ARTISTS TALKING

# 128 [16 January 2012]

I'm struggling to make the cells look random when I'm wiring them together. Its easier to make them match or complement in colour than not and it's differcult not to vary the size as this is easy on the eye. I've found the way to deal with this to put my hand in the shoe box without looking and use which ever cell is pulled out first, but I keep cheating!

# 127 [14 January 2012]

I have decided I am not going to be precious about the new work, its' been a fairly quick, experimental project and so displaying it in a way I don't expect might be interesting and enriching! But 'Inner Beauty' might need some direction so I'm not disappointed. I know it looks like it's just been put up any old way but it hasn't and I'd know. I am aware that nobody else would probably notice but it would really play on my mind for the whole time it is up. I don't mind if it isn't displayed the way I intended it to be like spores spreading up the walls so there's probably a lot of leeway from that angle, but I think I need colours together. I'll just mention to Matthew how the the different colours and shades go best together, he may very well have noticed it himself anyway. And I might suggest taking a look before the p.v. as Elena commented. I could probably make alterations on the actual day, I don't think it would take long, but I'm sure it'll be fine, he knows what he's doing.

I think he might be splitting the installation up, I wonder what that will look like, I can't imagine it at all.

I've been working hard to get the new work finished, but it's way off yet. I had decided to leave the pieces made up of small groups of cells, but I'm not sure now. I think maybe they should be three larger pieces so that their colours are kept seperate. I don't know...I'm not rushing into anything. I'm better spending my time finishing the cells first anyway, and there might not be time for anything else.

Other things.

While I've been working on altered cell project lots of new ideas have been coming to me for other projects. I'm going to have a sketch book to hand tonight in case I come up with anything as I'll never remember all the ideas I'm having. The problem with sketching stuff out is that I never know what I was going on about when I look back at it later on, but I suppose if I annotate it properly I shouldn't have any problems.

I've had lots of ideas about cells, viruses and diseases, oh and the dying coral won't go away, so I think that might be what I have to start after the sticks and stones project. Maybe that should be for the summer holidays.

In work my time has mainly been spent at the computer since I came back after Christmas. I think I've finally got the images for the exam prep onto the moodle site, it was difficult to begin with as I kept getting mixed up with what I was doing but I've got the hang of it now, it's no harder than putting my website together. My eyes have been so strained though, I don't know how people cope working at computers all day every day, I couldn't do it.

# 126 [13 January 2012]

When I saw Matthew I briefly discussed how the new installation could be displayed, how it could be spread out or overlapped, with me thinking it would be interesting to see how someone else would display it as I don't have any preconceived ideas of what it should be as this piece has been very experimental ans is still being constructed. I thought it would be good for me not to be so controlling or precious about my work, but since I said it I can't stop thinking about the composition of it. I've been tempted to play with the pieces, well at least to set them out to see what sized area they could cover and so this evening I gave in, I got all the pieces together and laid them out on the floor, and now I am completely panicked about how small it is going to be...

And even worse, Matthew would like to show 'Inner Beauty' which I agreed would complement the work as it would fit in with the theme of inside the body and with the other work being based on cells it could break it up well without being odd, plus 'inner beauty' can stand alone so doesn't need anything too similar to itself showing with it. But anyway back to what I wanted to say, I've been panicking about the composition of 'inner beauty' the colour grouping and blending into other colours especially! Can I really let go enough it give complete curation to someone else? I want to, it could be interesting to see what a fresh set of eyes or at least someone how doesn't know what I see in the piece would do with it, but I want to group the different parts together and take them to him with a note on how they go together, would that look like I am crazy? I think it's quite reasonable and maybe even helpful, but it might appear differently to others.

# 125 [10 January 2012]

Met up with Matthew (the guy from Mello Mello) today. He was happy with everything I took with me so it's definitely happening! I need to send him a statement, title for the show, prices and publicity images. The p.v is going to be 18th February and he said I can just drop off all the work earlier in the week and he'll install it all. So all I have to do is finish the work!

