Ilkley library exhibition Dec 16

From Monday 16. Dec, 12.30 you can see me in artform hanging up my December exhibition in #ilkleylibrary ... Come and say hej and see some of what I've been up to in 2019. The exhibition will be up for a month and I intend to change a few paintings every week... As usual, I will be doing a colouring book for the children and some paintings for every age. Not much nudity tho, honestly, it's too #*"@-$€=°√÷+ cold to even contemplate doing paintings of naked people. Or painting in the nuddy... Not happening. All paintings have been made in full rain gear and woolly sweaters!

Anyways. That's not what I wanted to say really. You know me. I always have a few conversations going on at the same time. This is what I want you to know and maybe think about:

I was not a popular beautiful kid, I was scrawny, white-haired and bespectacled and had I not had my local librarian notice me and take me under her wing I would not be the person I am today. Twice a week I would take my sister's old clankityclink bike with a basket precariously balanced on the handlebars and pitpatpushstomp my way to the third floor of the old archives where it had been decided the children's library should be located. It was in a back alley and the bullies would often hide out there to smoke and pick on anyone they saw... So getting there at the right time was important. Twice a week the Librarian would fill my wicker basket with five or six books and I would choose a few myself too. And twice a week I would read all these books and take them back to report on whether I liked them or not.

I am eternally grateful for all the libraries and librarians in the world and I am horrified that I live in an age so delusional that the people in power think we don't need them anymore. Nothing can replace the sound of a book being closed after finishing. Nothing can take you to worlds so near and far at the same time as the stories we can find for free in books and on CDs in our local libraries ... The people who think so are obviously the ones who have the money and the social networks that means they do not need this. But we do need it. As a community and as civilisations. Society needs the librarians and the libraries.

So why don't you come down soon and help me support our local library? Then you can take out a book and maybe have a look at my #sussishappyartproject ?

#lovebooks
#saveourlibraries
#saveourlibrarians
#ilkley #hygge #artbysussilouise #fightcancerwithfun @actionforhappinessleeds

#cancerawareness #readingisasuperpower