ARTISTS TALKING

# 35 [2 February 2012]

Although this blog virtually stopped for months on end the project carried on. There were more workshops and occasional exchanges of envelopes between Angela & myself.

 However 2012 has brought new ideas, new enthusiasm, and new plans for workshops and exhibitions.

The reason Art allotments keeps going is  the positive impact the collages have on creativity. When ideas flag, a project hits the wall or a design gets stuck and generates rejects and a lot of recycling it helps to put it to one side and open an Art Allotments envelope instead.

The alternative is abandon a current piece of work and change direction then put the rejects in an envelope and put in the post.

Here are the most recent results.

# 34 [17 March 2011]

Here are a few more images. More good feedback keeps coming in but one postcard was very moving. Someone took an envelope away and then returned the flower image she had created writing on the bottom edge of the card "Go cancer" It brought home to me again how "art can seriously improve someones well being"

# 33 [13 March 2011]

Yesterday was the official opening of the exhibition at the SPARC centre Gallery in Bishops Castle. A steady flow of visitors of all ages came and saw the exhibition, made a postcard & ate cake.

The exhibition will be up until the end of the month.

As the wall of images built up over the morning people became ever more creative. It was a strange feeling to think that this part of the project which we had been involved in for nearly two years was coming to an end. Angela & I have resolved  that we will continue to share collage envelopes between the two of us  and wait and see - what next. We still have a basket of envelopes left - so who knows what we will use them for in the future. Ideas, I feel,  are already rising to consciousness.

# 32 [26 February 2011]

Today was the last day of a really good two weeks of the Art Allotments exhibition. It has been open in the Visual Arts Network community Gallery in the (new) market hall in Shrewsbury which is is not the easiest place to find located on the top floor.  Even so 80 visitors came through on the busiest day.

The feed back was really positive and exciting. many were excited by the idea of one artist having fun using another artists reject work to make some new work of their own. Already others have taken up the idea. A small group of jewellers are now organising a scrap metal  art allotments and A quilter immediatly saw the possibilities for textile artists.

Lots of people of all ages  stopped to chose an envelope of collage and make a postcard size art work to hang on the wall. We also received emails of thanks saying how much people had enjoyed themselves which was a great feeling after all the work we had done.

Here are just a few images  to give a taste of the project

# 31 [11 February 2011]

Well I have, at last, made a collage from the last envelope of stuff -  I began with the coloured pile. and an extra piece of strong colour that had got overlooked.  It became the all important starting point.

Bird imagary has crept in. I have resisted it up until now as I see so many birds in cages in design & art work and to use that motif always feels a little like plaigerism.

However, this bird, hat & figure arrived spontaneously from a conversation with Angela and refused to be rejected so it has stayed with a multiplicity of meanings and associations that can be choosen by the viewers.

This will be the last collage for the time being. On Monday the exhibition goes up. ... 10 artists, 30 plus pieces of work and more in browsers. Then on Tuesday it quietly opens.

Where will art allotments go now ......?

# 30 [24 January 2011]

The last envelope has been opened and It is really full of stuff. So much that I have split it into two piles neutral & coloured - a bit like washing. No idea immediately jumps to mind from the items so I have decided to begin with the coloured materials.

Before I begin I decide to rearrange the coloured materials and take another photo.The very act of rearranging the pieces helps me start to think of an idea.

# 29 [23 January 2011]

I have been looking at my latest envelope from Angela since I last posted an update. I  remained determined not to open it until I knew that I had time to make work from the contents.

So why has it taken me so long I ask myself - What have I been doing? Procrastinating?  I confess to prioritising other work but I console myself that I have also been sorting out the framing, discussing the publicity & organisation and then making, printing, & distributing the first batch of posters.

Similar to last years poster- when this all  began - the poster has a new shoot which has now grown and has 3 sets of leaves for the 3 Art Allotment exhibitions.

The first was in March 2010 the next will be in February 2011, and the third in March 2011.

# 28 [2 January 2011]

This is the last picture that I have to add to this blog for 2010 before I begin making 2011 collages. As always at the beginning of a new year I feel a need to reflect on the work done, think about how making collages has affected my own work and decide if blogging about it (even in the fairly factual way I have adopted) has helped either my own work or the work of others participating to develop in any meaningful way.

# 27 [1 January 2011]

As it is January 1st and I am trying to begin the year purposfully especially with regard to making art. I am now typing this and posting the last few images.

The project is in the final stages leading up to the two exhibitions in February & March. A preliminary poster has been circulated and the participants have been paired up. Now it is back to Angela & myself exchanging envelopes. I have a large brown package from her ready to open but only after this post is done.

# 26 [9 December 2010]

Suprise here as this time Bev has made collages  that hint at stories instead of being pure colour & shape.

Also two images from Nigel & Estella that are A3 ... (the guidelines are A4) .. but  they arrived folded up and so can get away with it.