When the pandemic hit – like many of us – working mother My Lan found herself at home more than she ever had been. Used to lots of international travel for her job in fashion and being out and about, My Lan needed an outlet for her creativity.
I was travelling a lot with work, then covid happened so my job became quieter. I had a little more time on my hands than usual and it was a close friend’s 40th birthday coming up, so I made her one of my trees as a birthday present. When I gave it to her, she suggested I sell them. Due to the pandemic and the first lockdown I found myself with time on my hands, way more than usual, so it was an opportunity to turn that idea into a reality.”
My Lan has always worked in textile design in one way or another. “I have worked with art and fashion for over 20 years now and have enjoyed everything from making cards and embroidery to print design and apparel. Even food is a big creative outlet for me. It’s always been in the background and given me something to focus on and enjoy, but with work and family this has more often than not taken a back seat.”
My Lan started Art By MyLan which is a platform for her beautiful handmade “Tree of Life” creations. Each intricate handmade labour of love takes hours to assemble. In fact each tree takes between 2-4 weeks to complete.
I begin by hand painting the tree motif. Then I have it digitally printed onto a canvas. I carefully select the decorative images for the tree and these chosen images are printed onto quality paper. I colour the images by hand using a selection of different media such as watercolour, pencil crayons, and marker pens. This gives the images a smooth crisp finish.
Using a textile technique called ‘intercutting’, I carefully and intricately cut out each image to its exact shape. I then go through each image to ensure I am satisfied that the colour and finish is correct.
When this process is complete, the fun part happens. Each item is selected, placed and fixed onto the tree. This placement process takes a considerable amount of time as it requires accuracy and skill which produces the most exquisite of results.
By commissioning me to create a tree artwork, you will own a signed, original and unique piece.”
You can buy one of these unique trees here or contact My Lan to enquire about a commission.
This month we want to highlight some of those creative businesses and individuals who have demonstrated this resilience, creativity and proactivity.
Support Independent Businesses and Makers this Festive Season
As Christmas is around the corner it’s going to be a very different one for us all. We’ve all been through a lot this year, and although we have focused on just 3 businesses in this article we’d like to give a shout out to all of our fantastic clients for their resilience throughout this tough year. The future relies on us supporting one another; choosing where you buy your gifts from this Christmas can be one of the ways we help support each other, and independent businesses to ensure they will be back in 2021.
