Alison introduces the collaborative painting by Jan Bosson, Suzie Bryant, Alison Critchlow, Shelley Harrison, Rebecca Kiggins, Summer Kiggins and Lou Taylor, of Cumbria Deaf Association.

Everyone is invited to enjoy this painting. Let your eyes wander around it – take your time to explore it slowly. Notice how a sharp curve butts up to a powdery blue or an arrow darts behind soft twirling shapes, feathery leaves merge with light, dots lead your eye off on a path; sun catches on stripes; an empty void;  some cosmic night sky; then suddenly a gradient of colour makes everything bulge. This is a painting about how things feel rather than what they look like. It was made by members of Cumbria Deaf Association with painter Alison Critchlow.

Long shapes weave in and around the painting, leading you on a route through the picture. These ‘silent pathways’ represent personal, often complex journeys with deafness. They track a course for your eye and your mind through the artwork. Some are big curling shapes swinging high up with a sideways, Tarzan-like movement, others are black gaps to slide into. Let the arrows, dots and wiggles guide you through the various spaces. This is all about slow looking, noticing, broadening awareness.. an invitation to refresh your ways of seeing.

Making an abstract piece allows everyone to experience the painting differently, it honours difference and inclusion, which is at the heart of our approach, exploring ideas of identity and place, perception and awareness in our own unique ways.

The painting is full of beans – it reflects the wonderful members of the deaf community who painted it...inclusive, friendly, open-minded, creative individuals with a wealth of knowledge and curiosity. While making the painting we discussed the many types and experiences of deafness people have, the nature of visual language and BSL and how it is to be deaf in West Cumbria. The reflective strips highlight the visibility/invisibility of deaf people within the community. They are also fun! We thought the painting should have a ‘night life’ as well as a daytime face – we are hoping the glow in the dark areas will dance in the dark!

We began by learning about colour and using painting as a visual language which is able to communicate beyond words. You can learn more about this and the process of making the paintings, BSL, deaf awareness and Cumbria Deaf Association alongside colour exercises for you to try out yourself (head inside and look at the back of the paintings).

Alison introduces her own artistic response.

A visual response to the artwork ‘Navigating Silent Pathways’ - made with Cumbria Deaf Association.

The two pictures work off each other – rather like dancers improvising.

I have used shapes and patterns from the first artwork to activate the second painting, diving deeper into the pathways we created together. Sometimes I have zoomed in close or turned shapes inside out. Some areas are in your face while other bits are shy and only just visible. Spend time and you will start to notice hidden pathways hinting at new possibilities and ways forward made possible by creative imagination and open communication.