http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Breaking Ground Tue, 14 Feb 2012 18:53:39 +0000 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://www.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran and I met as students on the BA Hons Fine Art (Printmaking) course at the University of Brighton, both graduating in 2003. After graduating, we each followed separate paths, with Roz eventually taking up a place at the RCA, while I embarked on an independent, mainly studio based practice. Our resulting experiences of the past three and a half years have been very different. Roz has been able to take full advantage of her MA studies within a prestigious institution with all of its associated networks and benefits. I have begun to build a professional infrastructure for myself, including the founding of a shared artists’ workspace, Blue Monkey Studio in Eastbourne, along with 3 other graduates. Roz recently took up a workspace at Blue Monkey Studio and we have been able to renew our working relationship. We are keen to take this opportunity to spend some time developing our practices collaboratively, seeing it as a chance to introduce fresh elements to our work and to test out collaborative ideas, exploring the possibilities for developing new work in a speculative, stimulating and creative environment. We are both very open to experimentation and see our practices as investigative and exploratory. We are going to develop ideas for a residency on an allotment where we can set experimental processes in motion in what we both consider to be a productive environment. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Yesterday I visited my allotment which we will use for our residency. I found polaroid photographs scattered over the overgrown flowerbed. They show antique furniture: a desk, table, chests of drawers. How did they get there? Who took the photos and for what purpose? Perhaps they were a record to use in case of theft. Perhaps they themselves have been stolen and abandoned. I took some digital photographs to record the event. www.rozcran.co.uk ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Here is a photo of the allotment we plan to use for our residency.  It is covered in patches of carpet (now banned) to hold back the winter growth of weeds.  This gives an idea of the space available for our projects.  The allotment sits on top of the Tenantry Down opposite Brighton Race Course and the garden centre.The views over Brighton are spectacular.  On a clear day the Isle of Wight is visible.  Kestrels hover for minutes then rocket down.  The daffs are opening and the rosemary has grey flowers.Soon I will dig it over and plan the planting.  A last strim of the grass and then leave it for the cowslips and polyanthus.A space for growth, reflection, questions, wonder.                       www.rozcran.co.uk     www.judithalder-live.co.uk ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz's photgraph of the allotment (see yesterday's post) whets my appetite for a "site visit". I haven't yet been to the allotment and I'm looking forward to my first visit. It will be exciting to get a feel for the place, to explore and to begin to develop our plans for the time when we're "In Residence". I always have a great sense of anticipation when I'm starting a new project - that feeling that anything can happen.www.rozcran.co.uk           www.judithalder-live.co.uk ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 As part of our research on collaboration I went to see Lone Twin in their show Nine Years at the Gardner Centre, University of Sussex.Gregg and Gary have spent the last nine years making work together. They have travelled half way across the world, given performances in the places they visited. They cycled round cities, walked over bridges, talked to the people they met.They dressed as blindfolded cowboys and danced in a local hall. People were invited to join in and dance too. One person whispered as she left, "you are very special".This celebratory Lone Twin show played against video of past performances including footage of people waving back as they travelled home.At times I laughed, sometimes sighed. The show was wry, poignant, hopeful. I loved it.I watched the way Gregg and Gary worked together as a team. How they played to their individual strengths. Gary carried more of the humour, Gregg more of the straight man.Helpful research. http://www.lonetwin.com... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 We went to Alice Maher's exhibition, "Natural Artifice", at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday. Alice gave a talk there in January which sadly we missed, but this weekend we went to a gallery talk by Gill Perry, Head of Art History at the Open University, about the exhibition and about Alice's work in general.The exhibition includes work in a variety of media. A series of photographs explore Alice's relationship with nature as she wears a hood of moss, a helmet of snail shells and a collar of hearts; large scale charcoal drawings are inspired by Bosch's "Garden of Earthly Delight"; a human sized "ice bed" and a miniature house of thorns play with ideas of comfort and discomfort and subvert the familiar.The talk brought up issues which we've been thinking about within our own practices; questions about working broadly with an assortment of materials and processes on a range of themes which sometimes appear to be unrelated. It was reassuring to see the links in Alice's work which have appeared over a considerable length of time. Something for us to think about more when we write about each other's work. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 We have been invited to give a short presentation at the next a-n AIR Open Dialogue at Fabrica in Brighton on Thursday 29 March. Judith and I will speak about our new collaboration and key issues for our practice now and in the future. Two other artists will present, followed by discussion and a glass of wine. AIR stands for Artists' Interaction and Representation. This event is for AIR members only. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 As part of our research into the collaborative process, we’ve begun to build up quite a list of collaborative partnerships whose work we’d like to look at, some of whom, if possible, we’d like to meet and talk to. Recently we came across Jen Hamilton and Jen Southern during their exhibition “Running Stitch” at Fabrica (http://www.theportable.tv/runningstitch/index.html) and Roz went to see “Lone Twin” (see 4th March post) at The Gardner Centre. We’ve both encountered the work of Nina Pope and Karen Guthrie and, now that we’re looking, we’re beginning to come across more and more partnerships whose work we want to find out more about. We’ll definitely be researching Anne Eggebert & Polly Gould’s work, including their projects “Transplantation” and “Nature and Nation”. Today Roz has discovered a project called “Kitchen Antics and Appliances” by three-way partnership Barbara Dean, Ann Rapstoff and Hilary Kneale and we’re hoping to make contact with these artists soon. (http://www.kitchenanticsandappliances.com/) Roz already has experience of collaboration with Isabel Albiol which resulted in a piece of work entitled “Rabbit Hole”, shown at the Hockney Gallery, RCA in 2005. (http://www.roz2.co.uk/rab01.html) I have less experience of collaboration, having only dipped my toe into collaborative working on a casual and experimental basis. As I’m beginning to research these and other projects, questions about the nature and variety of collaboration are raised. Some collaborations are specific – partners come together because they have something they can offer each other – specific skills or attributes. Others are speculative – an opportunity to pool resources and see what happens. FAMOUS COLLABORATIONS Gilbert and George Warhol and Basquiat Elton John and Kiki Dee Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I went to London today to visit The Princes Drawing School during it's Open Day. Also went to the Jerwood Space where I saw the work of Williams-Suggitt, another collaborative duo who are new to me. In their video piece, "Perched", currently showing in the Jerwood Cafe, Williams and Suggitt, dressed in colourful bird costumes, spend time "perched" on stools in the cafe, exploring ideas around identity as they experiment with how it is to be "other". Made me think of Roz's exploration of similar issues. http://www.myspace.com/williamssuggitt Roz and I have also talked briefly this week about spending a one-off pilot day at the allotment, just to see what we might want to do together over a longer period of a residency. I'm very keen to visit the allotment anyway, and Roz wants me to film her burying her typewriter there. The weather has been glorious and Roz was busy at the allotment last weekend actually cultivating it. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Arrived home from the studio to a lovely surprise: a parcel from my friend Val Murrary – a copy of Low Tide – Writings on Artists’ Collaborations written by Jeni Walwin. Last week Val and I met in London to see some exhibitions and each other. I talked to her about this new collaboration with Judith.Val is part of TEA, a collaborative group of artists who have worked together since 1987. She was full of praise for the benefits and pleasures of collaborative practice. Low Tide includes a chapter on TEA. Although published in 1997, this book offers much of interest to a pair of new collaborators.In the Foreword, Paula Brown speaks of the collaborative art documented: “This is cunningly mercurial work where art forms merge or collide or metamorphose into something else altogether; where artists experiment with new partners, practices and identities. This is work which offers spectators new ways not just of seeing but of participating.”www.teaweb.org... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Here are three of the polaroids I found on the allotment - three different tables. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 It’s almost exactly a month since we posted our first blog entry and so far we’ve spent a lot of time thinking and talking about the whole idea of “collaboration” - what we might gain through it, as well as what we might have to give up for it. However, we’ve also been spending a lot of our time working towards commitments within our individual practices. This week sees a sort of tying up of loose ends, culminating at the end of the week with our talk at the AIR event at Fabrica on Thursday, and Roz’s almost immediate departure after that to take part in the "Hen Weekend" at the De La Warr Pavillion, Bexhill from Friday to Sunday this weekend. (http://henweekend.org) After a short (?) recovery period, Roz and I will be meeting up next week to plan a timetable for the first part of our project. We will be setting aside time to make presentations about our work to each other and will then individually write articles about each other’s practice which we will publish here through our blog. We anticipate that this activity will have all sorts of benefits for us, both through the process of analysing and articulating another artists’ practice, but also gaining an insight into our own work through someone else’s subjective view. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 We have been awarded a NAN New Collaboration bursary to support the development of Breaking Ground, our project in 2 parts. Judith and I raised a glass to this success on Monday night and are planning our next steps. We have a busy week of art events, AIR Open Dialogue on Thursday night and then my Henweekend 3 day seminar starts on Friday. We finalise our joint presentation tomorrow afternoon and then it is full steam ahead for Part 1 Writing articles about each other's practice. High excitement.We have chosen this sketchbook image by Judith as appropriate to the unfolding of the collaborative experiment. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Hello to everyone we met at Fabrica on Thursday at the AIR Open Dialogue event. It was a great opportunity to meet a lot of new people and to put faces to names of people who we felt we already knew through visits to their web-sites or blogs. Roz and I, along with Elpida Hadzi Vasileva and Rosemary Shirley had been invited to talk about key issues for our future practice – a subject which has been consistently used at AIR events to open the dialogue between artists. We took along Roz’s three legged stool which Roz used to explain how she visualises our collaboration. She talked about the “wobbliness” of being an artist and the need to operate at the edge of stability, and how she sees the collaborative relationship as providing a third leg which might provide steadiness at the edge. She went on to expand on this notion, saying that if we two collaborators are then viewed each as three legged stools, between us we have a grand total of not just four legs, but six legs on which we could cover a lot of ground. It all conjures up a slightly comical image, but describes how we hope the relationship will work for us. My issues, as an artist still in the early “feeling my way” stages of my career, revolve firstly around “support”; how to build a support network through which I can get appropriate advice for all the different aspects of my practice – professional, creative and developmental, and then, secondly, how to maintain a balance between the development of all those separate areas of my practice while still retaining the integrity of my work as well as generating income to support my practice. Roz focused on the immediate issues concerning our new collaboration. How will the collaborative process work for us? Will there still be time and space for us to maintain our individual work? How will we work together? What if our strengths and weaknesses are the same? Will we become too stable, too steady and lose the excitement of "the edge"? What will we gain from the collaboration, and what will we have to give up? These were some of many questions raised. Elpida and Rosemary, artists at different stages of their careers, raised other issues, and a foundation was laid for an evening of very interesting and informative discussion where a whole range of subjects were covered. One thing which came up almost incidentally was that several people expressed slight frustration at not being able to add a comment to the a-n blog, so for the time being, if anyone wants to communicate with us about our blog, we would love to hear from you via the e-mail addresses which can be found on our web-sites at http://judithalder-live.co.uk/contact.html or http://www.roz2.co.uk/contact.html... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Two more polaroids - table and chair - found on the allotment today. The old wooden chair i took up a couple of winters ago, split in two as I turned to put these into my bag. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Beginning to pick up the threads from where I left off before the Easter break. In the meantime I’ve been making the most of time available to get on with some personal, non-collaborative work. But continuing with my research on collaborative working, I’ve booked a ticket to go & hear Gilbert & George speak at Tate Modern on the 30th April and I’ve started reading the articles in issue 3 of “Dialogue” on the Axis website entitled "Inside the interview: Exploring the workings of the artist interview." There is a lot to read, and I don’t suppose all of it will be relevant to us, but as Roz and I are about to embark on the part of our project which involves us “interviewing” each other, it is useful to have some idea of the context and history of the artists’ interview.The image used on the opening page of the Editorial by Jon Wood is by Dave Ball, entitled “Interview with a House Plant”, 2005 and depicts a scene in an interview room with two chairs. On one of the chairs sits a man obviously engaged in interviewing the potted plant which “sits” opposite him on a second chair. It reminded me of Roz’s work, “Interview (pig)”, 2006 (see http://www.roz2.co.uk/ani08.html ) ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I'm really interested in how other people's blogs are developing and keep telling myself that I must give myself a bit more time to really delve into them, rather than dipping in and out as I do at the moment and just picking up snippets here and there. I have got quite caught up in the nervous energy of larisa blazic's: 205A Morning Lane and have also become quite involved in the trials and tribulations of Gabrielle Hoad's: Exeter Studios Project - I hope it all eventually gets off the ground, and if it does, it would be great to try to arrange to go and visit - how about it Gabrielle?I loved "Little Death 2, A little Death film of a dissolving Alka Seltzer tablet" (see Alex Pearl's: Foundling Museum Commission) and I'm also enjoying following Jane Ponsford's: Papertrails Residency, especially since meeting her at the AIR event a couple of weeks ago. I was interested in Jane's comments on 1st April, following that event, about her frustrations on hearing discussions about how artists need a forum to be in touch with other artists because, as Jane says, "...the forum is there. It's where the discussion is being held." I have to agree, and not only on the issue of a forum, but also many of the other things which artists say they need, which, I'm beginning to discover, are already in existence. The issue is, perhaps, knowing how to access them.I was amazed yet again yesterday about the way opportunities multiply when you start looking for them. All of a sudden, collaborations are everywhere! An invitation arrived from Phoenix Arts in Brighton to the opening celebration of their next show, curated by Sally Lai, curatorial fellow at Phoenix, entitled "Double Acts". Any guesses as to the theme? Another event to add to my list of things to see and do! The exhibition, which opens on the 28th April, is "a celebration and mini-survey of collaborative practice in the UK today" and features work and new commissions by Ayling & Conroy, Karin Kihlberg & Reuben Henry, Library of Unwritten Books, The Owl Project, Semiconductor and Jonathon Gilhooly & Stig Evans. http://www.phoenixarts.org ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Judith visited the allotment for the first time. It was covered in cowslips, forgetmenots, tulips.We planted a flag Breaking Ground to launch the project.Judith brought a bag of homemade compost for the allotment. She took home a bunch of spinach from the allotment. A useful exchange - a kind of beauty. