A North East artist has wowed customers across the world with her unconventional methods that see her incorporate nature into her work in a stunning way.

Dusty Souls Art, which may be a name familiar with Tynemouth Market visitors, is run by Imogen Clark, 50, from Whitley Bay. Imogen became a full-time artist in 2014, leaving behind a career in third sector management to pursue her creative passions - but her canvas isn’t a traditional one.

Imogen creates her paintings on real bird feathers. Initially unaware of this art form, the artist told ChronicleLive that she has since learned a great deal about the history of feather painting after taking on the challenge of learning it herself, as well as gaining a greater respect for the study of birds and their different feathers.

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“My inspiration comes from the feathers themselves and my deep appreciation of nature and wildlife,” she said. The feathers are collected by Imogen herself, donated by friends and fans of her work, or bought from reputable sources.

It’s a challenging process, particularly as Imogen keeps the feathers free from any setting agent before she starts painting, and each work can take up to 50 hours to complete. To make things even more complicated, every single feather behaves differently, Imogen said.

A selection of Imogen's stunning works
A selection of Imogen's stunning works

“For example, a goose feather is more robust than that of raven feather which are finer, less robust and have looser barbules. On top of species type, anatomy, health, and age also make each feather unique,” she explained. “It’s only through years of painting, trial and error that I have learnt how to work with the feather.”

Imogen's unique work has attracted customers worldwide, and her commissions can leave people in tears. “Those that order personal and memorial feathers comment about likeness and how I capture the spirit of the subject,” she said.

The artist added: “I love my job. I love that I can make a living from something that I'm passionate about and that it inspires others to have that passion in my work too.”

Imogen's painted feather creations have been sold internationally
Imogen's painted feather creations have been sold internationally

As well as her feather paintings, Imogen also makes painted feather jewellery, including earrings, brooches and lockets, as well as traditional wildlife artworks on canvas. She can most often be seen running her Dusty Souls stall at Tynemouth Market.

“I consider it one of the best markets in the UK - and it’s right on our doorstep!” she said. “After eight years of doing Tynemouth, I work with like-minded folk that are more a market family than anything and have made some of my closest friends through the Market.”

Her work is also available at North East Art Collective in Newcastle, Alnwick Gallery, and Leith Walk gallery in Edinburgh. As for what the future brings for Dusty Souls Art - more feathers, of course.

“Thank you to everyone that visits Tynemouth and supports our local artists. Without you we would grind to a halt,” Imogen said. “You, your positivity and patronage are the oil in our gears and what keeps us going through all the ups and downs of self employment and market life!”

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