# 124 [9 January 2012]

Meeting up at Mello Mello tomorrow, Matthew has asked for images of old and new work. But I'd really like to take all work with me that I'm wanting to show, the only problem is that I have to take the train over to Liverpool which is going to limit what I can take with me. I'm thinking about taking a suitcase, I did this when I took work over to blackburne house but its a bit of a hastle. Still I think its better than taking photographs.

# 123 [8 January 2012]

For those of you interested in the SUPERMARKET Stockholm International Art Fair that I talked about in an earlier post, this blog of Wendy Williams is very  interesting. Focusing on funding for international travel and exchange it's a real insight to the difficulties involved and most recently she is discussing the lead up to exhibiting at SUPERMARKET. http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/983947

My small part is nearly over with only having to hand over the work, but she has so much ahead to do. Exciting though! I'm excited at the prospect of my work being seen by so many international artists. I hope it get lots of feedback, you never know it might open some doors to other things!!

Been working hard on the new work for Mello Mello. I'm waiting to hear when exactly we are going to meet up. I don't know what to take with me, I think it's quite a way from the station so I am wondering if I can just take some photographs. Although I've got an idea of what I'm going to be showing I won't know for sure until I see the space so everything feels a little bit up in the air right now.

# 122 [5 January 2012]

Ok this is what I've got so far. Not sure how I feel about them. I was going to join them together by continuing the pattern as I attached them but I decided by keeping them individual they would have more definition. So I've just attcahed them as they are. I'm happy with that aspect and that they have got movement between them through being attached at different levels, but I think there might be something missing. I don't know, maybe they need layers, maybe it's the actual prints. I'll work on them a while longer and see what happens.

The thing that's keeping me going at the moment is that I wasn't happy with the Blood Streams at this stage and yet they have been one of my more successful works in that they have had the most interest and sales have been good. They have grown on me since completion.

I think I found Blood Streams and this work difficult because I'm not aware what wire will give me when I start out on a piece so it's a lot more experimental than paper and I don't feel as comfortable and confident with it.

# 121 [4 January 2012]

I've got about 50 of these little cells wired now but I'm nervous about putting them together. The composition is the most important part and if I don't get it right first time it's a real pain to try and seperate them. I'm worried they look like inside out shuttlecocks too. They are supposed to represent genetically altered cells. I might just start piecing them together and see what happens.

# 120 [2 January 2012]

I have had an email about meeting up to discuss the show in Mello Mello, I'm really worried that I haven't got anything good enough to show now. I was thinking a few framed pieces that I have of cells, my two remaining 'blood streams' and the new work, of which I have got quite a lot more done today but no where near enough still.

I have been thinking about the 'sticks and stones' project too. I don't think they are going to work if I have the paper all cut the same for each stone now that I've thought about it. Where the rounding of the eggs worked well was where colour, image or text showed in the layering but I think it would be more subtle if it just occurred through sanding. I might have to sand one of the ones I've done when they are dry. In the mean time I've added some smaller layers to some of the stones.

# 119 [1 January 2012]

I continued working on a printed cells and wire piece today that needs finishing. It's going well but I have an awful lot to do on it.

When I couldn't bind with the wire anymore because my fingers hurt to much I started working on the sticks and stones project this evening. I decided to just cut loads of the same shape unlike the paper eggs as they can be sanded into shape later, so hopefully with the cutting process being quicker the projects completion will be much quicker too. And I found a few started stones in the bottom of a box of artwork I was sorting out before, I must have started them before Christmas sometime but I have no recollation of them, nice surprise though! I've got more of the project done than I'd thought, haha. I still have no idea how to make the sticks yet, I'm definitely going to have to waste some time trying out different ideas. I'll wait until the Mello mello stuff is completed and installed before I attempt the sticks though.