ARTISTS TALKING

# 13 [8 February 2010]

I've been cutting up old prints and layering them back together. I think they work quite well. I struggle with just producing prints, I never feel content leaving as a print, they never feel finshed. I like to make them into objects, but this was equally as satisfying and I feel they are finshed now.

# 12 [7 February 2010]

I've completed four pieces now.

# 11 [3 February 2010]

I've started working on some collages that bring together my printwork and  experiments. I think they're working well but I prefer the rust coloured pieces rather than the red. I've used red thread but I think I might replace it with transparent thread, so that it isn't apparent striaght away.

I used old work that I painted, spray painted and waxed as the background for the new work. I found it really hard to cut them up, but they've just been sitting in a folder. I painted them when I was on my foundation course and was experimenting with backgrounds. At the time I wasn't happy with the self portrait but liked the background but because they were personal to me I couldn't bring myself to throw them away.

# 10 [2 December 2009]

I've made three 'flesh' pieces now. I've submitted them for an exhibition but I doubt they'll get in, but if they don't I think I'd like to have lots and lots of them to use as part of my mid- year exhibition for the fellowship. I want lots so they're overwhelming, being noticed for the mass rather than individuality to begin with. Maybe just being stacked in a corner. henhopefully people would want to take a closer look and see what they're made up of. I don't know it's ust an idea. I've got time off over Christmas so I would be able to get quite a lot done.

# 9 [26 November 2009]

This piece 'Flesh' isn't truely recycling but I think it can still be classed as old made into new. I used an image I worked on last year and reproduced it digitally, then cut it up and glued them back together. Originally I created a screenprint of cells based on the colours found in flesh, skin, organs and blood, but it's visually boring. Infact I find most of my prints boring until I make something ot of them, 3D or books.

# 8 [20 November 2009]

I've been working on the subject of climate change. 'Nesting' is about the affect climate change is having on birds in the UK. It's also about home life, security, comfort and in this case the empty nest represents an uncertain future for the birds and for ourselves also what we're not securing for future generations.

The material used for this project were my old jumpers, I've used these twice before, firstly as a college assessment and then later as part of the second year show, which it became part of the 'Fabric of Life' large installation.

I'm already thinking what I could make it into next. The nest is made up of outer and inner shells that were sewn together. I really liked the backs of both pieces, with the sewing showing. There's something about stiches I really like. It's something to do with the untidiness of my sewing because I'm not that good at it. It's not predictable to me, I don't know how it'll turn out. But I also like the overlapping of material. Anyway I don't know what I'm going to do with it but it's starting to brew.

# 7 [30 October 2009]

The book is finished. Actually it's become two books. I wanted just one book because I wanted it be be unique and I wanted the pages to stay together (as in go to one owner). But when I looked at the composition of the book it had become something to glance at and flick through because there was just to much.

As two books they're still very different as no page is the same and the covers are different. The books are nothing like I intended them to be but I'm ok with it still.

# 6 [22 October 2009]

Cell prints book project

The book is going really slowly. I'm only managing to sew a couple of pages a day now so it doesn't feel like I'm getting anywhere. I had been sewing the pages together but I've stop now as I realsied I need to lay them out when they're ready to join together to see the best composition.

The left over cells construction has come to a complete stand still as I can't think of a way to sew the last few together because there's no where to tie up the loose parts.

Memories of Liverpool

I've made a few books from a painting I decided to recycle of the Liverpool Waterfront. It was my favourite of my paintings but it had become quite tatty. It wasn't well painted but it holds lots of memories for me. It was painted during the year I went back to college and I still thought I wanted my practice to be based in painting. I was experimenting with painting styles and  different techniques.

I made two books to sell, but one has already gone and I've made one for me. I made my book differently from the others as they have larger sections of the painting to make up the pages so that they can tell it's water, sky etc. But I didn't feel I needed that for my book as it's about the time I painted the picture rather than it's contents. Mine still needs a cover but I'm not really bothered as it's just for me.

# 5 [14 October 2009]

I've had another go with the cell prints book project, they still need some work but they're getting there. I was having problems because the paper was creasing around the folds when I was stitching the prints to it. Also the stitching didn't work. I used running stitch and it looked to neat and planned out. I didn't want to lose all the work I'd done, each print took hours to cut out and stitch, so I unpicked the stitching and started again.

I used the same kind of stitching I used inside the prints. I don't know why it didn't occur to me to use the same stitching from the begining it's obvious this would be best suited. It was so time consuming to re-stitch it using te same holes, but this looks better and I've re-cut the pages too. Instead of having a concertina book I've cut each page and I'm sewing them back together, this links the paper and the print together.

I struggled to get the book to be ridged when I folded it and couldn't think of a way to get the book to stand without help, but now that it's sewn together I think it adds to the fragility this project needs. I'm not sure what shape I want for the book yet, but I don't think a concertina book is right for this book. It needs to be handled and I'm trying out a plowed field format instead.

# 4 [10 October 2009]

I should have waited. Last night I cut the japanese paper to size folded it and started sewing the pages of the book to the paper. It looks terrible, not what I thought it would be like at all. I'll have to re-think the whole thing. Haven't had time for it today though, I've been painting penguins all day and am exhausted.