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Visited TATE Modern last week to see, among other things, the Gilbert & George exhibition and to see G & G themselves in conversation with Michael Bracewell in the Starr Auditorium. I was keen to see the show and to hear the pair talk about their enduring collaboration. I hoped I might gain an insight into the way the collaborative relationship worked for G & G, and although they did briefly talk about the strength which came from being a partnership, I came away with the feeling that there was little to be said about how collaboration works for them, because, after 40 years, it is so entirely a way of life. They talk only of “we” and “our”, never “me” or “mine”. There is no evidence of a division of labour or of defined roles or responsibilities. It appears that they think and work as one. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 We have spent a day each interviewing our collaborator about their work.I started by showing Judith the framed pictures I have up on my walls - a safe place to keep them - and gave her a pile of black photo books to look through. These contain images from the 3 years I spent at Brighton University. Next I took her through a powerpoint presentation titled 'Seven years: a journey through art education'. We finished by examining the zigzag books I have made for each body of work, the final one being 'animals, vegetable, mineral' a set of 5 zigzags in a slipcase produced using duotone lithography at the Royal College of Art last year.Judith showed me her work in the Blue Monkey studio surrounded by the paper trees she is making presently. She explained how she is mapping and documenting her journey from home to the studio. She took me through her website and talked about the various residencies and projects and the changes in perspective they have involved. After lunch I asked a set of prepared questions and recorded her answers on my new voice recorder.Both of us are writing and shaping our notes into draft articles for the other's consideration and comments. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz and I have been working on our articles for Breaking Ground over the past few weeks. We presented our work (past and present), to each other. Then we went our separate ways to write up our first drafts. Those have now been refined and we're ready to upload them to Projects Unedited. It has been a useful process, making us review our practice and establish areas of common ground which we can build upon during the rest of our collaboration. Reading what Roz has written about my practice has been interesting. She has examined my work from a fresh perspective, putting a different emphasis on certain areas of it and articulating some things which I could not.We've decided that the best way to publish the articles is in small portions, a little each day for the next few days, and I'm going to start later today by publishing the introduction to the article which I've written entitled "Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes of The Other". ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes Of The OtherPART 1 It is a grey day in a muddy-looking park. A leafless tree stands alone in urban parkland. Lumpy grass stretches away to a horizon where more bare trees partly obscure a row of low buildings. A tower block rises above them. As I watch, a woman enters the scene, walking purposefully toward the tree from one side. She carries a bag, which she proceeds to place on the ground near the tree. From it, she unpacks a bulky, brown bundle. She takes off her coat and scarf, and packs them in the bag. She takes the bag away, putting it to one side, out of view. The woman returns to the bundle, unfolds it, and carefully steps into the opening of what now appears to be some sort of sack. Pulling up the rim of the sack around her waist like putting on an awkward suit, she gradually tugs and wriggles the heavy material over her body, eventually enclosing every part of her, even her head. Her arms slip into long sleeves, she shuffles nearer to the tree, herself a smaller version. Ready now, the woman raises her arms above her head and settles into position, crows caw, a white dog looks and runs off.*The woman in the video is Roz Cran. Roz makes videos, objects, books, photographs, prints. Her work is complex and impossible to categorise or sum up with a few tidy words. It deals with those things in life which are not tidy. *"Tree" by Roz Cran, was filmed in Southwark Park for "Let's Riot", Cafe Gallery Projects, 2006 View the video at http://www.roz2.co.uk/ani09.htmlThe rest of this article will be posted on Projects Unedited in sections over the next few days. The project, Breaking Ground, is a partnership supported by a NAN New Collaborations Bursary (AN - The Artists Information Company). This article is part of the project. And the partners (Judith Alder and, Roz Cran) will develop a joint residency on an allotment. In addition they are collaborating in the organisation of BMPD (Blue Monkey Professional Development for Artists). The first BMPD event takes place in June 2007 in Eastbourne where they plan to arrange a year-long programme. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran – Seeing Through The Eyes Of The OtherPART 2During the six years that I’ve know Roz, I have seen her make work which ranges from comforting and comfortable images of fairy cakes and hot water bottles, to unsettling videos of the artist as feral woman clad in leopard skin clothes, running wild; or as a white rabbit, ears flopping, reaching out to a distant Madonna. Is this the stuff of children’s dreams, or nightmares? These extremes demonstrate the range of themes which are central to Roz’s work and the friction which is present from the rubbing between domestic and wild, commonplace and fantastical, past and present. Roz’s interest in art developed indirectly from her commitment to feminism and her resulting experience of feminist art as a means of expression and communication. Her early work formed an examination of identity, especially women’s identity, often using images linked with the domestic, with women’s work, and the associated suppression of the wild. In the part of her work which Roz calls “Bringing to Light” she interrogates her own links with the past, through personal and family history. She explains how this work was born from an investigation of significant objects which carried a history, imprinted with emotions and stories from earlier generations. Using simple materials and techniques, Roz captures the essence of these objects and some of the meanings which adhere to them. “Bringing to Light” is full of images which seem to appear and disappear. Objects hover in a space which Roz has created from her own experience – from memory. The past and present intertwine as she works with processes and materials which have held a personal significance. Childhood pleasures such as pressing flowers and making books are relived in the production of new objects which create a common ground accessible to all.To be continued.The full version of this article can now be downloaded from http://www.judithalder-live.co.uk/project_new_devel.html  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes Of The Other Part 3Enquiry motivates Roz's art. Her work is part of a process of exploration, of trying to make sense of the world. She treats it as an adventure, preferring to set up questions as starting points to explore, rather than providing answers. As Roz says, "Everything overlaps. Neither art nor life can be chopped into separate pieces. Both are messy and tangled. I will investigate some of the tangles."Roz is based in Brighton, having moved there at the beginning of her art "adventure", to take up a place on a BTEC Foundation course, followed by a Fine Art (Printmaking) BA at the University of Brighton, from which she graduated in 2003. She went on to study at The Royal College of Art, completing her MA in 2006. It was at the beginning of her time at the RCA when Roz, keen as ever to reach out for new knowledge, new skills, new experience, photographed herself reaching out to grasp an apple and then, fiercely, biting into it. The resulting image revealed a previously unseen ferocity, and prompted new ideas for making work which would feature Roz as the subject matter. She began to collect leopard skin clothes found in charity shops nearby and to wear them while setting out to explore what it might be like to be "wild". This was the beginning of a series of activities in which Roz would push her experience of life beyond the daily norm, adopting the identity of "leopard", or "rabbit", or later "stone" or "tree", experiencing for a short time, what it is to live as an other."Am I leopard? Am I lettuce? Am I bucket?What are we? What can we become?Are we animal, vegetable or mineral?Can we see through the eyes of the other?Can we cross borders and return?When I spent days making papier mache buckets did I become part-bucket? Was the bucket different?"** Quote from Roz's website - http://www.roz2.co.uk/To be continuedThe rest of this article will be posted on Projects Unedited in sections over the next few days. The project, Breaking Ground, is a partnership supported by a NAN New Collaborations Bursary (AN - The Artists Information Company). This article is part of the project. And the partners (Judith Alder and, Roz Cran) will develop a joint residency on an allotment. In addition they are collaborating in the organisation of BMPD (Blue Monkey Professional Development for Artists). The first BMPD event takes place in June 2007 in Eastbourne where they plan to arrange a year-long programme. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes Of The Other Part 4 Perhaps, an introduction to Roz’s work should read “Roz Cran makes videos, objects, books, photographs, prints and live art.” How much of her work is now performance? Roz approaches her work by creating opportunities for “things” to happen. She follows her impulses to act out unlikely sequences of events often leading from one place and time to another, eventually culminating in a body of work which, almost accidentally it seems, is coherent, solid. For her, the question “where is the art?” is one that is often asked, and considered, carefully. Sometimes the boundaries are undefined as art and life merge; cooking for guests gradually extending into a ritual offering; a summer holiday becoming part of a pilgrimage to the Holy Wells of Ireland as “Holy Rabbit”. Many of her works develop through the creative positioning and re-positioning of images and objects; a playful experimentation with combinations – juxtaposing individual items of interest, which when placed together, suddenly reveal new meaning. Experimentation and “play” are key to Roz’s work – whether it be playing with materials, techniques, ideas, technology or her own identity. So too are humour and mischief, qualities which give the work a life of its own, perhaps rubbing the sharpest corners from some of the darker pieces.The final part of the article will be posted here later this week.The full version of the article "Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes Of The Other" can be downloaded from http://www.judithalder-live.co.uk/project_new_devel.html ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz Cran - Seeing Through The Eyes Of The Other Part 5Roz's current work focuses on collaboration in various forms, continuing to strengthen the links between past and present. Her most recent work is titled "Collaboration", and through it she continues to draw upon family history. She has painstakingly traced the lines which form a series of drawings made by her grandfather, almost ritualistically repeating the movements and actions needed to create them. The process complete, Roz combines the traced images with her own photographs of "Holy Rabbit" and "Berlin Bee". The collaged photographs seem to form a portal through which Roz's characters can experience yet another dimension of existence.For the future, Roz is planning a new film piece to be based upon the first meeting of her grandparents by chance, whilst roller skating in Battersea Park. I will wait with interest to see what new dimensions Roz will visit during the making of this work, and look forward to the opportunity to share, through the work, a glimpse of whatever Roz sees as she looks at the world through the eyes of an other. As well as developing her individual work, Roz has embarked on a new venture - collaboration.  The project, Breaking Ground, is a partnership supported by a NAN New Collaborations Bursary (AN -  The Artists Information Company).  This article is part of the project.  And the partners (Judith Alder and, Roz Cran) will develop a joint residency on an allotment.  In addition they are collaborating in the organisation of BMPD (Blue Monkey Professional Development for Artists).  The firs tBMPD event takes place in June 2007 in Eastbourne where they plan to arrange a year-long programme. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Last Friday I visited Jane Ponsford of Papertrails, a fellow blogger on AN Projects Unedited. We had met at the AIR meeting at Fabrica in March when Judith and I did a short presentation about collaboration. I wanted to see Jane in residence in St. George's Church and took the opportunity to make paper at her workshop.We were able to have a brief talk before the workshop started and had lots to say to each other about residencies, collaboration and blogging. I made sheets of pure white paper and pressed them on shapes and words in and around the church. I found carved words, 'hope' and 'sorrow'.It was like meeting up with a colleague engaged in a parallel process. I invited Jane to our allotment residency in the Autumn. I look forward to continuing our conversation and to more collaborative links.