What a brilliant day-for many reasons! Went up to London Art Fair-interesting -learnt it is essential to research the galleries you want to try to exhibit in as they all represent very different work.
In the last few years of gallery/exhibition visits I have tried to take everything in but got drawn towards 3D and in particular ceramics. Today was refreshing as I was looking at painting-technique,paint,texture,composition,colour,titles,framing….It’s a whole new world and I’m loving it.
Thoughts while looking at the art works-revisiting accretions,layers and palimpsests and combining ceramic and painting-I feel more experimentation coming on!!!
There was a few 3D art works there-mostly ceramic, metal and wood-Talking of wood, my wonderful son and his brilliant friend collected a big heavy piece of driftwood from Southsea beach today! I am HAPPY HAPPY-Its a wonderful chunk of wood which I have been “visiting” everyday for the last week or so with Gracie our dog-didn’t think it was moveable-strange how something which seems impossible is even more desirable!!!
Have been working some more on the big canvas-will give it a title soon! It looked very ragged round the edges so I painted a dark frame around it yesterday and today finished it off. I has occurred to me that if I put this work in a rigid frame I may not be able to get bit out of the studio!!! Hmmmm-will have to think inventively about this.
I am rapidly running out of canvases so picked some up cheap as chips at the tip to experiment on. Will have to block out the particularly twee images on them at the moment.
I am also rapidly running out of space too as everything is taking ages to dry.
Going up to London Art Fair for some inspiration tomorrow though I am keen to work on the theme of layers, accretions and palimpsests (I love that word and the concept!). I thought I may try painting on wood -our old shed floor.
Forgot my camera today so more pics soon.
I am loving this residency more and more!!! Not only are the official mentoring sessions brilliant and very informative but casual chats and impromptu crits are inspiring and helping me so much in terms of encouragement confidence and making me really think about the work I am producing. I have realised that my 6 months is flying by(as I knew they would) and also that I have been expecting too much from myself-a fellow studio holder wisely said-“its like taking up woodwork for 6 months and expecting to build a piano”! So…. I am rethinking what I want to achieve and get out of the residency
The image of the window in France has been driving me mad-I just cant get it right and have reworked it again and again-It is also very different from my other works.So yesterday I completely rethought and redid this work. It is still work in progress but I find it more exciting and alive. Cant wait to get back to it tomorrow. Comments welcome!
Had a break from the studio over Christmas but did some research and have been out taking photos and getting inspiration. The weather has brought some interesting treasures to the beach(sadly all cleared away now!) I found a fragment of a boat and used this as a starting point for a set of three paintings. An image of one is shown.
I have been working on the big canvas but still not happy-will keep working on it but also having fun experimenting. Had another mentoring session learning how to resize images and apply for a gallery open call for art. Application sent. A good exercise as it made me reassess and think about my work.
Christmas… lovely but very time consuming! I’m so pleased to be back in the studio. I was researching and thinking during the break and have come back eager to do more experimentation. Just before the break I started a large painting on a blackout sheet-not right so have reworked and reworked-am determined to get it right. Inspiration from closed windows and shutters in France. Also been beachcombing-the weather has washed all sorts of stuff onto the beach. Walking the dog is good-forcese out in all weathers! found various bits of driftwood and also bits of boat-inspiration for some painting
