ARTISTS TALKING

# 1 [6 June 2007]

Limbo/Substation space, Bilton Square (off the High Street between KFC and Burtons) Margate

# 2 [18 June 2007]

Flyer for residency, dates are as follows: 

25th June - 29th July

Private View: 20th July

# 3 [25 June 2007]

First day of the residency started with tidying the space and moving stuff in. The sun's shining and Margate beach looks beautiful. I set up a couple of things but obviously nothing's concrete as I'd like to allow for a bit of creative space. Took a break and walked along Margate high street, decided to pop into the mayhem that is Primark. It was packed with ladies buying fancy cheap clothes and I felt compelled to join them, so I brought some plastic beads, I think these will form a really interesting aspect to the swing I have in the space.

# 4 [26 June 2007]

Day two and today (weather-wise) was nothing like yesterday, the skies were grey and the sea was really choppy and aggressive. It's funny how when your at the seaside and the weather's rubbish it can really dampen your mood. I decided to take another trip to Primark (I'm really fitting in with the Margate life-style) and brought some more plastic beads. Adding the beads to the swing, I noticed how this piece is really starting to look kind of tribal, which led to me think of ideas to do with adornment and personal decoration; why do ladies in Margate buy these things? To look good? As a status symbol? I also brought some beachballs which I blew up and played with in the space. Apart from cheering me up, I do think I will use them.

# 5 [28 June 2007]

I started hanging the beachballs today, it looks pretty good, like a big beachball cloud. I think it definately needs something else though. The packaging from the beachballs has pictures of these lovely ladies holding the balls, I decided to cut them out and make a collage. It's kind of strange working like this, I usually make work really quickly and spontaneously, so it's nice that I seem to have chilled out a bit, I'm in less of a hurry to make stuff and am taking longer to really think about things, although saying that, I'm already thinking about what element I could add to the beachball cloud.

# 6 [4 July 2007]

I've been really busy in the space and haven't had a chance to add any new posts so this will be a long one!

 I found some plastic lights from rollercoaster tracks and arranged it in a corner of the space, I really wanted a theme park element within the space so I'm pretty happy, I like the way the arrangement glows in the light.

 I changed the carpet so there is only the longest piece, which means it now has a gentle curve, kind of like when children make hiding places with blankets over sofas.

I had some pink tiles I fished out of a skip and used these to create an interesting floor arrangement in a corner. I felt it was a little sparse so I added a branch from the trees next to the space and some bangles from 'Claire's accessories'. I think the people that work in the shops in Margate think I'm a bit loopy (buying 20 beachballs and 30 bangles is not very sane).

I decided to move the mirror from the carpet to the swing. I felt it wasn't particularly working and it seemed to really help the swing piece to come to life.

Finally (!) I went to buy some bulldog clips to hang the collage properly but Margate is rubbish and I ended up buying a pack of assorted multi-coloured clips reduced in WH Smith for 99p. Realising that they would not work for hanging the collage, I made circles form them and hung them on the wall. They look a little like catherine wheels or like mini versions of the big wheel that used to be in Margate. The shadows created on the walls from them look really interesting.

# 7 [6 July 2007]

I've been working in the space for 12 days now and it really seems to be taking shape. I seem to drift between days of extreme energy and intense production of work to days of sitting and contemplating. I've been enjoying my travels around Margate town, not really like a flaneur cos mostly I'm looking for stuff to take back to the space but sometimes it is nice just wandering around, over-hearing conversations and looking at the beach. I made a really simple piece involving some gold chain, a twig, some plastic hearts and something from a skip. I find the fragility and balance in the piece quite interesting. I also added an element to the carpet piece which I'm fairly happy with, it's kind of reminding me of a clam or oyster shell (except a Margate version). I'm planing to take a visit to the Shell Grotto which I'm very excited about, it's suppose to be beautiful and supposedly over 100 years old. Apparently the rainfall is causing havoc so I want to see it before it's too badly damaged.

# 8 [8 July 2007]

Yesterday I had a lot of visitors to the space so I didn't really get the chance to do anything constructive. It was really hot and sunny (at last no rain!) and the beach was pretty packed. Today it's a little over-cast and very quiet which has given me the chance to really think about what I have made so far and the space. I'm going to get some gold chains for the beachball piece and possibly steal some sand from the beach (it's a bit of a cliche really but i am a bit desperate to get some natural elements in the space). I also decided that the disco/rollercoaster corner needs mirrors, so I'm going to keep an eye out for tacky mirrors or any plain mirrors I can arrange in the space. I want it to look spangly and fun and be vaguely reminiscent of the old Dreamland theme park.

# 9 [11 July 2007]

Yesterday I spent the day in Ramsgate, I had chips, seafood and an ice cream it was great, something about the place just made me want to eat seaside food. There were lots of charity shops and poundshops so I bought some glowsticks from a poundshop and bought some plastic beads from a charity shop for the swing piece. Ramsgate doesn't really feel like it's in England you feel a little like you're abroad and there seem to be ridiculously low-flying planes, I suppose because of Kent international airport.

I brought 20 metres of gold chain on Monday and today I attached the gold chains to the beachball piece, I also decided that I'm going to add some plastic fake gems. My partner said that it looked a little like a raining cloud which I quite liked the idea of. With the glowsticks I made a hanging pendant style piece, it looks a little like a mini neon piece, except the glowsticks will fade- an element I like. I also started a new collage with the packaging from the paddling pool and the glowsticks. I really need some mirror for the rollercoaster corner!

# 10 [13 July 2007]

So this is the last week (aaarrrgghhh!) and it's friday the 13th! No seriously everything's fine, still no bloody mirrors though! Yesterday I managed to finish the beach ball piece so I'm pretty happy and it was lucky too because the Thanet Times came to take some pictures (my mum will be so proud) they will probably make me look like an idiot but I suppose as they say any publicity is good publicity. The photographer asked me the titles of the works and I realised that I hadn't named anything, (I wasn't sure that I should) so I suppose that's something else to consider.

Today I had some serious hoovering to do after making A LOT of mess. Everything was covered in dust after I decided to give the white walls a tidy-up. In-between the manic cleaning I did get to finish my other collage so at least I'll have a diptych. Everything's looking pretty sparkling so as long as I can do something to rollercoaster corner I'm happy.