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Judith Alder - Finding Her WayPart 1A copse of paper trees greets me as I enter the Blue Monkey Studio where artist Judith Alder works in Eastbourne. These trees are made from discarded ordnance survey maps, rolled, cut and soaked in woodstain. The trees stand three feet high, each tree stuck to the floor with plasticene. Another group of trees stands proud on the bench. These paper sculptures remind me of my Rupert Bear annuals – at the end of each story was a page of instructions on how to make a folded paper tree or ladder or boat. I want to play now, to cut my own trees. Judith uses these low-tech forms to make a paper landscape. Do they help her see the wood from the trees? She tells me she wants to find a way to present the trees for others to negotiate their own paths through the wood.A line of string falls from the ceiling and piles into a messy circle on the floor; a paper roll from a cash register hangs down and makes another pile. I see letraset numbers at intervals on the paper strip. These lengths of string and paper measure out Judith’s journey from home to studio.Judith is engaged in a mapping process. As she travels ‘round the houses’ she collects information and objects along her way and documents her path by slinging her camera over her shoulder and setting the timer to take a picture every minute. In exchange she leaves waymarks such as a pebble, a fircone or an arrow made of sticks along her route. She is investigating her back garden too. From photos of small sections 12 inches by 6 inches she is making a set of drawings half that size. She has to interpret the picture and use simple lines to denote plants, bricks, stones, features of these tiny landscapes. She is surveying small lands. Is this a way to orientate herself, a way to respond to and express her experience of being in the world? Can we see more too by looking at the work she shows us?The rest of this article will be posted on Projects Unedited in sections over the next few days. The complete article can be downloaded from: www.roz2.co.uk/news.html The project, Breaking Ground, is a partnership supported by a NAN New Collaborations Bursary (AN - The Artists Information Company). This article is part of the project. And the partners (Judith Alder and, Roz Cran) will develop a joint residency on an allotment. In addition they are collaborating in the organisation of BMPD (Blue Monkey Professional Development for Artists). The first BMPD event took place in June 2007 in Eastbourne where they plan to arrange a year-long programme. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Judith Alder - Finding Her WayPart 2This current investigative project has evolved from earlier work she began as an artist in residence for Watch This Space at Phoenix Studios, Brighton in 2005.  Four artists were chosen to set up their workspaces in the open studio so people could come and watch ‘the creative process’.  Judith’s method of investigation and documentation was highly suitable for this project.  She set up 10 large boards and made a series of mind maps detailing both her practical and thought processes as she worked.  She began to extend the maps from the boards onto the floor of the studio corridor and hall by means of trails of blue dots, yellow dashes, green stripes; when she encountered a radiator, a step, some other feature of this indoor land, she numbered it, found a way round it.  She draped cloth over some objects to create strange moors and hills.  A series of tracks lead round and through the space.  She took photos of these small indoor landscapes and produced long folded sheets, half-map, half-book.  Visitors followed the tracks she had laid out, they studied the work-boards, used the white stick and blacked-out spectacles that Judith had borrowed from the local Blind Association.  How did blind people find their way?  Might we learn different even fuller ways to find our way in the world using their tools?   Shortly after this residency Judith won an Art Plus Award for a proposal to develop ideas for a public art project “A Sense of Direction”.   She began 8 months’ work researching ideas for the project, working with groups from the Eastbourne Blind Society and the RNIB.  She documented the process and produced maps, photographs and drawings.To be continued ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Judith Alder - Finding Her WayPart 3Although not central to her practice, drawing has been an important part of Judith’s journey.  She is a skilled draughtsperson and is considering how best to use this skill in current projects.  She drew the insides of the packaged objects she made as part of The Discovery Room. This project was the culmination of three years training as a Fine Art Printmaker at the University of Brighton during which time she experimented with different media including handmade paper, book and box works, screenprinting and digital printing.            Part laboratory/part workspace, The Discovery Room, was built by Judith for her Final Degree Show.  Here she displayed a large whiteboard which detailed her previous experiments and a new board on which she documented the experiments that she undertook during the exhibition.  There were dossiers and catalogues of collected specimens, drawings and diagrams in the laboratory drawers and a series of xrays were displayed which revealed the contents of bandaged objects she had made.  These anatomical-like packages with names like ‘cyst’ and ‘constriction’ had been made in response to her study of Leonardo Da Vinci’s notebooks and drawings and her yearning to show, to open and yet to keep safe what is inside, the inner self, the secret/the secreted.  She was interested in Da Vinci’s ‘search for the soul’.  She investigated too the ‘stone of melancholy’ (1) and wondered about her mother’s struggle with depression.  Judith’s interest in medicine and science grew during her elder sister’s training as a radiographer.  As a child Judith visited the radiology department and became fascinated by xrays and all things medical.(1) Ian Hunt in Christine Borland: Selected Works 1990-1999: The Dead teach the living, Zurich: Migros Museum c2000 To be continued ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Judith Alder - Finding Her WayPart 4Revealing the inside on the outside is a theme Judith began during her early art training when she started to investigate the human body. In Body Texts she wrote people’s inner thoughts on the outer skin of a body; she made paper casts of body parts onto which inner juices appeared to seep out. She made books in which she displayed collected secrets and ‘things not said’. The Spectacular Bodies exhibition at Hayward Gallery, London 2000 was of great interest and influence. In the catalogue from this show I look at the raw emotion shown in Bernini’s Anima Dannata (Condemned Soul) 17th Century and in Marc Quinn’s Emotional Detox from the Seven Deadly Sins 1994/5 and although Judith’s work is less openly emotional, I sense her search for the source of feelings via her body explorations and her experiments.After completing her Honours Degree in 2003 Judith set up Blue Monkey Studio with 3 other graduates. Her first project 'Short Lives' was intensely personal. Both her parents had died in the previous two years. She chose to continue to experiment with and to document the growing of beans and peas in petrie dishes. She told me she wishes to give time to make sense of the death of her parents and to mark their loss. The opportunity to display this work at Stroud House Gallery, Gloucestershire brought this work to a successful conclusion.Judith is continuing her investigation of outer and inner spaces and she has been reading the journal of Christopher Columbus. She sees herself as an explorer, walking unknown lands. She makes fictional journeys through real and created landscapes in order to explore the territory both outside and inside our worlds. I wonder what she will discover.My own investigation of Judith’s work, a journey through her years as an artist, shows me that Judith is well on her way, walking purposefully down the roads she chooses. She opens to what she sees around her, sometimes decides to branch out and try a new path. Clearly she finds plenty to interest herself and us on her way. The complete article can be downloaded from: www.roz2.co.uk/news.html ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 AWARD FOR GOOSEBERRYMr. Worthy, my primary school headmaster, loved initiative. He used to make us spell the word. This is the spirit in which the Allotment Residency has been developed. I have taken the initiative again to create an Award Scheme for Vegetables and Fruit on the allotment.Gooseberries did extremely well this year. Many have gone into pies and fool. This gooseberry stands in for the others. It has been awarded Second Prize.First Prize went to the onions which were early, fat and juicy.We will be spending a preparation day on the allotment this week.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 COMMENDATIONRaspberries had two weeks of being top fruit and filled, along with strawberries and redcurrants, three delicious Summer Puddings. They have been HIGHLY COMMENDED. The last few berries have been rotting on the canes or devoured by snails.Strawberries and redcurrants did well and are over too until next Summer. One goes with the seasons on the allotment.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PREPARATION DAY Roz & I have timetabled in three preparation days at the allotment to enable us to plan our residency. Today was the first of those days. It’s been difficult to decide how to approach the residency – whether to arrive with completely open minds, or to have a firm plan. The point of the residency is to “explore the possibility of producing a body of new work together, based upon existing common ground and interests” and we are keen to make a space where anything could happen, but think we will need a structure which will help us to focus. We have begun to develop a few ideas on which we can build and today we earmarked sites on the allotment where some of our activities can take place. We talked about what we think we are physically and practically capable of (…constructing a residence/shelter/shed – it seems essential if we are to work here for two weeks, but can we do it?) The first time I visited the allotment, I took compost from my garden as a gift and the allotment gave me spinach. Today I took a bouquet of long-stemmed chive flowers packed with seeds and the allotment gave me fresh lettuce for my lunch. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 One of the ideas to structure the work we do on the allotment residency is Art School. I took a blackboard and chaiks to the preparation day on Monday. After changing into my mortar board and gown I wrote the date and the weather - handwriting practice. Both of us are very organised people and working to a timetable, however loose, suits us. Judith noted that we have both used childhood themes in our art. I hated school when I was there. Now it seems quite attractive. A place to learn, to experiment, to make things ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I met up with Ann Rapstoff on Friday as part of our research into collaborative work. Started a conversation about issues around working this way. Ann has worked in many combinations. We hope to arrange a meeting between Breaking Ground (Roz Cran and Judith Alder) and Kitchen Antics and Appliances (Ann Rapstoff and Barbara Dean and Hilary Kneale). There would be lots of criss crosses in such a conversation and I think many ideas may bounce from this meeting. We hope to get together in November. See www.kitchenanticsandappliances.com ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 We had a progress meeting yesterday. Up for discussion were plans for our next preparation day. We hope to realise 2 pieces - filming the burial of my typewriter, which has been planned for some time; and marking out a 3D plan of the shed with string and canes. A place to work in the dry and somewhere to display work is important for the residency. We are chasing up contacts to try and find a suitable shelter.Meanwhile normal harvesting continues. Potatoes, garlic and parsley are the crops of the day.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Laid out the polaroids that I found on the allotment a few months ago. There are 23 - tables, chairs, chests, whatnot table and paintings. The bluish green faded colours are beautiful. I hope by handling them, placing them, scanning them that ideas will arise of how to use them. They look like doll's furniture but they are full size antiques. I will show them to Judith again tomorrow as we have a preparation day on the allotment. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ALLOTMENT DAY-TYPEWRITER BURIALOn Brighton beach 8 years ago when I was beginning my new life in art I found a rusty burned typewriter. It represented change and I made several pieces of work based on this typewriter. But it is ready to be buried on the Downs, ready for further change.Judith assisted with the photography and filming and we got some good shots. We went for a cuppa in the garden centre. I deleted some bad photos and inadvertently erased the whole memory card. And we could not find the other memory card full of the best ones. However after frantic searching we found it and retook the missing pictures.At the tail end of the day I helped Judith begin to construct a 3D shed using canes and string. She gained some useful experience and we plan to continue this next time.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Following our second preparation day, I put aside some time to go through all the photographs I’ve taken at the allotment so far, and to begin to make up a work book in which links might begin to appear.A couple of photographs have already prompted ideas in my mind. One seems particularly appropriate for our collaboration – “An extra pair of hands”, while a recurring theme, seen here in the image of the shopping trolley, is the constant exchange on the allotment between indoors and outdoors. This set me thinking of words which are common to both the context of cultivation and the domestic, with “beds” for growing vegetables, “carpets” of grass and “blankets” of blossom. Still of prime importance for the residency is providing ourselves with a shelter. The weather on Wednesday was perfect, but we can’t rely on that to continue, and we will need somewhere to store and look at work as we make it. We have had an offer of help to build a shelter and will be having a meeting to discuss it next week.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I love the shabbiness of allotments. Nevertheless I felt weeds and grass had got out of hand on our preparation day. Thus I took the strimmer and spade to prepare the allotment for the residency proper which starts in a few weeks' time. It looks much better for its late summer clean.I took the opportunity for a lesson and examined the leaves of the vegetables and fruit bushes. Spent a happy hour printing from these.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 With the time we’ve set aside for the allotment residency drawing nearer, the issue of a shelter has grown more urgent. Out of the blue I received a call from Simon Barker, an architect based in Eastbourne, offering to join us to help build a shelter. Simon has a long standing interest in the evolution of improvised buildings such as those found on allotments or developed on PlotLands. We met with Simon yesterday and talked about ways we could work together to build a structure on the allotment using found and recycled materials. We talked about what the shelter will need to provide for us, and how we can make it into something more than just a shed – could it have another function or in some way be a place of transformation, somewhere that offers “a new view”? A telescope? A cinema? A schoolroom? And we talked about the work of Folke Köbberling and Martin Kaltwasser who mount installations and interventions in urban space, building structures from found and re-appropriated materials. Simon will visit the allotment and we will all start gathering materials ready for a weekend of building at the beginning of October.http://www.barkershorten.com ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OUTSIDE BATHROOMJudith's thoughts about bringing the inside outside made me realise we have 3 baths on the allotment, only one with taps. I went up to take a closer look at them. They are used as water butts now. Jeannie, my co-allotmenteer and I throw in comfrey as it enriches the water and helps the vegetables grow. Washing in rainwater is supposed to be good for your skin, to make your skin soft. I think I will try it. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Our final preparation day is on Wednesday. We will do a final survey and set up arrangements for starting the Residency proper next week - exciting. We will invite Simon over so he can see the allotment "in person". I went up last week to measure the allotment in bodylengths. This was inspired by finding out that the plots used to be measured in rods or perches or poles. All these are the same length i.e. roughly 5.5 yards. This is equivalent to 11 cubits, 5.0292 metres, 16.5 feet. 4 rods make a chain. One source says a standard allotment is 10 poles (10 x 30 yards or 9 x 27 metres). Roughly 300 square yards. But this does not add up. I must measure my allotment. Remember those old exercise books with all these measurements on the back. