘Outsider Art.’ They are driven by an overwhelming desire to express their creativity, to fulfill their fantasies, to make a meaningful world for themselves. Their extraordinary creative commitment is evident from the length of time that these complex compositions take to build. As with all art, their creations in the end defy explanation; their meaning is in their powerful visual impact.
So, over the past several years I have made it my mission to visit many of these amazing ‘visionary environments’ and to immerse myself in their vision, colour and enormity. Take for example….
La Maison Picasiette
La Maison Picasiette in Chartres France built by Raymond Isidore. After constructing his house in early 1930’s he then looked at how he might decorate it with his wife Adrienne Dousset. While working as a caretaker at the nearby cemetery Isidore went for a walk in the fields and saw by chance little bits of broken glass, fragments of china and broken crockery. He gathered them together, without any precise intention, for their colours and sparkle. He piled them up in a corner of the garden and eventually around 1938, it came to him that he could assemble them to make mosaic to decorate his house.
For nearly twenty five years, Isidore decorated the walls, floors and ceilings. He then did the same to all the furniture and every object. Afterwards he moved onto the outside walls and courtyards. Isidore then built a summerhouse, a chapel and decorated a garden with his final project being the blue tomb or “The Spirits Tomb.” A deeply religious man, he finished in 1962 and was to die two years later on September 7th 1964 , the day before his birthday. He was 64 years old.
I had seen La Maison Picasiette in an art book probably 20 years ago and was totally struck by the colour, sheer scale and naivety of his home. I had continually thought about this place over the years and desperately wanted to see it for real. In 2014 I made it my mission to go. I was totally blown away to say the least!! On entering the property (set behind a very modest suburban entrance) I subsequently burst into tears. My daughter thought I had totally lost it! It was hard to take it all in. It was sooooo incredibly inspiring. Thankfully, it is managed by The Friends of Chartres Cathedral who maintain and repair the property for the future.
https://www.chartres.fr/sortir-a-chartres/culture/maison-picassiette/
The Tarot Garden’ (Il Giardinodei Taroochi)
Another is ‘The Tarot Garden’ in Garavicchio, Tuscany, Italy by Niki de Saint Phalle. Already an artist, she had a reputation in the 1960’s for her large scale sculptures of rotund women known as ‘Nanas.’ After visiting Gaudi’s Park Guell in Barcelona she was inspired to build her own Garden of Joy. Unlike Isidore who did all the work himself de Saint Phalle had to inspire others to carry out her vision after being struck down with Rheumatoid arthritis and could hardly walk or use her hands. Effectively she became the architect of the garden.
But nothing could stop her. She was bewitched. She felt it was her destiny to make the garden no matter how great the difficulties. There was no deadline and she worked in complete freedom. The Tarot Gardens are based on the twenty two images of the Major Arcana of the tarot pack. She had worked on the Tarot Garden for over 20 years and had actually created other smaller projects in France when she did on May 21st 2002.
In 2014 when I arrived at the Tarot Gardens it took my breath away…. this was apart from the fact that it was 38 degrees! My loved ones left me to spend as much time as was necessary to explore and marvel at this extraordinary place. Not only was it virtually all mosaics but most of the tiles and ceramics used were actually moulded to shape in situ and then applied as mosaic. Truly amazing!!
http://ilgiardinodeitarocchi.it/en/
The Rock Garden by Nek Chand
The Rock Garden by Nek Chand in Chandigargh, Northern India is another example. I was lucky enough to visit here late in 2017. What a wonder! Some 2,800 mosaic sculptures adorn this space along with many fountains, walls, grottos and gardens. Nek Chand died in June 2015 at the age of 94 after spending a lifetime creating his own unique space. For many of the first few years he created by firelight in secrecy of the jungle with only his wife knowing.
Originally from Pakistan his story of determination and creativity is so inspiring he and the gardens have become the 2nd biggest tourist attraction after the Taj Mahal! The garden also became a huge recycling plant as Chand disposed (by way of creating) the huge waste created when demolishing villages to build the new city of Chandigarh.
http://nekchand.com/about-nek-chand
Castle Phoenix and Sculpture Gardens
There is even a Visionary Environment here in Tasmania. The incredible Castle Phoenix and Sculpture Gardens is being created by my friends Francis & Christina in the small village of Geeveston. Check out there facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Building-Castle-Phoenix-510428662322049/photos/?ref=page_internal
This is just a few of the many amazing environments around the world that inspire me, but there are still so many! So, we are heading off soon to far off lands to see more amazing curious places, so stay tuned. Luckily for me my husband Paul shares my love of these inspiring environments but not to the same obsessive degree!
Creating Our Own Visionary Environment
Through several house renovations and do ups we have gradually honed our skills and surrounded ourselves with what we love. Progressively we have embarked on bigger projects and become confident in experimenting and feeling the freedom to do whatever we want. Not worrying about whether others will like it or whether it will add value to our home. Our home and garden is a reflection of us, quirky, colourful, comfortable, productive, relaxing and fun. There is still so much to do but the joy and satisfaction is in the journey.
What Inspires You to Create?
The urge to create may take a different form for you. You may find numbers, sport, food or science creative. Creating something (whatever you decide it will be at the time) is so rewarding and satisfying. It lowers your stress levels and lifts your mood. It also has a flow on effect to others who can also enjoy your creations. And to be honest, the world would be a very boring place if we were all creative in the same way.
So, what ever floats your boat, I urge you to explore, research and find inspiration to create, create,CREATE!
Kaye xx
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