ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [7 June 2011]

I suppose as my first blog entry, this ought to be some sort of statement of intent... but as I have never done a blog before, i'm not sure how it will evolve, and what it will become.

At the moment I'm thinking I'll share what I'm seeing, making and thinking... and what I'm listening to while I do all that. I'll post some photos of my work, links to other artists and so on. Then we'll see what happens.

# 2 [9 June 2011]

So... I seem to have many threads to tie together (hence the title) What started as an exploration of the balance point between comfort and constraint (think really comfy armchair you then can't get out of)has become something different. I find myself fascinated by the way we keep our children closer and closer, and how instead of encouraging them to explore the world, we build in them a fear of it.

We wrap them up, keep them warm, help them physically, emotionally, financially, socially. Their every waking hour is accounted for and timetabled. Where is the thinking time? 

Risk has become danger. Letting your child do things alone has become guilt ridden.

I made a comfy quilted straightjacket to start with, and a rocking chair with safety strapping. Now I'm making work with apron strings. Lots of aprons. And paper clothing. 

I'm writing poetry and embroidering it on all sorts of clothing.

I'm going to make a list here of artists I've been looking at. If anyone can add to it, let me know!

# 3 [9 June 2011]

Caroline Broadhead using clothing...

http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/artists_stories/single/61026

and

Tilleke Schwarz using embroidered text...

http://www.tillekeschwarz.com/

# 4 [15 June 2011]

There are many threads of conversation going on in my work at the moment. So much so it feels I'm juggling. My research is following a vaguely Deleuzian hit and miss / pick 'n' mix approach: I'm writing poetry and prose; embroidering it onto old clothes; making clothing out of paper; cutting lino; disassembling my shed and trailing it around the county for people to perform in; life drawing, and trying to draw babies with varying degrees of failure. I'm hoping one or two of these "rhizomes" will sprout something useful.

For those readers unfamiliar with Deleuze and rhizomic thinking... how lucky you are! Try your very hardest to keep it that way.

www.elenathomas.co.uk/events

# 5 [20 June 2011]

I work part time teaching art to key stage 2 in a primary school. This week is Arts Week. With an ever decreasing budget it's tricky getting artists into school, and i'm always grateful for the swapping I can do, or the "mates rates" that i can persuade people to charge. I am only one person, and providing a week of quality art experiences for 200 children is not possible on my own. Without inviting other artists in, it will soon descend into "cutting and sticking week" if we're not careful. I'd love to hear any suggestions or comments or experiences of other artists.

# 6 [25 June 2011]

I seem to remember at the beginning of all this I wrote that I would mention the music that I was listening to...

I love to listen to music while I work and think. Music has always inspired me (and musicians themselves more recently). It has the power to reflect my mood, and often change it.

Making the shed last year for Dan Whitehouse to perform in was a turning point. Music became a part of my work, the collaboration an impetus for change.

This year's Life and Other Art exhibition sees not just Dan perform, but a variety of other musicians, singers and songwriters over the whole weekend. I'm proud that my shed can provide a small travelling venue for these talented people who deserve a much larger audience.

Come along if you can!

Please visit...

www.elenathomas.co.uk/events

for more information about the event held by The Coach House Life Drawing Group and Rebellious Quilters

www.dan-whitehouse.com

www.robertlanemusic.blogspot.com

Dan and Rob are performing at Life and Other Art in July, others I'm listening to at the moment are:

www.stylusboy.co.uk

www.wearevillagers.com

www.themiserablerich.co.uk

www.iamkloot.com

www.fleetfoxes.com

# 7 [4 July 2011]

I'd like to ask a question. What's wrong with obviousness?

The way I work is, I think, akin to play. I have an idea, or find some materials or one thing suggests another. I work with textiles mainly, so I get out the scissors, pins, needle and thread or sewing machine. I then construct things, I might write or embroider some text on a piece of clothing. Recently I embroidered some text I'd written about how I'm feeling a bit ragged lately, and perhaps in need of repair. I stitched it onto a worn out petticoat. I alluded to the underneath-ness of it, covered with a respectable-ness. I quite like it... but it is obvious. I find myself thinking I could be more obtuse. I could make my audience work a little harder perhaps.

But in making one part of an audience work harder, you lose some of the others who are drawn in by the accessibility of the work. I want to keep these people. I like them.

# 8 [11 July 2011]

I'm having a small operation on Wednesday. Afterwards I have this vision that I will be able to use my recovery time to catch up on the reading: "Noddy Understands Deleuze" and so on, see earlier post. I also think I'm going to spend Tuesday machining stuff together, so I'm able to sit and hand sew later.

In reality, I suspect I will do little reading, and will probably spend my time doing some hand quilting for fun instead.

I have no will power!

# 9 [15 July 2011]

 A question... would any of you artists and musicians be interested in retreating to my shed, placed in beautiful surroundings, in order to make art, think, write, play?

This is a general, as well as specific query. At the moment merely market research. I'm interested in your thoughts...

# 10 [16 July 2011]

I've just spent a bit of time reviewing whose blogs I've been reading here and why. The "threads" of my title seems apt. I am drawn to those who have similar thoughts, rather than those who work in similar materials to me, or have similar outcomes. This shouldn't surprise me. 

My thoughts range across the ideas of collaboration, philosophy, isolation, my online presence, and just how to manage being an artist without bankrupting myself.

here's the list:

(in no particular order)

Jane Boyer - Working in Isolation

Nicola Dale - The Collaborator

Tamarin Norwood - What the Matter is

Julie Dodd - Day to Day Life

Hayley Harrison - Something's Happening

I notice they are all women.

Is that merely coincidence?