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 On our last preparation day 3 weeks ago, using canes lashed together with string, I tried to make a 3D drawing of the shelter we hope to build. The result was a wonky bamboo frame which wouldn't stay upright long enough to support the outline of a roof, a strong reminder of the need to develop my design and construction skills. Last week I visited the Eden Project and was pleased to be able to take a close up look at a very solid bamboo construction together with information on various ways of using bamboo to build strong frames, walls, floors, roofs and screening panels.Also at the Eden Project were wall paintings by two "vegetalistas" from Peru depicting the intertwined relationship between people and nature.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 LAST PREPARATION DAYWe have had our last prep. day. We hauled pallets from the garden centre car park - they may be the start of our shelter which we will build next week. However we decided to put up a white gazebo on Monday 1 October, the First Day of our Residency - so that we have immediate shelter from rain and a place to lay out materials.I have become interested in the original measures used to lay out allotment plots - rods, poles, perches - all these measure the same i.e. approximately 5.5 yards. Many old measures came from using the body like a ruler: a cubit is the average length from finger tip to elbow; hands are still used to measure horses. A foot needs no explanation. I decided to measure my allotment with my body. I loved lying face down on the grass and earth, like kissing my allotment. The plot is 12 bodylengths long by 4 bodylengths wide. Crops were also used to measure: 3 barleycorns = 1 inch. I used runner beans grown this summer: the plot is 110 runner beans long by 47 runner beans wide.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ANOTHER PRIZE AWARDEDAutumn has arrived on the allotment. Leaves, flowers, vegetables are dying back. The juice is retreating into the earth. I was struck by the beauty of some deaths. The dead heads of the artichoke stand proud, strong, brown. I have one more prize to award. The MERIT goes to this dead artichoke head. This one has to represent the team of heads. I remember the brightness of their purple hair in mid Summer. But their silvery brown crowns stand up straight and true.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 CHECKING MY BOUNDARIESMy recent work has been concerned with location and locating oneself; finding one's place. A little while ago I worked on a project in which I was looking at strategies which blind and visually impaired people use to locate themeselves, to get a sense of the space which they are in. One blind person explained to me that to understand an indoor space, she liked to walk the length and breadth of the room, touching each wall to "feel" the space.On Wednesday I walked the boundaries of the allotment, feeling the extent of our space, marking the boundaries with string looped around tall canes. Remarkably, the perimeter of the allotment was exactly equivalent to one whole ball of string.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I've just eaten the allotment. It is inside me. For supper I had mash made from the last of the potatoes, greens: spinach, curly jack, sorrel and oriental greens, and a yellow courgette.As well as providing food for the stomach the allotment gives food for thinking, food for feeling. It is an open space apart from the day to day. On my visit today I thought about the 2 weeks' residency to come. I looked with slightly different eyes at the grass, the earth and the sky - I stared at them. I looked at the water in the baths and the metal of the empty wheelbarrow. I decided I will start each day of the residency by standing and staring. I will see what happens, what I notice, what I think. What I noticed today was the clover. There is a mass of three-leaf clovers. I love them. There is no need to search for a four-leaf clover, all the luck you need is here.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Two Artists in Residence on an Allotment - Day 1 - Rain, rain, rain. London and Southeast England: Cloudy, with a little more rain or drizzle for most. This Evening and Tonight: Cloudy skies generally, with outbreaks of drizzle and mainly light rain. Low cloud will give mist and fog over the hills but it will be mild.Tuesday: A good deal of cloud, with a little light rain or drizzle in places. A few brighter spells may develop here and there in the afternoon.Outlook for Wednesday to Friday: Mostly cloudy again on Wednesday, with some rain likely later. Cloud and patchy rain slowly clearing during Thursday. Mainly fine on Friday.Despite the weather today I collected leaves from the allotment and we made:over 50 printssome drawingstea and coffeesome wet puddles on the floor... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 LAST THINGS FIRST Despite my lucky 3 leaf clover it teamed with rain. Rain I wished for over the summer to swell the vegetables arrived today. Plans turned back to front - we worked inside on the kitchen table, printed leaves, made invitations for 'allotmenta', the Open Day - our last event became our first. We had a drawing lesson - drew nasturtiums picked from the allotment yesterday. Five things I noticed: 1. Ridges on the old runner bean reminded me of ridges left by the sea on sand. 2. Hollyhock leaf had 13 little round holes in it. 3. Nasturtium flowers have a pointed tail running down behind. 4. The veins on nasturtium leaves join up and form small five-sided figures. 5. Snails eat curly jack leaves between the veins, leaving a lacy pattern. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 GREEN WHITE CUBEOn a mild grey morning we struggled with metal tubes and flapping plastic and succeeded in creating a dry area to make and display - our own white cube. The second thing I noticed as I stared was this mullein covered in raindrops, a rose opening to the day. At the end of the afternoon I made a posy for the teacher.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DAY 2 - MAPPINGTasks:mark out the individual plots on the allotment with string identify which plots are Jeannie's and which are Roz'sdraw a plan, marking the plots A - K47 canes used47 blue flags to mark them 5 balls of string Outlook for Thursday to Saturday: Generally dry, bright or sunny spells by day but with patchy mist and fog at night. Rather warm.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SITTING STILL AND RUNNING ABOUTAn onion head nodded and waved as I sat and stared today. At first I did not see but I stayed, looked longer and saw them: nestled inside among the seeds were small snails - lots of them. A ladybird came stepping quickly over the round seeds, seven black spots on her back. An abundance of circular shapes on the allotment. The last lesson was PE. Certainly I was in need of exercise. How many hop, skip and jumps does the allotment measure?... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DAY 3 - SEEDS16 varieties of seed heads and pods collected.2 green Grasshoppers1 brown Shield Bug Petrie dishes positioned in zones A, F, J, K and I:1. In bath2. Under canes3. In plant pot4. Under Cow Parsley5. Under Love-in-a-mist6. In basket on trolley7. Among Nasturtiums8. Next to compost bin9. Under runner beans Thursday: After a rather cloudy morning the cloud is expected to thin and break and it will become much brighter than of late with sunny spells developing by the afternoon.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DAY 4 – COLLECTION (cont’d) Collected 30 varieties of seed Antirrhinum Artichoke Beetroot Bindweed Comfrey Coriander Evening Primrose Gladiolus Golden Rod Green Alkanet Hollyhock Iris Lavender Lupin Marigold Mullein Nasturtium Onion Oregano Pine Poppy Rose Sunflower Sweet Pea Tansy and 5 varieties yet to be identified. Worked with Roz to make stem prints. FRIDAY: Studio-bound to catch up on admin and studio work.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 HALF TERMOne crow sat on top of the elder and called to another perched on a lamppost. Lots of birdsong on this damp dewy morning.After our conflab, the sun came out and we printed stems together.Simon turned up as we were eating a late lunch and we discussed shelters. We collected seeds and started the seed table.Halfway through the residency and time to start 100 lines.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 AWAY DAYWent to work yesterday, it seemed odd not to be on the allotment and to chalk up the date, weather and lesson. Spent the evening sorting, grouping, deleting photos.The stem prints are dry enough to cut into strips this morning. Time to pause and consider. I think about the aims of the residency: to look, to learn and to see what it is like working in residence. I notice how my love of the allotment has grown. Another aim is to find out about collaboration; to see how Judith and I can work together; does the allotment collaborate?I realise that despite measuring the allotment in runner beans, bodylengths, carrots and courgettes, I have no idea of the length and width of the allotment in standard measurements of feet, yards, metres. What I remember is lying on the damp grass, the smell of the freshly pulled carrot and how the runner bean turned as I measured.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OPEN DAY  We have set a date for our Open Day and have been finalising our invitations, though it seems that our printed cards will not be of much use now because of the postal strike. We will have to send most of our invitations by e-mail.Although time is rushing by, it is exciting to have an event to work towards.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 HOMEWORK As well as sorting out our invitations, the weekend break has allowed a little time for trying out ideas. I have sorted out my seedsmade packets for themthought about how to make a seed cataloguecovered a plant pot with thistle seeds ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SUNDAYNipped Jeannie up to the allotment to get spinach and picked greens for supper.Laid out the stem prints and they looked like sewing/sowing. This links with the seed collection and the seed table/seed pot. There is a seeding embroidery stitch. Will concentrate on stitches this week.I wonder what will arise from the discipline of working on the plot; of the daily observation sessions and the plant drawing.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SCHOOL AGAINWe are gaining a rhythm together. Our discussions bear fruit. The invitations are ready; most have been sent by email because of the postal strike. But people can pick up a souvenir card at the Open Day on Tuesday 16th.The Seed Table is complete and is stored against the rain predicted for tomorrow. Needlework on the timetable: I practised seeding stitch and stem stitch.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DAY 6  Today: A cloudy start with outbreaks of rain. The rain becoming heavy and persistent at times, especially over eastern parts, but it should ease in the west later in the afternoon. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TABLESRain yesterday meant a day to stay indoors, sort through material and data, and begin to put it into some sort of order. Also a good opportunity to identify areas where more information is needed.Weather forecast good for the rest of the week.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SEWINGStitches. Lots of the names link with the allotment: seeding, snail trail, stem, thorn, lazy daisy, fern. Our roots are in the land and being here day after day brings this to mind. My head rings with the intertwining of ourselves and what we call nature (as if we were apart from the natural world): the names of stitches, the tree of life, wallpaper patterns, trunk and branches of trees in roofs and structures of buildings. I am drawing on the blackboard better. I drew stitches on canvas today.Trillions of seeds are ripening. Judith is collecting and counting them.Tonight I will make a seed cake.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 1. SKY DIARY Record the changing sky at intervals throughout the day.Log pictures in a Sky Diary. 2. ALLOTMENT WORDS breeze rustle spikes cool tangle earth drops dig grow green red rust autumn bob struggle weed push skeleton stick seed strong survive eat lace pebble ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I LOVE MY ALLOTMENTA rope joined me to the mullein.We used garden canes to knit the string used in the survey of beds.I slept next to the currant bush and kissed the love-in-a-mist.Judith sewed me to the sunflower.And we ate slices of seed cake for lunch.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 STAND BACK AND LOOKHave we seen things differently on the allotment?Have we made a kind of home?Are we collaborators?May the seeds grow?Which stalks of the new work will develop?Have we been back to school?Have I learned anything?Am I daft?... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OPEN DAY TOMORROW - TUESDAY 16 OCTOBERWe became attuned to the weather on the allotment residency. Open Day tomorrow may have to adapt to rain. Sent emergency email asking people to phone if it is raining. Our photos are stuck in the mail. But all other preparations are in hand. Seed cakes made. Exercise books stacked. Lessons marked.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 LAST DAY - FIRST SEEDS SOWNI can't believe it's taken me this long to actually sow some real seeds! Although the last few days have been busy with preparations for Open Day, I've been anxious to move on with some of the ideas which are rapidly developing. Throughout the residency I have been repeatedly returning to ideas about the relationship between indoors and outdoors, as well as issues of control and order and the often idealised view of nature.Yesterday I continued my experiments, sowing some fast germinating seeds in my petrie dishes on a base of moist furnishing fabric.Open Day tomorrow: Tuesday - Heavy, persistent rain will affect southern England and much of Wales for much of the day. Elsewhere, sunny spells, scattered showers in the northwest. Winds easing and feeling a little cooler.Oh well.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OPEN DAY TODAYWe put up the gazebo in teaming rain. It began to clear half an hour before opening time and we rushed to set things out. The crow cawed as soon as I put up my board. We welcomed a good bunch of people who responded to the work. Useful comments and I learned you cannot see a laptop outside.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ONE VISITOR TO ALLOTMENTA SAYS: 'Really enjoyed the Open Day. These things I loved, just being there with all the mix of still-growing/dying/dead things around in a frame of mind that allowed letting them be as they are rather than (as one does in ones own garden) fretting about tidying, planting, sowing, not allowing weeds to get a grip etc. The weather and the top of the downs. Your drawings, the snail shells on sticks (pour encourager les autres), the table of stuck, arrested seeds, the poppy seedhead drawn in poppy seeds, the sense of community with everyone eating seedcake and enjoying the collection of material in the shelter, the humour creeping in in all sorts of ways, Roz sewn to a leaf, the picture frame/cold frame. The sense of movement and life, so different from your average gallery, snails, seagulls, crows, clouds, whatever the caterpillars are on the cabbages, cabbage whites? The mixture of information , observation and whimsy.'... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 REPORT ON BREAKING GROUND We reviewed BREAKING GROUND together yesterday and filled in our report form for the NAN New Collaborations Bursary. We found that we have been able to work together in a fruitful partnership and that we have achieved what we set out to do: find out if we can work together; try out being in residence on a site; make some new work. We realised that BREAKING GROUND has become a wider-ranging and longer-term project. We have been in touch with the University of Brighton re developing some of our ideas in print. We plan to transpose the work indoors and try it out in a Project Space and move towards a future exhibition. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SOUVENIR SEEDSWe have made a series of Souvenir Seed packets. Each contains one bean seed.We will send these to people who were unable to come to Allotmenta, the Open Day in October and those who have expressed interest in BREAKING GROUND and the allotment residency.Currently we are developing work started during the residency.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MEETING AT UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON We had a meeting with Head of Painting and Lecturer from Printmaking last week re the possibility of being Artists in Residence in the Printmaking Department. Discussions went well and they seem very interested and see the benefits for the students. All to be confirmed in the next week or so. Exciting to be taking Breaking Ground forward by testing and turning ideas using screen print techniques and maybe etching. We will give talks and tutorials in return for use of the facilities. