Ann Diment Somerset, United Kingdom
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I live in Glastonbury, Somerset I am an emerging artist after completing a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design as a mature student after a 20 years as a Health, Safety & Wellbeing practitioner. I have lived experience of ACE's and cPTSD so use my creative practice to support my wellbeing, and smash the stigma around Mental Health and promote trauma-informed practice.

I commission activites to support welbeing and reduce heaalth inequalities , and also work independantly as an artist, poet, performer and 'creative changemaker' coach supporting burned out creatives and professionals to break free and burn brighter.

For my college studies I documented my practice on two Tumblr blogs and Instagram regularly (details below)

I work with a range of media and am particularly interested in recycling and repurposing objects that would normally be discarded, to connect a ‘mend and repair’ theme to the conversation about mental health recovery and healing. I also draw inspiration from nature to instil an observational and meditative aspect to my work and have experience as a music and acting performer too.

The process of studying for an Art and Design Foundation diploma enabled me to connect with and release so much past trauma and life experiences and I want to continue this journey and help others find their voices, working collaboratively with communities to help co-create art that empowers survivors of adverse childhood events (ACE’s) to express and heal through the visual and performing arts.

I create community art activities to help people start connecting with their wider world and introduce more empathy and compassion for themselves and for those around us, as many will have found the lockdown and other traumas associated with the COVID pandemic difficult to process or articulate.

Recent examples of my work are in the application and examples of my creative writing and film work are here:

• Turning the Tables on Burnout' Book published October 2023: https://worksafeandwell.co.uk/turning-the-tables-on-burnout-book/ • Poems included in the 'Watchet Poemscape' project here: https://ralphhoyte.org/augmented-soundscapes/the-quantock-poetry-trail/watchet-poemscape/. • Poems published in 'A room of one's own- Lockdown house' archive of women's writing in response to lockdown (Launched with a perfromance reading at the house of commons, June 2023). : https://roomsofourownthelockdownhouse.v21artspace.com/ • Poem published in ‘Hot Poets Sparks’ book (launching 02/03/23): https://etsy.me/3Ez1I5E • Talk at Artlab- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj1qgpU3TUU End of Year Show 'tour': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YTh8EFECpg • Creating Recovery- audio installation work expressing the healing power of creativity: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZMzvyupiUY • ‘Hope’- a film made about the impact of Lockdown on Social Isolation- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyBbjBi4mhI • Time to Change somerset- A film talking to Volunteer Champions about talking about mental health (I am a contributor and read one of my poems)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD2ZSZk2A2I • #soundsfromhome online exhibition curated by Amanda Lynch for Arts and Disability charity CEDA. Audio excerpt of a poem and collage shown in the online exhibition on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxJ2IVAX-1/ • Workshop Commission from Durham University Student Art Prize Artfund to run two online workshops in February 2021. https://sitcfestival.org/workshops/ • 'Restriction' exhibition from the 'Correspondence Collective' at Clayhill Arts. Creating small pieces of work (3 x 4 cm) that fit into compartments of a letterpress drawer. My pieces are in drawers 1 and 3 here: https://www.correspondencecollective.com/exhibitions • Seed Sedgemoor ‘All the colours’ submitted 2 abstract collages for a curated work turned into a lenticular image by Fiona Campbell and displayed on the Buses of Somerset (Summer 2021) https://seedsedgemoor.com/artfirstgallery/

Artwork

Cornish Harbour, Watercolour, 2017, 295

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For sale

Proud Puffin, Acrylic on Canvas, 2018, 299

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For sale

Chick in a Tree, Acrylic on Canvas, 2018

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For sale

Dark Rose, Acrylic on Canvas, 2021, 195

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For sale

Love Puffins, Acrylic on Canvas, 2018, 299

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For sale

Bantham boathouse, Acrylic, 2016

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Sold

Pink Lilies, Acrylic on Canvas, 2019, 295

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For sale

Artichoke Still Life, Framed Oil on canvas paper, 2019, 395

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For sale

Vintage Red rose, Original Acrylic on reclaimed scaffold board., 2021, 195

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For sale

Vintage Pink rose, 2021, 195

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For sale

Blue Man, Framed Oil on canvas paper, 2019, 395

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For sale

Hyacinth in a Jar, Watercolour wash and pen, 2020, 195

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For sale

Insomnia, Mixed Media on canvas, 2020, 450

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For sale

Portrait inspired by Marc Chagall, Acrylic on paper, 2020, 195

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For sale

Projects and exhibitions

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International Year of the Roses 2021

13/11/2021 — ongoing

One of the five Rose images I submitted to a wellbeing international initiative 'International Year of the Rose 2021' has been selected for an Exhibition of the Best 60

See the introduction and exhibition here https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/yearoftheroses2021-exhibition

The roses' images and my story submitted were showcased on the...

