Former boxing world champion Ricky Hatton has enhanced the reputation of a Manchester-based mosaicist after giving her artwork his approval on Twitter.
Amanda McCrann has been creating unique pieces of art for more than 10 years since completing a history and fine art degree, and has lived in the city all her life.
The 44-year-old mum of four, who grew up in Wythenshawe, was delighted to see her work being acknowledged by a famous figure.
“I was at Spinningfields markets the other day and I noticed he’d [Hatton] re-tweeted my mini Mancunian mosaics that I’d made specifically for the markets,” she told MM.
“I saw the tweet and it’s great. I do a lot of commissions for people who’ll phone me up and say I’ve got a particular song lyric or word phrase and can you create that for me.
“I’ll create the mosaic for them, but then I’ll not want to give it away once I’ve made it! I love what I do. Whether it’s Ricky Hatton or anyone on the street, it’s great when people love your work.”
Manc & proud. pic.twitter.com/i1lNKh6X4K
— Ricky Hatton MBE (@HitmanHatton) November 14, 2014
Amanda, whose recent mosaics have included the phrase ‘Mancunian’ emblazoned across them, admitted she is proud of her roots and draws inspiration from the city.
She grew up during the hacienda scene and initially begun working on mosaics for the cult film 24-hour party people, based on the music scene in Manchester from 1976-1992.
“I’m a real proud Mancunian. We are all really proud of where we’re from and it’s an amazing city for so many reasons,” she said.
“It has the first computer, the music, the culture and the sport. I’ve just got a real strong passion for Manchester.
“I also love the architecture. You’ve got stunning buildings like the Town Hall and the Manchester Art Gallery where I freelanced for seven years.”
Her studio is bizarrely located in her old box room in her mum and dad’s house, and she revealed that her work was a therapeutic process.
“It’s quite meditative when you’re working, quite a solitary thing,” she added.
“I’m in the studio most of the day and I’ll have my tunes on or listen to a podcast and I get lost in the mosaic. Sometimes I’ll just be silent.
“It’s like making a jigsaw. It’s almost like an unseen design but I can see it with the flow of the tiles. It’s about it being precise, especially with lettering and typography. It’s got to be slick.”
COULD GOD BE GOLD? This mosaic is valued at £2,000
Amanda will be announcing an exhibition next year with renowned comedy cartoonist Tony Husband, who has had work published for the satirical magazine Private Eye.
“We’re going to collaborate; he’s going to draw some cartoons on the backing board and I’m going to mosaic them,” she said.
“It’s a contrast of two different art forms and we’re going to fuse it together.”
Amanda also enjoys travelling and drinking and even admitted that a slight tipple can help her mosaics along the way.
“I’m in to my gin at the moment. It’s nice to have a gin and tonic when I’m making a mosaic.”
You can find out more about Amanda McCrann here.
Images courtesy of Amanda McCrann with thanks.
