ARTISTS TALKING

# 25 [20 January 2012]

It's fab that several fellow ex-Wirral Met contemporaries are blogging with exciting projects - Carol Ramsay, Julie Dodd, Jeni McConell.  I have resolved to find more time to read and keep up!

# 24 [17 January 2012]

Taking advantage of a long awaited clutter free mental space to focus on art priorities for this year.  Last year was too busy with a long series of self imposed deadlines.  New Year's resolution is quality rather than quantity for this year, and hopefully researching and making work with a bit more substance.  Less is more, and all that.

Pulling these priorities into a new MA plan which I'm hoping will allow me to more closely integrate professional practice with academic assessment than I managed to achieve last year.  

I feel it's important to me to make sure my MA study fully complements what I want to achieve in my practice.  

In the past, I have found that practice objectives sometimes don't sit comfortably alongside academic objectives, and I'm hoping that a better thought out MA forward plan might be able to adjust this.

Hoping I can have a bit less tension in trying to keep both running smoothly alongisde one another, if not exactly integrating and weaving in and out of one another in a complementary fashion.  Well that's idea, but of course, it'll all change as soon as I've set the wheels in motion.  

It sometimes feels like I'm setting out in a carriage with two horses each trying to go in different directions.  

# 23 [1 December 2011]

Showing three pieces at Blackburne House, Liverpool from 5th to 30th December.  

I use my art practice to explore ideas about the continuous development of the soul. These three pieces express this concept using inspiration from maps, with contours, routes and coastlines representative of linear activity in pursuit of survival. I prefer to make art work using low-tech methods and to use humble materials that are chosen for their simple meaning.

# 22 [16 November 2011]

Just back from a weeks residency in Wales. Been giving some artistic advice at a retreat centre and then pottering in their studio making some 'junk insects' from old chairs and broken toilet seats. Nice peaceful rest and creative activity. Good for the soul. Now I'm home I'm back to making my 'map works' with torn papers and threads. 

# 21 [24 October 2011]

Wiriting proposals is occupying all of my time. Has to be done because paid work must be found. There seem to be a lot of suitable projects around at the moment, but all with short deadlines. Giving them all a go in the hope that something comes back with an acceptance. Good practice in proposal writing. Helpful to phrase and rephrase how my work fits the project brief because ideas become clearer with each drafting. Careful not to 'make it fit' but to stray true to my ideas and values. Need a break from writing soon though to do some making in order to recharge my batteries.

# 20 [23 October 2011]

Tramping round Sheffield searching for the two separate venues of Bloomberg New Contemporaries. But this show is of course always worth the trek. A good cross section of the best of new graduates work, and as usual, I found the films the most interesting, particularly Dagmar Schurrer & Hyewon Kwon. Considering the huge quantity of submissions for this show and the scant time available for selectors to view films, I feel that they must be worth watching carefully, so settling down on the comfy sofa I always give them my full attention. Moving on to London soon, so if you've not seen it yet, get your skates on.

Link to the website:

http://www.newcontemporaries.org.uk/

# 19 [16 October 2011]

The confidence to take risks, experiment with materials, and learn from reflective evaluation are, of couse, just some of the essential skills picked up on a Fine Art degree course.

They're also very useful for DIY projects and today I alarmed everyone by deciding to revamp the kitchen units with a tin of dark woodstain and a can of MDF paint.  

Reckless, perhaps, but after a couple of hours of 'just try it and see' it looks great. I also have a set of matching cat paw prints across the floor, but even these look quite effective.

I'm wondering if any other female artists have this gung-ho approach to DIY?

# 18 [11 October 2011]

Critically engaged practice based research is not occurring today. What felt yesterday like a clear concept, process and outcome feels quite insignificant today. Perhaps that means that it is occurring? Whatever it is, it doesn't feel good so I may have to resort to tidying the studio instead (extreme procrastination tactic) in the hope that my creative enthusiasm will return to normal. Reasons for this downer? Perhaps too many other life events are crowding my mind? Perhaps the incessant drizzle outside? Perhaps been writing too many proposals recently? Perhaps the studio is so disorganised that I can't find anything? Perhaps I need a holiday? Perhaps I need a nap or another coffee? Whatever ... critically enagaged practice based research is not occurring today.

# 17 [9 October 2011]

A-N's residencies toolkit is really useful. I'm using it as a checklist to draw up an outline for my planned upcoming residency. Although I'm not against creative, loose verbal agreements, I think it'll be good to have a few stakes in the ground for this one so that expectations can be managed. Once things are set out clearly I can settle down to enjoying making the work. No idea what I'll be doing yet, so all the more reason to start an outline!

# 16 [6 October 2011]

So good to have a-n pop through the letterbox this morning. Been a subsciber for 5 years now, but I'm back to receiving paper copy after trying an online sub last year. Oh the joy of paper! It's nice paper too, quite soft and tactile and can be scrunched up to a fit into a comfortable reading position that accommodates two dogs on my lap and a mug of coffee. I can scribble notes on it and circle things I want to be able to find again. I actually read the adverts, probably more than once, and generally wallow in the joy of print. Although I'm an avid electronic whizz, there's nothing quite like the paper version. Indulgence!