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https://www.artculturetourism.co.uk/yearoftheroses2021-exhibition, Nottingham/Online Details

'Creating Recovery' End of Year show Installation

07/06/2021 — 25/06/2021

End of Year Show for college Foundation Art & Design Diploma. Installation exploring how creativity aids healing and recovery. ‘Creating Recovery’ is about developing a ‘Mend and Repair’ theme to combine the concepts of ‘Art as a Healing Tool’ with transforming ‘useless’ or ‘damaged’ items into something beautiful. Vidoe...

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Strode College Art Department, Stree, Somerset Details

‘All the Colours’ Community Collage project

01/06/2021 — ongoing

I submitted 2 abstract collages for a curated work turned into a lenticular image by Fiona Campbell and displayed on the Buses of Somerset (Summer 2021) . thias piece called 'Green Escapism' features on the website and I won a prize too!...

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Buses of Somerset, Seed Sedgemoor Details

'Restriction' exhibition by the Correspondence Collective.

23/03/2021 — 06/04/2021

-'Restriction' exhibition from the 'Correspondence Collective' at Clayhill Arts. Creating small pieces of work (3 x 4 cm) that fit into compartments of a letterpress drawer. -All pieces fit into the size-restricted brief, and all have used items found around the house that would have been discarded but have been repurposed , so have had...

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Clayhill Arts, Bridgwater, TA5 2PH Details

Heroes workshop commision

21/01/2021 — 08/02/2021

Workshop Commission from Durham University Student Art Prize Art fund to run two online workshops in February 2021. See https://sitcfestival.org/workshops/ I ran two live workshops on ZOOM for members of the public to explore Heroism and create their own 'Hero' character. Here are some images and a recording...

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Online for Durham University Student Art Prize 2021 Art fund, Durham Details

'Forget the Past'

31/10/2020 — 14/01/2021

The cushion depicts key elements of my life over the past 5 decades and uses fabrics and threads that belonged to my Mother-in-Law, thus connecting three generations of our family, inviting us to sit in the present whilst reflecting on the past that is now behind us. It was created in response to a poem by Steve Taylor called ‘Forget the...

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n/a Details

Pushing Paper Post Art

21/10/2020 — ongoing

See https://sitcfestival.org/post-art/ Artists were invited by Eleanor Matthews to respond to the British Museum touring exhibition, 'Pushing paper: contemporary drawing from 1970 to now' at Durham University’s Oriental Museum. Artists were sent an image at random from the exhibition catalogue for Pushing Paper and created two postcards- one...

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Durham University Oriental Museum, Durham Details

Sounds from Home

01/09/2020 — ongoing

#soundsfromhome online exhibition curated by Amanda Lynch for Arts and Disability charity CEDA. Audio excerpt of a poem and collage shown in the online exhibition on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxJ2IVAX-1/

Online- instagram- https://www.instagram.com/p/CFxJ2IVAX-1 Details

‘Hope’- a short Film about the impact of Lockdown on Social Isolation

01/09/2020 — 31/10/2020

• ‘Hope’- a film made about the impact of Lockdown on Social Isolation- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyBbjBi4mhI A Response to ‘A Distance forms around our Bodies’ prompt . Using animation, etching mirrors and collaborative open call to make a film about effects of social distancing.

n/a Details

Street Gallery

16/07/2020 — 16/08/2020

Street Gallery- see https://eleanormatthewsart.wixsite.com/streetgallery/artists Street Gallery puts artwork in windows, turning our homes into galleries. This summer, houses in Dawdon showed work in their windows by artists from County Durham, the UK and worldwide. The project was funded by East Durham Creates and supported by Durham...

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Dawdon, Seahouses Details
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