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SOUVENIR SEED SOWING INSTRUCTIONSIf you have received a Souvenir Seed from us, here are some sowing hints. This runner bean, Wisley Magic, can be sown indoors from mid April in a pot of seed compost and sealed inside a plastic bag until it germinates and gradually acclimatise it to outdoors when frost has stopped. Or sow it outdoors when the soil has warmed from early May.Do send us pictures of the planting and the growing as Breaking Ground is an ongoing project and we would love to know how these beans fare.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 STAGE 2 BREAKING GROUNDDuring our meetings about funding applications it has become clear that we have started on Stage 2 of BREAKING GROUND.  This will comprise the Residency at the University of Brighton Printmaking Department for the month of February 2008, producing a book about Stage 1, bringing the project indoors and using 3 Project Rooms along the South Coast as a Platform for testing out the transfer and development of the work inside. This is an exciting and challenging position to have moved into.  Lots of work ahead, but with clear purpose.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 NEW LUCK NEW YEARI took 5 plastic bags of rotting vegetable peelings up to the allotment for the compost heap.  I put the mouldy old bags into an empty black bag and picked up litter blown over the beds by the winter winds.  At the bottom of the allotment I saw a rectangular scrap and bent to pick it up.  I could not believe my eyes - it was a polaroid photo of  a chest of drawers.  Where had it come from and how had it blown up now?  I had gathered the first polaroid picture of furniture in February 2007 at the beginning of this project.  And continued to find the rest of a small collection of 23 photos over the next few weeks.Here was another, months later, at the beginning of 2008 and the start of Stage 2 of BREAKING GROUND.  The fates are with us.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SOURCEPart of the polaroid mystery is solved.  I found another photo and another and followed them back to Ken's blind shed (it has no door).  There was a stack of them by the wall. On the grass lay a panel blown off the shed.  Photos were stuck in rows on this.  I took photos of it but wondered who had put these polaroids on the panel, when and for what purpose.  More questions.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Last Monday Roz & I visited the print workshops at the University of Brighton in preparation for our residency there. We met with technicians Ray Dennis and Wayne Case and Ray gave us a walk-round “refresher” of the workshop areas. Although it’s nearly five years since I used the screen-printing workshops, it still seemed very familiar and I came away with a sense of anticipation and excitement about the prospect of a month in such a productive environment. Our residency at the University begins on the 4th February. We’ll be developing our ideas for Breaking Ground through printmaking and, as Artists in Residence will be giving talks and tutorials to students. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Day 1 of our residency at the University of Brighton The start of an exciting month when we will be working in the printmaking workshops at the university! We spent most of the day today with Ray Dennis who re-introduced us to screen printing. Roz had developed some drawings of birds which she wanted to print, so we slowly but surely went through the process of making up a photographic stencil and printing from it. By the end of the day it all seemed familiar again – despite the fact that it is nearly five years since I last made a screenprint! I’m interested in pursuing ideas from the allotment about “Finding one’s place” & want to continue to explore ideas about mapping, measuring & marking territory. I marked a boundary around myself and my locker. Tomorrow I’ll start printing. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FIRST DAYThis morning I felt apprehensive as I packed my bag for the First Day - we are two Artists in Residence again - this time in Fine Art Printmaking at the University of Brighton.  However I walked home with a smile.   I enjoyed today.  I printed 3 layers of 'the missing birds'.  There are few birds on the allotment.  I am looking for them. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DAY 2 Made my first prints today using a screen-printing technique I hadn’t used before. I wanted to do a quick mental re-cap of my thoughts & ideas about the work we’d made on the allotment. So working directly onto the screen, first I made lists of “Allotment Words” and “More Allotment Words” – a sort of brain-storming session, printing the lists from the screen with transparent printing medium. Then, still working directly onto the screen with water soluble crayons and pencils, I began to try to transform my thoughts into quick & spontaneous drawings – a new way of working for me. Predictably, the process of printing began to get the creative juices flowing. Now I’m making plans for tomorrow. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SECOND DAYMore layers added to the bird prints, more browns too.  The thrush looks rather angry. Some on paper but also printed the pair of yellowhammer and thrush outlines onto thin canvas.  The plan to is cut them out, sew them together using thorn stitch and stuff them with allotment leaves, dead stems or sheep wool - people grazed their sheep on Tenantry Down before the allotments were laid out. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THIRD DAYSpent the morning cutting paper to size, taping the photostencil window to the right size, setting up registrations - then I began to print grey backgrounds, large and small.  The light cartridge paper stuck, but the heavy canaletto paper worked well.  Now I have 7 large and 14 small backgrounds to print on next Monday.Began to draft out some of the things I want to print:  names of vegetable seeds.  Who named a climbing French bean 'District Nurse' or a pea as 'Gravedigger' ? How were those names handed down? Who wrote them down? ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TO SEE A PROJECT SPACE Roz & I travelled to Portsmouth & Southampton on Friday. We went to the Aspex Gallery for a 1-2-1 with Sarah Palmer to talk about our BMPD professional development project, then we went on to see the Millais Project Space at Southampton Solent University. We wanted to look at the space to see if it might be a suitable venue for the next stage of Breaking Ground, where we plan to work in three different project spaces along the south coast for a week in each space, inviting selected artists and arts professionals from each area for a private viewing and a discussion about the work we make at the end of each week. PREPARATIONS This evening I’m preparing for another day’s printmaking in Brighton tomorrow. I’ve got a stencil ready to print from – an outline plan of the allotment showing the “boundaries” which were understood, but in reality, almost invisible. More and more, the focus of the work I’m making is on the relationships which became important during the allotment residency, and the territorial issues which I was interested in as a visitor feeling the need to make a space for myself which would be my “safe base”. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PRINTMAKING - DAY 4Back in the print workshop today I've been printing a plan of the allotment showing its "boundaries" and the layout of the beds and paths. Of course, anyone who knows allotments will realise that this is not as simple as it sounds since allotment boundaries are often more "understood" than defined.I've printed quite a number of the plans and will use them as a structure to work on to, recording some of the processes and activities which I actually carried out on the allotment.Allotment - "a portion or thing allotted; a share granted."Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BAD DAYToday everything went wrong.  I stayed late on Monday setting things up - cutting paper, taping the screen, ready to go when I got in today.  However my first print went wrong, the tape lifted giving a curvy line where it should have been straight.  Washed off and tried again.  The paper stuck to screen.  Washed off.  Next black streaks appeared.  I gave up.  Turned the power hose on the screen and washed off the stencil.  Started a new photostencil to have easy straight lines.  Off to the dentist in the afternoon.  Work meeting tomorrow, so not back at the screenbed until Thursday.Stuffed a thrush with dead stems and moss - see image. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONI was beginning to feel I was going through the motions - days of printing so far had resulted in stiff and formal plans of the allotment, but I didn't really feel that anything was "happening". Perservering, I made up a stencil of "footprints" and printed up a muddy trail around the allotment plan, negotiating the carefully marked out plots.Then, as I always do, I tried printing them on to a piece of blank paper, moving the paper in & out of registration, printing & over-printing & watching as my print appeared. The new print seems to move the work on beyond the allotment itself and link to the broader themes within my work, considering invisible, implied or understood boundaries, territory, paths and passages. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MORE BACKGROUNDSSpent ages setting up to print more backgrounds.  Still getting small smears in the ink but some of them are ok.  Want to finish some of these first ideas in a day or two and spend the last week trying out something new. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SEED NAMESBeen fascinated with the names given to vegetable seeds - they speak of close relationships with growing, of history, of handing on and handing down, of people and their experience on allotments over generations.  The names are so different from the plain name, the official name, the latin botanical name. Have screenprinted selected seed names for tomatoes, peas, broad beans, leeks, dwarf runner beans, climbing French beans, carrots.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ABSCESSBeen away, absent, from the University Residency with a tooth abscess.  I looked abscess up: from the latin for going away, separating.  Absent is also from latin but from a dfferent root: to be away, not present.Looked up the latin for the vegetable names:  tomato is Solanum lycopersicum; leek is Allium porrum; pea is Pisum sativum.  All this reminds me of school again, roots of words, latin lessons; and of The School for Artists that we constructed on the Allotment Residency. School has framed my life- born in a school, can't seem to leave school, always want to learn more.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 In some ways it has been a frustrating week. Haven't really managed to get into a rythm. Couldn't get in to the Uni versity for three continuous days due to other commitments, and my focus and train of thought has been fragmented - and it shows. On Monday I was keen to develop my ideas for footprint tracks and trails, but that didn't seem as fruitful as I'd hoped. The image of my inky screen seems the most interesting thing I've produced! ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PUBLIC SPACE, PRIVATE SPACE, SHARED SPACEAfter the earlier frustrations of foot-print-making this week I decided to leave that line of enquiry for a little while & focus on something new. For some time now we have been thinking about developing our ideas around the notion of building a shelter, somewhere which can be "A Space For Two Artists" during the next phase of our Breaking Ground project. I decided to think about this by drawing & started to make lots of little images around this idea. Next week I'll try printing them & see what happens.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THINKING THROUGH PRINTINGI am finding thinking through printing an interesting process, and one which perhaps I should do more of. Its benefits are something to do with the combination of decision-making which has to be done in order to get anything on to paper at all, and the changes which occur through the printing process.Been  thinking broadly today about how Roz & I can tackle this idea of a constructed "Space for Two Artists". We'll have to use simple, low-tech methods, because neither of us are particularly technically minded. Ray was talking about Japanese paper making today, and the Japanese use of architectural paper screens...food for thought.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PRESENTI have been absent for a month.  Now back in the world of the well. I have prints to finish, thoughts and threads to pick up - time to start sewing/sowing again.   Broad bean and runner bean seeds are sprouting.  Seed potatoes and onion sets are waiting for a sunny day to be planted.   I have to arrange a couple of days to complete my residency at the University, do some tutorials and a presentation.      Talking to a visitor at our Open Studios about the emphasis in our culture on the visual, made me think about listening to the allotment.  Traffic noise, the occasional squawk from a crow, the wind blowing dried stems, fork against chalk.  What is the language for sound?  Onomatopoeic, metaphor, synonym... squawk, whistle, whisper, clink, hum....  Can listening open us to a wider experience of a place, a different feel.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TALK ABOUT THE WORKWe had a meeting to start planning our talk for Talk About the Work at Claremont Studios, Hastings later in April.We will focus on our collaborative partnership in Breaking Ground and see if we can widen our understanding of the way we work together/alongside and take this forwards into Stage 2 of the project.  We will invite the audience to collaborate with us for the evening and open a conversation about the work and the partnership and artistic collaboration. We have had a break while concentrating on other projects and it will be interesting to see where we stand in relation to the allotment and taking the work indoors to develop in Project Rooms.  It is sunny today and I will go to the allotment and take an April picture for this blog. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BACK AT THE UNIVERSITY RESIDENCYToday I went back to finish my prints for the Residency at the University of Brighton.  Did a complete screen from start to finish.   Cleaning off, coating, exposing, washing out, drying, onto the screen table, printing each of the stitches onto the vegetable names I printed in February, washed the screen off.These sowings/sewings are in black and brown.  Tomorrow I hope to do another screen using green on black.Jiggered. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 COMPLETED SERIES OF PRINTSGreen did not work and I went back to brown.  Had to work on an unfamiliar table and the 'snap' was all wrong.  After a time of things going wrong, I began to get a rhythm again and completed the series of 'allotment sewings'.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TUTORIALSToday I did some tutorials with the printmaking students - enjoyed this in spite of having a heavy cold.  First years are preparing for their Exhibition on Monday and third years getting ready for the Final Show.  I noticed how as you look critically at someone else's work and comment, you learn to look better and clarify something in your own mind or identify a muddle.  Again I notice that if you help students to articulate their thoughts and feelings about the work and making the work, they find something out.  It mirrors my counselling work.One student is unsure where to begin again.  I draw her attention to another blog on AN - "You can go anywhere from anywhere" Jane Ponsford's new project, a quote from Anni Albers.  See her post 17 March for link to yet another blog and text. I collected my finished prints and cleared out my plan drawer and locker.Arranged a date for our talk on Breaking Ground - 2 weeks today. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TALKPhotographed my prints ready to become slides for the 2 presentations I am starting to build for the Talks in 10 days' time.The first is on Breaking Ground and collaboration.  The second is for the printmaking students.  Duncan Bullen, the tutor, has asked that we talk too about how we have made artist lives for ourselves after graduating from Brighton.I will design and email a poster for him to put on the noticeboard next. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 COLLABORATIONStruggling with making slides for the powerpoint and thinking about the collaboration - how we started out and how it developed.  