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Creating: An occasional discourse and diatribe
By: Graham Swain
An exploration into creativity...wanting to give and share an unique experience...already, slightly concerned. Feedback is always welcome.
Graham Swain
'Graham's response to landscape is contemplative. Creation becomes a challenge as every mark is considered as the aesthetic process unravels towards sublime resolution. Graham's preoccupations are undoubtedly formal, but his technique relies on more than simply a conscious arrangement of shape and colour. Graham aims to intuitively distil the essence of his visual experience in a much more unlimited way. Landscape provides the ideal motif; unrestricted by figures or buildings, an exploration is permitted which ultimately pervades pure creation.' Sally-Ann Schilling. MA History of Art, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Art Historian and former Lecturer Tate Modern, London
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Graham Swain, 'Comely landscape', Watercolour, oil pastel.
# 5 [3 March 2008]
Monday...it's a beautiful day. Good and not so good news...had a short email from the gallery (at last) but there's a delay with the new gallery space where my paintings are to be shown...they'll get back to me.
Some idea of a date would have been really helpful to me...manana, manana...
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Graham Swain, 'Heaven's light landscape', Watercolour, body colour, oil pastel.
# 4 [29 February 2008]
It's Friday!...philosophical Friday. Time to reflect...if I don't exhibit this year, maybe a gallery will consider exhibiting my work next year...or sometime in the future.
Ultimately, as the artist, I'm not in control where or when my work is seen in a gallery and by remembering this fact I am encouraged because above this, I create the work...and the shopkeepers/galleries rely on the artist.
Is the artist the chicken or the egg? I like to think the egg...
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Graham Swain, 'Warm morning landscape', Watercolour, body colour and oil pastel.
# 3 [28 February 2008]
This is difficult for me...I may have to walk away from this gallery. When I suggested in my last email to the gallery I put in writing what we had discussed in our phone conversations as a form of contract that we could all happily agree with, after making any changes if need be, there has been no communication from the gallery.
Without some form of contract, I am not prepared to send pictures abroad. I don't wish to push anything with the gallery as I don't want to lose this opportunity of exhibiting.
I just like to think I'll receive a positive response soon...
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Graham Swain, 'Architectural anomaly II', Oil pastel and quink ink.
# 2 [26 February 2008]
...last Wednesday after a friendly chat on the phone, I emailed the gallery as agreed, with the 10 images for them to select what they want to exhibit/sell, as agreed. Not heard a thing...so I emailed yesterday to ask if they had received my email...still no news...it's the manana manana way of life out there.
The important thing for me to remember is they like my paintings...I'm just keen to keep things moving forward...
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Graham Swain, 'Plan mountain landscape', Oil on canvas.
# 1 [25 February 2008]
...it's still manana in Portugal, so no news yet...it's unreal that when the gallery first contacted me via Axisweb they had no idea that my work is partly influenced by the Portuguese landscape. I'd spent some time there on my uncle's estate pruning his vines.
One side of my family is Portuguese and the gallery is near to where they used to live.
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