ARTISTS TALKING

# 166 [29 February 2012]

Had a boring and tiring day in work today, spent five hours cutting card into various sizes.

The meeting went well last night. There's loads going on for artists on the Wirral this year, not sure if I have any spare time to join in anything but I'm keeping my options open for now, you never know I might squeeze something in. I'm itching to start the dead coral project, I'd love to get that done this year and show it.

The open studio tour looks good, I would have liked to have joined in with it last time but the most important thing in being part of it is having a studio, haha.

It's the Liverpool Biennial later this year and a lot of artists opt for being part of the Liverpool Independents Biennial which runs alongside it. All the work that went to Stockholm is going to be part of it, thanks to Wendy Williams.

I would like to be part of it somewhere else too though and maybe hands on a bit with some invigilating. Last time I was part of the 'Six Rooms' project in group three and sold quite a lot of work but the best thing I gained from it was the interaction of other artists. It was great to spend time with them and form friendships. http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/660121

 I was part of the Independents Biennial in three seperate venues in all last time and I really enjoyed being part of something that so many artists where participating in. I'm probably leaving it a bit too late to only just be thinking about it but I might have little look around and see whats going on.

I got my cheque in advance of my workshops last night, it'll be good to have some money in the bank again!

I thought I'd almost finished my residency proposal, I was really happy with my ideas until I got home from work today and read it all through, now I think it sounds like a really boring project and too simplistic. There's only a few days left to submit, I feel like giving up.

Might have a rest from it and have a look with fresh eyes later on.

# 165 [28 February 2012]

been working solid all day on the workshop proposal and the residency proposal. I'm sick of writing them now. So, so tired...

I just want to make something... something exciting...

It's the 'with these hands' meeting tonight at the Green shop where I'm going to be running the flower garland workshop. I made another design for a garland last night, it could do with some tweaking but it's not bad and I've quickly put another together (in ten minutes, hope it takes them longer) so I can take two new ones with me. These are a little simpler and I only used the two pint containers in fear that I won't have enough for the workshop. I'm hoping by showing them this evening I will fill the remaining two places.

# 164 [27 February 2012]

I've been dying to work all weekend! I spent most of my time making notes which now need typing up. But I am almost there with the residency proposal. I had a promising email over the weekend about workshops over Easter. It's a little far to travel and pay isn't quite as good as usual, not a good combination! But it seems really interesting, quite in-line with my own practice and looks a lot of fun. So I've emailed back with a few questions and I've been working on some new ideas.

I'm doing the milk container flower garlands workshop on 11th March. I think there's two spaces left on my workshop still if anyone fancies coming. It's funded so is free to attend. For info and booking of any workshops please contact Alison Bailey Smith info@abscraft.com

# 163 [24 February 2012]

Spent my day in work showing someone the ropes. She's thinking of being an art technician and wanted to know what it involved. She wants a thirty hour week though, I think she'll struggle because she doesn't want to do any other technician job alongside art technician. She seemed to enjoy it though and I don't think I put her off, haha.

We tried out a project based on Priscilla Jones work today, http://www.mmu.ac.uk/mmuoriginals/priscillajones/

but instead of using fabric we used collage and watercolour, quite successful I think but a bit strange painting on stitches.

It's my husbands birthday today and we're going away for the weekend later, so I've just spent three hours researching for the residency I want to apply for as I know I won't get the chance for the rest of the weekend! What will I do? arhh.

Might sneak some time on my phone for research. I think I've finally finished the pp that they want. You have to show your work in 20 images or less, a very hard task. I picked everything that is relevant to the proposal in terms of subject matter, or materials, or presentation and then got it down further by what worked best in the pp from one slide to another. Just the actual proposal to finish now.

# 162 [23 February 2012]

Here's some photos I took today of my work from the 'Fixation' show.

# 161 [23 February 2012]

I went over to Landbaby this morning and now they're going to stock 'Pores for Thought', 'Paper Eggs' as well as the 'Back to your Roots' books. Yay.

I popped into Mello Mello to take some more photos. They're still not great and in the daylight the walls don't look to good either, but here they are anyway.

I visited Wolstenholme to see the 'Fixation' Exhibition, it's the first time I've seen the show. It's definitely worth a look if your in Liverpool. Almost all of it appealed to me but I suppose that's because of the nature of the work.

The first work that grabbed my attention was Samantha Vinsuns. To begin with it appeared she had just framed some book pages but on closer investigation she had meticulously painted some of the letters.

Nicola Dales 'Wallpaper' is a hung roll of woodchip wallpaper that trails onto the floor still on the roll, she has inked each little piece of woodchip individually. I wouldn't mind woodchip up on my walls if it looked like this!

I want to sand my sticks and stones as it's such a lovely day outside but I'm going to spend the rest of the day inside at the computer working on the residency proposal.

# 160 [22 February 2012]

Landbaby stocked my work last year after seeing some of my stuff at a book fair in the Bluecoat and they want to restock so I'm off to liverpool tomorrow with more of my back to the roots books and some other stuff to show. Fingers crossed they'll stock more of my work.

I'm off all day tomorrow so it'll give me the chance to visit Wolstenholme and Mello Mello to take some better photos and homefully have luch with friends. I was going to post these photos last night but I couldn't get a-n up properly on my pc.

I've spent today and yesterday evening working on a proposal for a residency, I'm no where near finished but its got to be in for march 4th and I'm away this weekend so it really needs it to be close to completion. I've nearly finished the pp, but there's so much more to do. I really want it, haven't got much of a chance because they're looking for someone with more experience than me but if I don't try I definitely wont get it!

# 159 [20 February 2012]

I haven't moved from the computer for two hours! So much catching up to do on the artist talking blogs. I was only gone a few days but there's tonnes of new postings and there's so many great ones to read right now. I found myself completely absorbed in them, taking no notice of anything else around me but I can't read anymore as I only have time now for a very short posting.

It's back to normality today, working in school this morning, working in my mums shop this afternoon and now home to work all evening... I'm not complaining though, I love that I get to be creative all the time, even if it's usually not doing my own work. I feel relieved that I can sit back a little bit now that exhibitions are up and nothing is planned for the immediate future.

Planned for this evening is the 'sticks and stones' project, I really need to get a move on with it but it doesn't have to be complete until April. Then tomorrow I'm off work so I'm going to work on a proposal for a residency that I fancy and it has to be in next week I think and then a little figuring out for a workshop project that has to be ready for 11th March. So not much to worry about at the moment!

# 158 [19 February 2012]

Matthew did a great job, I'd have never thought of installing it the way he has but never the less it looked good. And I'm actually quite happy that I didn't do it myself because the composition of it all was a pleasant surprise. I'll have to go over to Liverpool in the week and take some photographs because mine are terrible. I think it's because I had the flash on. The turn out wasn't great for the show but because the venue is a bar there were lots of people anyway and there was a really relaxed atmosphere to the evening so I just sat and had a drink with friends which was lovely.

I've just seen this, if you look closely you can see my work in Stockholm!

http://basementartsproject.wordpress.com/

# 157 [18 February 2012]

I'm very nervous for tonight as I haven't seen my work up at all. I left instructions so hopefully it's not far off what I've planned. I forgot to give Matthew any business cards so I'll have to remember to take some with me this evening. I'm mostly concerned that my reaction wont be good if I'm not happy, I'm not very good at hiding how I feel.