The good points and how it helped us work.  How we worked alongside each other.  Side by side.  Assistance.  Discussion.  Meetings always turned something up, pushed on our ideas.  Looked forward to meetings and seeing what would come out of it.  A pairing, like my seed names and nature stitches, overlapping, layering, producing textures. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 LOOKING FORWARD - LOOKING BACKWith two talks to plan this week about our collaboration, this seems like a good opportunity to review what we have done so far and begin to make firm plans for our project space work in the coming months. While choosing images for my slideshow, I came across a series of drawings which I did soon after arriving back in the studio from the allotment. I had been sorting out my collection of seeds  and  planted some  quick sprouting varieties in the studio. I observed their progress daily, and documented their progress in drawings for a while.I was interested in how my old life drawing skills seemed appropriate in representing these contorted little bodies.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BEAN - WISLEY MAGICAmanda Champness has sent some photos of her magic bean, the souvenir seed from Breaking Ground.  The shooting bean is growing leaves now.  I am sure she is going to keep us abreast of its progress. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MORE BEANSMore bean photos have arrived.  This time from Germany - Frankfurt an der Oder - from Wiebke and Benno Tetzlaff - we visited each other last summer:Dear Roz, It will work :-  Though the weather has been awful this spring Benno did it.  He planted the magic bean.  You can see it on the photos.  Now we ( sorry he) will look after it, water it and take some more pictures for you. The sunshine will help, I hope so.  In summer we will have a huge bean. Come here and see! ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TALK ABOUT THE WORK - CLAREMONT STUDIO, HASTINGSWe talked about Collaboration at the TATW last night.  We had planned our talks separately without consultation for the first time.  Each of us presented our view of working together and asked for comments and responses from the artists who had come.  We wanted to notice what we had gained, and what we had lost from working together on Breaking Ground.  To consider how we work alongside each other.  To wonder whether we could adapt, improve, do it better for Stage 2 of the project.We had some interesting and challenging feedback.  One person saw the working pattern as 'very female', 'no conflict'.  Someone suggested swapping a piece of work and the other person responding, making something with that piece.For me it clarified the way I want to explore relationships and the avenues I do not wish to go down.Annabel Tilley who organises TATW took some photos of the evening.  Esther Appleyard introduced and managed the evening. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 WE DID ANOTHER TALK TODAYWe did another talk (or two talks) today at the University of Brighton Printmaking Department. This was part of our Residency.  In addition to using the screenprinting facilities we have given student tutorials and this presentation.  We focussed on How to create an Life in Art after University.  Each of us showed slides and talked for half an hour about how we had made an art life - the different mix of activities from applying to funding, creating residencies, getting awards, further study, leading workshops, making work and working in other jobs for money. There were lots of questions after and as always you learn so much from putting together a talk and presenting your experience to others.  You find a path through the muddle which clears the way to go forward. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 COUNTING SEEDSI think I might have developed a new obsession. It started in a small way, counting the number of seed pods on an onion seed head & carefully mounting them in my workbook.Then I started "deconstructing" an artichoke seed head, numbering & mounting every stamen & carefully putting away the seeds to follow suit with them when time allows.Last week, I noticed the dandelion growing outside my front door & wondered how many seeds were on each "clock". And how many "clocks" might it produce over the summer?I'm horrified to report that during my counting activities this week, I've discovered that it has already produced 45 "clocks" so far since it sprang up a week or two ago! Today, I'm going to start mounting and numbering the seeds. Maybe then I'll draw them. Note to Roz: why are they called clocks? And did you used to call them fairies when you saw them blowing in the wind?... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DANDELION CLOCKS You tell the time:  puff as hard as you can to blow the seeds off  -  ONE O'CLOCK  -  blow again  -  TWO O'CLOCK  -  blow again  - THREE O'CLOCK  blow until all the fairies have blown away  - ELEVEN O'CLOCK.Catch a fairy and make a wish.  Let it go again.Dandelions - piss en lit - wet the bed - it is diuretic.You can eat the leaves in a salad.Coffee can be made from the roasted tap root. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BIRD BOX AND A GRANTTwo presents this week:the first was a bird box made by my daughter - a home for the stuffed thrush.The second was the award of an Arts Council Grant for the Arts for Stage 2 of Breaking Ground - Hooray.  Now we have to get cracking with arranging the Project Room development work and Platform Evenings.  How will we fit it all in - exciting.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Last week I cut all the 45 dandelion flower and seed heads that have grown on my doorstep dandelion in the last couple of weeks. I have pressed them in one of the wallpaper books which I was using on the allotment as a sort of experimental sketchbook.I have selected 7 dandelion seed heads which appear to be completely intact so that I can mount & count the seeds. However, the "fairies" are almost impossible to see when mounted on paper, so I have been trying other ways of mounting them and discovered that it seems to work to mount them on glass. I have ordered some microscope slides.Also been experimenting with drawing seeds & have gone back to our "School For Artists" starting point, using a technique which has been productive for Roz, but not for me - until now perhaps.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I have decided to order a greenhouse - just a little one. The sort that comes with a tubular steel frame - a bit like the frame of the gazebo we used at our Allotmenta Open Day - and a pvc cover - almost a cross between a greenhouse and a polytunnel.As a child, my Uncle had a market garden & the memory of the smell of warm, moist soil and ripening tomatoes is still strong in my mind. Greenhouses are places of potential, productivity; places where natural processes are rapid and rampant. Things happen there. Exciting things, unexpected things.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 A busy day today with many things to think about - progress with our BMPD Professional Development initiative, planning Eastbourne Festival 2009 as I have recently become a Director of the new Eastbourne Festival company, and, now that we have been given funding  for it, planning the next stage of Breaking Ground.I'm still puzzling over how to mount and count the dandelion fairies, with little success. I have ordered my greenhouse & marked out its area in the studio. It is small - 144cm x 71cm x 191cm high. Just big enough for one person to stand or sit in. I put my chair in the space to make it mine - My Space.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OLD DANDELIONSI looked at Judith's dandelions  and remembered my dandelions.  I made an etching, back in 2003.  Two flowers were pressed onto a soft ground layer on a steel plate, overlapping, intertwining.  This was etched in acid, inked and put through the press to produce this image.  One of a set of flower etchings named Apparitions.  And the dandelions have appeared once more. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ANOTHER DANDELIONAs I thought about dandelions I remembered another dandelion.  This time from my Foundation Show in 2000. I showed  this slide at the University of Brighton talk 2 weeks ago.  Pressed flowers again.  My first pressed flowers were collected when I was five years old.  I can see the book in my mind's eye - a school drawing book, dull blue paper cover, a flower on each page and the name I had identified and written carefully in pencil. The names are pressed in me: red dead nettle, yellow archangel, bistort -  there was a dandelion too.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I think at last, after much trial and error, I have decided on a way to mount & count my dandelion fairies. They are numbered and trapped under sellotape on black card which makes both the fine white fluff and the darker brown seed both equally visible.Then, when they're all counted, I'll think about how I'm going to use my microscope slides.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 CHANGING SEASONSI started to make papier mache casts of my spade and fork some months ago after work on the allotment had stopped.  The white shapes looked like skeletons of themselves and I began to think of them as Winter.When I unwrapped them to continue this week, they seemed misplaced in the sunny day.  May is a time when everything has turned green and is shooting up. There is loads of spadework to do on the allotment.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FIRST PROJECT SPACE BOOKEDSpent a lot of time this week thinking about dates and spaces.  Booked our first Project Space at the Phoenix in Brighton for first week in July with draft dates for the Open Afternoon and the Platform Dialogue.  Whew.  And we have a facilitator and a consultant sorted.  And have nearly booked the second Space for October.  How much of my art life is now project management.  I get to make the art during residencies - this is when there is dedicated time to 'get down to it'. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 As Roz says in her post today, she has spent the week organising & planning for us & has covered a lot of ground. It's very exciting to be working towards something definite now, especially as the first project space week is only a very few weeks away.I'm pleased to say that I have made progress at the studio too this week. I have built my greenhouse and have set it up as my Breaking Ground work space. I'm enjoying the strange semi-opaque cover & the zip-up door cover which, when unzipped, flaps open just enough to be able to peek inside. Yesterday I went shopping and bought seeds, beans, compost, seed trays and pots. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 STUFFED ANOTHER BIRDI stuffed my chaffinch at the weekend.  I had to learn how to do double feather stitch.  Once I got it, it was easy, but as with everything , there is trial and error.  I could not work it out and then suddenly I found the way and the instructions which had seemed crazy until then, suddenly fell into place. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DON'T JUST SIT THEREBeen pondering how to bring the outdoors indoors during our Project Space work time.  I look round my house and see how much is influenced by the natural world.  We think we live away from nature but we surround ourselves with patterns, words and shapes from plants and animals.  And think of cave paintings, ancient pots, mediaeval hangings.The tea service handed down by my mother has red roses round the rim.  I plant a pea (Onward) in a jug and an unidentified seedling in the cup and saucer.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Like Roz I have been thinking about the interchange between indoors and outdoors and considering our attempts to control and order our worlds. I have been working with leaves, this Bindweed leaf being one of them.Soon, when Roz gets back from her trip, we will have a meeting and begin to plan how to approach our first project space in a month's time.Yesterday I met fellow a-n blogger, Caroline  Wright. It was great to see her on Eastbourne seafront at the opening of her Towner Offsite project, "Impossible Changeling". She has gilded the inside of an Eastbourne beach hut using gold leaf, and is distributing gold-leafed pebbles from her local beach in Aldeburgh, Suffolk onto Eastbourne beach.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 ANOTHER WISLEY MAGIC SEED PLANTEDI visited old friends Ginny and Colin in Lancaster yesterday and they had saved the souvenir seed I sent them to plant with me.  They have an enormous well tended vegetable patch on their farm and took me to their bean patch.  Here is Colin pushing in the marker.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OUTSIDE  - INToday we walked along the seafront & went to say goodbye to Caroline Wright who was spending her last day at her gilded beach-hut as part of the Towner Offsite project, "Impossible Changeling". 10 gilded pebbles each day have been distributed along the stoney beach in Eastbourne, and today as we walked along the beach, I found one!I brought it home and as I thought about how to photograph it for the blog, I realised how many other objects I have brought in from the outside from walks over the years.Caroline says "Bringing a pebble home into our personal domestic environment affords it a status - separated from the crowd the single pebble becomes a treasured artifact." The gilded stone reminds me of the golden dragees given out at weddings and at Christmas. I put it in a leaf pattern bowl with some felted pebbles given to me by friend & artist, Solveigh Goett. She called  her pebbles "Stones in Sheep's Clothing"... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MYSTERY SOLVEDHere is the full answer to the mystery of the polaroids: I bumped into Ken, the owner of the shed,  some weeks ago and asked him about the photos.  He works for a firm that used to export reproduction furniture to the United States.  They took two photos of the items in each consignment, one for the buyer and one to keep as a document which they stuck on boards.  When they stopped exporting, he used these boards to finish the shed. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THE TRIALS OF LIFE!My studio has been a place of life and death drama today.For a couple of weeks now I have been planting runner beans, hoping to have a good number of them ready for our first project space residency at Phoenix Arts in July. I am amazed at the speed with which they have grown &, having been away from the studio for most of last week, have had to do some emergency "potting-on" today.The first lot of beans are quite established now, but the latest crop have grown long and leggy in their fight towards the light of the studio window. So I decided to put them outside in the yard where they can enjoy some natural sunlight & fresh air ... with disastrous consequences as they wilted rapidly in the baking afternoon sun! I brought them back in for some emergency water and a cool-off while I do some reading on how to grow successful beans and puzzle out how I'm going to make my beans grow the way I want them to for my installation.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 RUNNER BEAN DIARIESIn the last two days I have potted up 76 runner bean plants.In total, at 9.28am this morning, these plants had 286 leaves.Last night it rained hard. I must drill some holes in the troughs which the pots are sitting in so that water can drain away.Already some insects are living on my bean plants.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 RUNNER BEAN DIARIES 16/6/2008The beans are growing well outside despite the slightly chilly nights. I came to the studio to water them over the weekend.Today I measured and photographed them. I numbered the canes so that I can identify the plants and have marked the height of each plant with a black marker on the canes.No.11 is the tallest at 85cm and with 12 leaves.No. 14 is the shortest at only 39cm and 8 leaves.No insects today. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 My Runner Bean diaries have been sadly neglected this week while I have been busy with other jobs and planning the next stage of Breaking Ground.OUTSIDE IN - We will be working in the project space at Phoenix Arts from the 30th June until the 8th July. This seems quite a short time to work towards the Open Day and Discussion Event which are planned for the end of the residency.Susan Diab will be leading our Discussion Platform on the 8th July, and we are excited about her ideas and her input as a new collaborative partner for this event.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FIRST DAY OF PHOENIX PROJECT SPACESpent the first day moving into the space and arranging materials.  