ARTISTS TALKING

# 21 [28 September 2010]

Oh dear the blog has lapsed again and that goes against the very nature of blogging as I understand it. I admire writers who can engage me repeatedly with accounts of their daily creative enthusiasm & struggles all wrapped in expressive language.

I have had a pile of Art allotment envelopes looking at me for several weeks but the spare time I wanted at a time that suited, with the will that I needed seemed to elude me..... until now!

Before I opened anyone else's envelope I finally opened my envelope, took photos of the contents & began to make my piece/s.  Amazingly it was easy. It proved so very easy & so very restorative. Why didn't I do it sooner I ask myself?  I am now creatively inspired, keen to make more collages and ready to open & photograph everyone else's envelopes.



# 22 [6 October 2010]

As I post more of the latest work I am reflecting on where next & a new exhibition. It seems to be arranging itself. A new Gallery organied by 'VAN' Shropshire & Telford Visual Art Network (A Charity) is now open. It is in  a corner of the Market Hall in Shrewsbury and will primarily showcase work by Shropshire artists.

The Gallery is run by artists & those interested in the visual arts. All of them are volunteers. We have been invited to put up the 2011 Art Allotments show there in the new year and run workshops in the adjoining space.

At the same time this projct feels as though either the exhibition will mark the end or, if it continues, it is time for a new approach. So in the next few days we will consider what that is likely to be.

# 23 [8 October 2010]

Angela & I had a long conversation yesterday about the project. Now we have an exhibition in sight we need to structure the final stage. We discussed what had come out of it so far and what had changed now that there were more artists involved.

First it made more work.

Second neither of us had been able to give the attention to it we felt it needed.

Third - one participant returned the last envelope unopened as it didn't spark any inspiration. 

So in all it seemed to have lost some of the momentum we had at the beginning when it was just the two of us.Our resolution now is to pair up the participants and see what results. We will ask them to each make two more collages before Christmas & then we will put together the exhibition.

# 24 [15 October 2010]

Here I have loaded up the remaining pieces of work.

The new envelopes have been posted and the participants paired up to go on working in twos until the exhibition in February.

There is something very satisfying about cutting or tearing up old work. One idea I was working on was pinned up for weeks waiting for inspiration on how to take it forward. The inspiration never came. In destroying it - I am free of it and one of the random pieces has already led to new work. The moral here is obvious ...

I should have torn it up sooner.

# 25 [2 December 2010]

Yet again it has proved difficult to stick to our self imposed deadlines for keeping this blog going. However the pictures I have now gathered together are from the final envelopes sent out where everyone received identical collections of collage materials. The feed back has continued to be unanimously positive proving that it has been well worth the effort. It never fails to be interesting seeing how different artists react to the contents and what they make of them. The real assessment of the impact of making the collages will be the exhibition that brings it all together.

# 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.

# 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.

# 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.

# 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.

# 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.