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Today a group from the studio met up and threw out a lot of scrap that has been shuffled around since we moved in to the old gymnastic hall. It felt very good to get rid of debris and rubbish left by the builders who began the aborted renovations years before we took over. Of course we added to the pile of assorted broken plasterboard, twisted metal, discarded timber, broken tiles and general rubbish when we took down some very curiously positioned partitian walls. A clean(er) slate for the new year! We are now an official association (registered with the tax authorities in December – a vital step in Sweden) and it was great that it’s no longer just Klas and me doing things. It felt like real and serious progress (things move slowly here in Sweden and extra slowly here in Enköping).

In early February Klas, Ida and I have a meeting with the council about the future of the studios now that they own the building again (having bought it back from the housing department). Hopefully we can secure some kind of longer term agreement. We are going to propose a public programme and even access to the shared workshop areas in return for their committed support. Personally I would also like to see the gallery move in to the former gymnastic hall on the floor above us. The space provides far better exhibition opportunities than the gallery’s current location and it would be fantastic to have studios and gallery in the same building. I although from sitting on the gallery committee I am pretty sure that I am the only one there who would be in favour of such a radical move.

 

I am looking forward to getting to the studio and starting to play with some ideas and materials. A few days work with Tim making (or rather re-making) some fantastic outfits for a major industry staff party (how the other half live!) has inspired me and reminded me how much I love making. The part few months I worked almost full-time with a mix of guided tours for school and project planning meetings, while I enjoy these things they don’t provide the same joy and excitement as working hands on with materials.

For environmental and geographical reasons I feel that my time of working with glitter is limited. I have found a manufacturer of a ’bio-glitter’ that looks very similar to the very non-bio glitter that I currently use, however they are UK based so if things go according to Johnson’s timetable I have at the most one year to get supplies from them. My work with Tim, and a visit to another designer’s studio, has rekindled my interest in working with fabric. I already have some ideas for some sculptural installation pieces in fabric as well as some sketches for other textile works … something to develop for the group show this summer … ???

 

In the meantime it’s almost time to start proof-reading for the artists’ initiatives’ art fair catalogue and magazine. This year I want to keep this task in balance with time at the studio.

2020 is going to be a good year – I have decided!

 

 

*Swedes have a lovely phrase ‘God fortsättning’ which tranlsates as Good continuation.  It is said at this time of year to friends and colleagues and wishes them the continuation of the good will, peace and joy that they have (hopefully) experienced over Christmas.


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