Started a blackboard, a mind map and planted some china with Onward pea plants.  Brought in my first daily offering: some grasses picked on the way.  Taped them to some wall lining paper - we discussed papering one wall of the room.                                             Laid out some flowers and a small apple found on the road.  Sewed and stuffed one of the screenprinted thrushes. We discussed the work and material we had laid out.  New ideas spring from these meetings and we agreed a daily meet at 11 am.Our new folded cards have arrived and I cannot wait to see them. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SECOND DAYCollected the school bench, magazine rack, plant stand and deck chair with floral pattern from the allotment and brought back to the Project Space.  This furniture has been used inside, taken outside and is now inside again. We had an early meeting to consider the space and realised how quickly we have to get things together for the Open Day on Monday and Discussion Platform on Tuesday.  We have had a lot of confirmations from invitees today and are excited about the Event.Wallpaper ideas are taking shape.  Stuck up some lining paper to experiment.  Grasses look ok but I like the bunches of dead grass. We are all mixed up with nature, more so than I think is realised.  We are not so apart, we are surrounded with names from nature (stitches, roads, colours), metaphors (as bald as a coot, eats like a horse), stories and decorated fabrics.  Let's mix up even more.  We are entangled.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THIRD DAYArrived with lots of stuff to take upstairs again.  Had to have a cup of tea after.Early meeting again to discuss ideas and postioning.Made my stuffed crow and put all the birds on sticks.Wallpaper worries:  what to use - the bunches of dried grass plus a flower, or intertwined, the rhythm/pattern - or the grasses - or the pieces of shrub and blossom.  Tomorrow we will stick up the lining paper and I will have to make a decision. To Brewers again for more lining paper.  Up to the allotment to gather more dried grass and some bath water (and pick raspberries, water the courgette and tomatoes, clip the grass, pick some marigolds and poppies. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Over three days we have filled the Project Space with things from the outside. A transformation has taken place. We are experimenting and finding new things happening. Yesterday I planted my runner beans indoors. Like Roz's furniture, they started life indoors, then went outside. Now they are back inside. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Roz & I have been talking about the sort of questions we are asking ourselves as we make work. Much of our discussion centers on how we see ourselves in the world - especially in relation to the natural world of which, after all, we are a part.I am interested in the extremes of existence which I've observed, from the invasive, entwining Bindweed I have picked, pressed and drawn upon, to the delicate baby runner bean plants which I have  nurtured for my installation and which are now woven into a taught framework of twine and string. Yesterday I noticed a patch of wall near the place where I was drawing, which had been hastily painted. An area of wall-paper faintly showed through the paint. I began to trace out the barely visible pattern in pencil,  extending the inter-twining stems, flowers and leaves across the wall. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FOURTH DAY AT THE PHOENIX PROJECT SPACEIt took all morning with both of us working on covering the end wall with lining paper.  After a welcome sandwich I messed about with the paper drops on another wall trying to get the pattern and placing right.  I have decided.  Sunday will be the best day to make the wallpaper.Bumped into Emilia Telese downstairs and met the AIR Advisory Group who were having a meeting at Phoenix.Placed the polaroids on the school bench - keep trying to find a way to show these pictures found on the allotment.  Received our first piece of outside from Philippa who cannot come to the Open Day.  She brought a couple of birch logs from her woodpile. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FIFTH DAYUp at the allotment first thing to gather raspberry, blackcurrant and gooseberry leaves to print napkins.  Later start at the Space.  Felt subdued today.  So much organisation and promotion to do that the work is having less attention.  I feel the need to bed down in the work again.  To get connected and inside, to make a place  - maybe I must gather a great heap of the dried grass and line with raw felted wool like a nest.Went home to consider and then up to the allotment, the original place of this project.  Remembered my urge to clothe myself in the allotment and took up an old tee shirt and straw hat.  Covered the shirt with raspberry leaves and started weaving a veil of bindweed.  This is more like it. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SIXTH DAYToday we had to get cracking on setting up and sorting out.  I made my wallpaper, tacked up the prints, arranged the birds.We got rid of excess materials, mess and furniture.  Still much to do but it is beginning to take shape.  We drove to B & Q in search of turf - last rolls sold out this morning.  Perhaps I will have to dig some from the allotment - how come I did not think of that before.  Bought some towel hooks.  The cress is growing.Home to make the courgette cakes.  Open Day tomorrow.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Getting ready for the Outside In Open Day. I'm looking forward to it but hope to have some time to extend my wall drawing a bit further before our visitors arrive.Mounted my leaf drawings to day, but tore one as I was doing it and so have had to spend the evening redoing it. It's been an interesting & exhausting week. We have tried to achieve so much in such a short time. Some things are successful, others less so, but it's nice to think that we can move things on again at the next Project Space. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OPEN DAY - 7 JULY 2008Today we finished installing the work and had the Outside In Open Day.People started arriving promptly and many brought something from outside in.  The objects were photographed, labelled and displayed along the window ledge.  Some interesting items came including a penny, some bacteria, and a poem about mulberries.Lots of people came from Phoenix Studios and most people tried the courgette cake.  Useful comments and questions about the work. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DISCUSSION EVENT - TUESDAY 8 JULYThis was a busy day, getting the work in position, ready for our Consultation Meeting with Frances Lord in the morning. Scurrying to Sainsbury's to buy the wine for the evening.  Quick 10 mins with eyes closed to give us a breather before setting up the Foyer for drinks and documentation.  We were able to use the Phoenix large screen to put up this blog for guests to read.People viewed the work, talked to each other and Susan Diab facilitated a discussion.  This experimental format included asking guests to make something in response to the objects that had been brought in by themselves and the visitors to Open Day or to the work we had made.  People busied themselves and told the group about what they had put together.  We completed the evening by writing references, ideas, words in response to the work on plant labels and sticking them in flowerpots.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 The last few days have been a blur of activity - Open Day, Discussion event, consultations, mentoring, dismantling... what a pleasure today to begin to catch up with everything else which has been put to one side for the last couple of weeks.Today I am posting some images of the final installation of our work. We have gathered a huge catalogue of pictures now over the course of the project, and are thinking about ways in which we might be able to produce a publication at the end of it all. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Going through my photographs of the last weeks I am interested in the stories which they tell. I must begin to organise, order and edit. Perhaps one of my summer jobs will be to make a workbook. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 EATING THE BEANS - EATING THE ALLOTMENTA few days ago a friend visited from Hampshire.  She brought a bag of runner beans grown from the Wisley Magic bean I sent her earlier in the year.  She said the plant was prolific.  We ate them for supper and they were delicious.  We ate the allotment. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BREAKING GROUND goes UNDER GROUND.Just getting back to work after the holidays and beginning to prepare for our next residency, UNDER GROUND, in the basement Pine Gallery at Claremont in Hastings. I went to Orkney on holiday and was amazed at the history embedded in these small islands. People have lived on Orkney for 6000 years. We visited several fantastic Neolithic sites and (not entirely by co-incidence) I was able to spend some time in underground chambers in a variety of mounds and cairns. Perhaps the most puzzling was the deep pit of Mine Howe with its 29 steep, ladder-like steps down to a tiny chamber; the most fascinating,  Maes Howe, with its Viking runes and tales of the mid-winter sun shining through the tunnel entrance onto the inner wall of the chamber at sunset.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 While researching some of those creatures which build their homes underground I've been reading a great book called "Animal Architecture". This has really caught my imagination, and I've become especially interested in those amazing animal architects of the Ant & Termite families!I'm intrigued by the apparently meticulously structured ant society in which worker ants become physically adapted to carry out their tasks - some workers developing huge heads used to block the doorways to their nest (if that is their allocated task), others with bodies transforming into living storage vessels to contain huge amounts of honeydew to feed the colony. I came across a scientist, Walter Tschinkel at Florida State University, who has been making amazing plaster casts of ants nests - how did he do that? ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 GATHERING MOMENTUMRoz & I are excited this week at the momentum which is gathering as we pick up the threads of our project following the summer break. Yesterday we looked together at the space at the Pine Gallery where we'll be working in just under three weeks time. As always, our ideas and imaginations began to work together as we thought about what we might do during our residency there.Then, today, we received confirmation from Crate in Margate, that they can offer us the Crate Project Space for the third & final residency in November. We're going to visit Crate next week, and are excited about the prospect of working in a town where we haven't worked before, meeting new artists, taking part in new discussions about art and making new work!... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 DRAWING IN THE DARK - BIG DRAW EVENTPlans are beginning to form.  Judith printed our first batch of invitations yesterday and we took them to Talk about the Work at Claremont Studio for our first piece of advertising.I registered BREAKING GROUND as an organisation on the Big Draw website and put details of our Big Draw event: DRAWING IN THE DARK which will be part of our Open Day for UNDER GROUND on Sunday 19 October 2-5pm.  I am starting a collection of chalk and clay to draw on the dark walls of the basement Pine Gallery.  You can draw those underground creatures,  tunnels and chambers. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 CRATE PROJECT SPACE, MARGATEToday was wet and windy, just right for a trip to the English seaside, and Judith and I trained to Margate to see Crate Project Space where we plan to hold our third Breaking Ground experimental residency next month.  Margate has some interesting buildings and is in regeneration mode. We met Moyra and Chris from Crate who showed us round the Space.  It is great, there is a dark room too with a small hatch through to the large white room. We talked things through and have agreed to be in residence from 21 - 30 November.  Open Day will be on Saturday 29 November from 2-4pm with a Talk and Discussion at 4pm.The building was formerly a printers and I was struck by the many- paned windows and the outside iron staircases leading to a roofspace. Apparently there is still some printer's ink in the dank cellar.   We will have to stay overnight in Margate for most of the time and we started our search for handy accommodation.  Also had time to call in at Turner Contemporary Droit House on the harbour and look at the plans for the new gallery.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PREPARATIONSWith only 10 days to go until the start of UNDER GROUND in Hastings, Roz & I have been busy making our preparations. We've been sending out invitations to our Open Day, which this time will include a Big Draw event - DRAWING IN THE DARK, and we already have two people booked in for the Discussion Platform at Talk About The Work.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 IMAGESThank goodness it rained today.  I had to stay in and I spent hours pulling together a powerpoint presentation to show the earlier stages of BREAKING GROUND:  the residency on the allotment and ALLOTMENTA Open Day, the University of Brighton Dept. of Fine Art Printmaking Residency, the time we spent at Phoenix Project Space, Brighton and the Open Day and Discussion Event which we called OUTSIDE IN.  I realised we have had 3 stages of the project already.  UNDER GROUND, the residency at Pine Gallery, Hastings which starts on 13 October for 10 days will be stage 4 and our final project space and Open Day/Discussion event which will be in Margate at Crate Project Space in November will be stage 5.  And we will have worked on BREAKING GROUND for 2 years. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 STUFFGloriously sunny today and started pulling up weeds in the garden to gather for next week.  Loaded up the car with stuff already gathered and took it down to the studio in an attempt to get ready for the project.  Tested wireless connection in basement and was able to join a network which is marvellous as we may be able to work on one of our main ideas for Under Ground.Do we need a meeting before next week?Must have a go at drafting out the pattern for my bird tomorrow.Took some invitations to local stores.  Itsy bitsy things to do.  Excited about next week and concerned at the short time we have to experiment before showing some of the work in progress. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MORE STUFFMore gathering of materials today: black paint, white paint, gauze.  Much of this pre-work is collection and organisation.  How much of the art is this, having ideas and collecting stuff and organising it into 'new' arrangements.  Moving stuff around.  It seems to echo what I do at home: use stuff, clean stuff, put it away - pause, get it out again, rearrange it, wash it, move it, put it away.  Maybe I am feeling 'removed' because I have moved house to Hastings four weeks ago.  And I have helped my daughter move from Devon and on to London.  Lifting boxes and taking them somewhere will fill my day and much of the weekend.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BEFORE WE START - MONDAY MORNINGThe Pine Gallery is ours for the 11 days of the project.  Took a photo of the empty pale space.  More ghostly than dark, larger than I remember.  How to start? Get everything down there.  Test print with the emulsion. Sketch the bird.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 For a whole week most of my free time has been dedicated to researching and learning about how to set up a live webcam stream so that we could broadcast direct from our Under Ground residency at Claremont. Today, with great reluctance and frustration, I think I'm going to have to call it a day - because of the most fundamental problem of all - difficulty connecting to the internet! I am disappointed...but pleased that there will be one more opportunity to try to achieve this at Crate in Margate. I will make it my first priority when we've finished at the Pine to try to get this set up, but for now...I need to get on and make some work! ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MONDAY AFTERNOONThe boards were delivered and we deliberated on how to install them.  Spent a couple of hours painting them black.  More blank spaces in the gallery.More questions of how to make the dark wallpaper we want - use lining and paint it, or search out some plain paper, or paint it first and then attach it?  Have done some internet research and will telephone some suppliers in the morning.  Depending on the answers, will make a decision tomorrow.  Washed a pile of roots and they are interleaved in newspaper with weights on for the night to press them dry and flat. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TUESDAY MORNINGThis is my first attempt to draw the black bird.We had another busy day and things started to move on.  We found the lights in the back gallery, and discovered a sink in the workroom.  We have got the black boards up and begun each of the smaller projects in mind.  Loads to do, a race against time. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 While working in the partially-lit basement today, I set up my camera & tripod to document some of the things we were working on. Just for a little while I let myself be distracted by playing with those long exposures which mean that if you're quick enough you can almost click the button on your camera & run in front of it to leave a shadow of yourself in your photograph. I didn't manage to get any really successful results, but quite liked this image of Annabel from Claremont - there ... but not there. Then... back to work - no more distractions - on with the job in hand.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 WEDNESDAYHow gloomy these images are - dark and monochrome - a bit like me today.  Collywobbles.  However we finished the blackboards, got the wallpaper painted and on the wall ready to touch up.  Went shopping for lights and torches - a huge array of types are now available including wind-up, glow in the dark, LED spots.Time is precious - only 4 days until Open Day/Big Draw Drop In on Sunday afternoon.  Make every minute work - a headline for tomorrow. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 When I left the world above ground this morning it was damp and drizzly. Under Ground the weather means nothing. Under Ground there is no sun, no mobile phone signal, no light except that which we choose.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Our fourth day Under Ground. There is something strange about it - like being in a hidden world - no sun, no passers by - just us carrying out our strange self-assigned tasks in these half-lit subterranean rooms. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THURSDAYPainted roots all day.  Not radical.  Walked out in the sun to buy fishing line.  Nailed the roots to the wall - very satisfying. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FRIDAYIt's been a black bird day.  Sewing, stuffing, hanging.  I brought 4 bags of meadow hay back from my lunchtime outing.  Getting the bird to stand up took all our ingenuity.  There she stands with her shining eye.The work is taking shape - much to manage tomorrow, last day before we open for drawing and showing on Sunday afternoon. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Adding finishing touches now. This week has passed so quickly, yet I'm pleased we've both made strides with new work - in 5 days! It will be great to photograph all of the parts of our installation in the dark. Big Draw day tomorrow - Drawing In The Dark.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 YESTERDAYYes the Open Day for UNDER GROUND and Big Draw event Drawing in the Dark have happened.  Plenty of people came tramping down the wooden stairs into the dark.  Each collected a torch and looked, examined, drew on the boards or the wall.  Batteries had to be changed, drawings blutaked to the wall.  We talked to everyone.At 5pm the torches were turned off.  We left everything and closed the door. Today is a day away from the gallery, to recoup and prepare for the Talk about the Work discussion tomorrow night. Lots of questions are circling in my head; about the work, about people's responses; about participation.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TUESDAY - TALK ABOUT THE WORKLast night was the Discussion Event organised this time in conjunction with Claremont Studios' Talk About The Work.  We held it downstairs in the Pine Gallery in the dark.We had wine and Under Ground cake (made with ground almonds and chocolate) and people looked at the work, drew on the blackboards.Each of us posed some questions and showed a short set of slides.My title 'Dead or Alive' raised questions about the purpose of my practice - seeking animation, and setting up enlivening experiences, and the sharp surprise of how deadening the experience of working under ground has been.  How quickly I had urgent need to spend time over ground in the air and sun like a plant.  And raised too the purpose of participation by viewers, sparked by our Drawing in the Dark event and I questioned whether this enhances the experience of looking at art, engages viewers or only entertains. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 The last few days have been packed with activity, discussion, drawing, photographing, documenting. So many images to look at.At Drawing In The Dark our visitors drew on the walls and on giant blackboards or tiny postcards. They drew by torchlight and everything looked different for a day. My photographs are full of trails of light. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 For me the Talk About the Work evening allowed me the luxury of instant feedback on the new work I'd made during the week. Some of the work had covered new ground and I was pleased to have one day remaining in the space after the discussion event, during which I was able to go back into my installation and take a new set of photos in the dark, with the benefit of the thoughts and ideas which the discussion event had raised in my mind.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THOUGHTSTeamwork works.Working underground makes me feel low. Keep it simple.A week is a very short time to make, display, publicise and talk about the work. I love the big black bird.  She is coming to CRATE. We have to find somewhere to stay in Margate. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 GONE TO EARTH INVITATIONSI'm enjoying the feeling of continuity brought about by the relatively short break between Under Ground at The Pine Gallery and our next (and final) residency of the Breaking Ground project, Gone To Earth, at Crate in Margate. We're just finalising the last of our set of four invitations. This time our Open Day and Discussion Platform are to be on the same afternoon - four weeks from today.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 BUILDING The week at CRATE will give time to build on earlier work in the project. I will bring my birds and see how they fly in this new space.  Just over 2 weeks to go.We have found a flat to stay in on the Front.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Re-visited Margate yesterday to sort out one or two details - remind myself of the spaces we will be using, test out my connection to the Internet via Crate's WiFi and meet Lucy Kirke from Turner Contemporary to talk about our Open Day and Discussion Event.I also managed to take a quick look at Far West, the current show in the Turner Contemporary project space on The High Street, and fit in a walk up the seafront to look at the holiday flat which we've booked for 9 nights at the end of November.A productive day!   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Just over a week to go until our residency at Crate begins. It's different preparing for this residency - we need to be very organised about what we will take with us. We won't be able to pop home for anything we've forgotten; we won't have a car to go shopping for materials in.I'm pleased that we will have two rooms at Crate - it seems appropriate after Outside In and Under Ground that we will have one light room and one dark room to work in for Gone to Earth.I'm still working with pollen, wax, sugar and paper after becoming interested in these materials at Under Ground. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 Saturday - the end of a busy week... or the start of a busy week? One thing is for sure, the term "weekend" will be meaningless for Roz & I until the end of Gone to Earth.My notebook is bulging. How to edit and select which ideas to develop? What will be my focus for Gone To Earth?Putting things on hold, into store, seems to be something which I learn to do more & more as I leave  one project to take up the reins of another and return again sometime in the future. It's great if things can be put away carefully, to be brought out again at a later date, unspoiled and ready for use. But I remember how sometimes circumstances turn our lives upside down in the blink of an eye and everything is left where it lies while we re-appraise, re-prioritise. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 IT STARTS ON FRIDAYOnly a few days before we are in Margate.  Been thinking about the roots wallpaper - how like a small drawing each root was.  I have gathered a bag of stones from Brighton beach and a bag from Hastings.  Most of us pick up stones and wonder at the markings and colours.  How to keep this wonder, to look a little longer? ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 PACKINGMadly gathering stuff to take - it will never fit in the car - ideas bubbling up - they all need loads of materials to try out - but I cannot take it all.  Will put everything downstairs and see how much I can get in.  Lots of ideas will not work but I need the overflowing in order to let things happen.  The hole in the earth beckons. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 WE ARE HEREWe've arrived and all our stuff.  Lovely spaces and plenty of heaters for such a cold weekend.Our stuff fills half of the space.  Lots of sorting to do, lots of work to do.Fantastic flat. First pictures. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 WE'RE ON YOUTUBE.Our first full day at Crate today. We're settling in and reminding ourselves that the work doesn't usually fall into place straight away and trusting that it will develop over the next few days. We've started lots of things and are uploading 60 second video clips to YouTube so you can watch our daily progress.http://uk.youtube.com/AlderandCran  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SATURDAY AND SUNDAYWorking on 10 ideas.  I learn something new about birds from my daily drawing.  Blackbirds and tits and thrushes are 'perchers'.  They have 3 toes at the front and one at the back so they can perch on twigs, fences.  Song thrushes can start singing as early as February. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SUNDAYMy storeroom has changed completely today - but more changes yet to come I think.I've brought materials and tools back to the flat tonight to make more boxes. STORE: noun 1 a supply, usually one that is kept in reserve for use in the future. 2 a place where stocks or supplies are kept, eg a warehouse. verb (stored, storing) 1 (also store away or store up) to put aside for future use. 2 to put something away for temporary safekeeping. adj. in store 1 kept in reserve; ready to be supplied.(Copyright Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd 2008)... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SUNDAYWhere is the ladder? We borrowed one for 2 hours to get my bird up. But we need a ladder for these high ceilings.  Made a rough sketch of the white bird.  Used PVA super evo bond to stick the pebbles - will they hold? My half-made egg rolled off the windowsill where it was drying by the radiator and broke into shards.   Woe. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 I left the project space with a smell of burning sugar in the air today - but don't worry - it was all part of the plan. Following on from Under Ground at Hastings, I'm still experimenting with sugar, paper, wax and pollen - today it was sugar. I left the first of my sticky sugar papers hanging alongside my Store. I made a sticky spun sugar drawing - though in the damp atmosphere of the Store room, it will have dissolved and changed by morning. More tomorrow. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 MURKY MONDAYHeavy rain all day - in all day - the roof started dripping.The ladder was found - ladder relief.  Got the blank wallpaper up.  Things are looking up.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 CHIPPER TUESDAYThings beginning to fall into place.Grass is up, wallflowers up. Boards on the wall.  Pebbles stuck and progressing over the floor - a track along the South Coast...The eggs to attend to, drawings to do. Time for the mushroom? ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 More burning sugar today - yesterday's batch has turned itself back into a thick, sticky, dripping syrup.Behind the sugar store, fairies cling to the wall amongst the cobwebs. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 WEDNESDAYexhaustiongetting the room arrangedlots of fiddly bitsplanningmoving stuff abouttaking stuff home ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THURSDAYIt's been difficult to remember all the things to be done - blogging, uploading video clips, photographing, documenting, and making the work! We didn't film any clips yesterday - there just wasn't the space in our heads to think about it. My sugar papers are drip, drip, dripping!  I'll make some more tomorrow to make sure there will be enough for the Open Day on Saturday. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 THURSDAY/FRIDAYBig rush back home to go to my course and big rush back to complete the installation and prepare for Saturday. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 SATURDAY/OPEN DAYMore rushing to finish things off.Bird still sitting and watching.Her egg hangs next door.A kind of bird land. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 "At the back of The Store, fairies cling to the wall among the cobwebs" http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hElBuZ5RV8A... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 OPEN DAYOn a grey, drizzly November day people came from Hastings, Eastbourne, Margate, London and Dover. A dog stayed for the talk too.  Red wine and brownies warmed us up. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 TAKING STOCKAt Crate I used over a kilo of sugar, more than 700 artichoke seeds and 40 cardboard boxes. I started a series of drawings of 392 dandelion seeds from a single dandelion clock.There have been 5 residencies, 1 allotment, 3 project spaces, 192 blog posts.We have put 21 video clips on YouTube and I have  4.27GB of Breaking Ground photos on my computer.  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 FULL CIRCLETen days on and I am surrounded by boxes again.  Unpacking.  Where to put it?Big Bird is lying down in the attic room,  her root feet alongside; hay into the shed or on the compost.  Stones back to the beach.  Blackboards to the studio.  Round and round the stuff goes.  I am a little dizzy. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 A week has gone since we returned from Margate & normal Eastbourne life has overtaken me. I have, however, managed to update my website with the Gone To Earth images, before getting completely sucked in to Eastbourne Festival organisation and my next project at The Redoubt Fortress.It was good to go through all my images and video clips & choose what was to go on the website. Another kind of taking stock.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 EVALUATIONTime to sit and remember the three Project Space Installations: Outside In at Phoenix in Brighton, Under Ground at Pine Gallery, Hastings, and Gone to Earth at Crate in Margate.  Many experiences and experiments: asking people to bring inside objects from the outside, an activity-based discussion in Brighton; Drawing in the Dark Big Draw event, using torches and magnifying glasses to see the work and a discussion jointly organised with TATW Talk About The Work at Claremont Studios, Hastings; trying out a webcam and posting videos on YouTube at Margate; and making work in response to the space and building on earlier ideas.  Finding a stronger sense of trusting the work that comes.  Learning more about publicity and marketing and building a wider network.  These are some of the themes I can pick out to fill in the Activity Report Form for the Arts Council. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051 NEW BEAN FOR A NEW YEARA magic bean arrived in the post for me.  It came from Germany.  Wiebke and Benno had planted the bean I sent in a Breaking Ground seed packet and I posted the photos they sent of planting it.  It grew its own beans and they have kept a bean seed for me.  So this is an English/German runner bean.  I shall plant it this season and see what happens. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/385051