There is no wall in Trench Y. Down near the loch edge they found a large promising stone – but underneath it had a plough mark, which dates its arrival in position somewhere in the early 20th century. So the […]
The Rapture of the Archive For me this is the moment of human connection with the past – a dizzying flash of recognition that something in my life is the same as another human being long dead. My act of […]
Despite my cavalier attitude yesterday, today I made a list of things to do in the remaining two weeks. It consists mainly of portraits, which are my preferred way of having conversations with the archaeologists. Some people are shy of being […]
Week 6: only another two weeks before things start to wind down. It’s time to concentrate, to focus on important things and not get distracted by random events – or is it? Today I enjoyed seeing yet another extension to […]
One of those days when the morning is so stimulating that it doesn’t matter if rain stops work in the afternoon. Sinead, the supervisor in Structure 10 came to tell me that they had just uncovered a beautiful stone axe. […]
I’ve had my work selected for the 2018 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize! The exhibition opens in September in London and then tours to various galleries across the country. This piece is one of a series of metalpoint drawings based […]
Back on site after a week away. A lot has happened. Small extensions in both Trench T and Trench Y. A hearth has been discovered in Trench Y. Does that mean they will leave it open for next year instead […]
We walk in the woods together: Fred is an inquisitive Irish Terrier who is maturing and mellowing since being a puppy. Rob is an artist realising that these woodland walks are integral to a subliminal creative internal processing. We enjoy walking in local woodlands every day.
As I take a week off from being on site, I’ve been wondering what has been achieved so far this year. Here are some thoughts and a few images from the past three weeks. At the start, I filled a […]
Popped back to Kearsney Court gardens in the late afternoon to draw the yew hedges. The other residents (not my interviewee) of the houses are tolerating my presence, I think, though I have not seen them. There is some anxiety […]
It is the end of the third week and some archaeologists are leaving, which means making sure I draw and interview people before they go. Drawing portraits is a perfect way to have a sound recorder running to hear my sitter’s stories and views on the […]
My relationship with the artefacts found on the dig. I need to be clear about this. I am putting the thing into the context in which it was found. That means not only drawing a stone in the hole in […]
It seems that for everyone the best laid plans are perpetually disrupted. This morning, one of the archaeologists told me that each night she makes plans for the next day, which dissolve almost as soon she arrives on site. In […]
So, I’ve been doing more research drawings and have been having fun using free paper samples and found tools – namely twigs. I’m not sure how I will use the observational drawings but they are an indispensable way for me to […]
@bend_laser is described by the artist as “a crap anagram” of his name. But can the format of Instagram become an anagram for everyday life and work? Richard Taylor looks at the Birmingham-based artist, one-half of the collaborative duo Juneau Projects, and takes a dive into his extensive Insta-collection of solo work.
A deeper sense of involvement on site today. Not that I don’t already feel immersed in the dig. The archaeologists are increasingly showing me what is going on – from sharing a find to explaining the process. Some things are […]
Yesterday was the first Open Day on the Ness of Brodgar site. We had over 200 visitors in the Art Hut, which meant going out to draw in the trenches was difficult. So I began a repeat of my ‘play’ with […]
A first oil painting on site. One of the benefits of spending a whole afternoon on one piece of work is listening to, and learning about, the ongoing the progress of the excavation – interspersed of course with discussions on […]
Lunchtime on the grass. This week there are a lot more people working on site, with another group coming next week. Down by the waterside, Trench Y continues to prove interesting. A change in the earth colour and texture suggests […]
June was a really busy month. I had a solo show of my wind drawings at the Width of Circle gallery in Stourbridge. I exhibited six framed drawings plus two unframed and a sound work. The work was framed by […]
After days of sunshine last week, the weather has become more typical of the Orkney I know. It may be cold and grey but the colours and the clouds sitting on top of the hills are a gift to paint and draw. […]
There is progress in Trench Y, down by the water’s edge, where they are looking for the outer wall of the settlement. A test pit revealed what they were hoping for so this has been enlarged. Obviously it’s early […]
In response to a comment by a-n blogs on Twitter: Do Artists in Residence need a plan? I have decided the answer is no. The whole point of being an Artist in Residence is to interact with the host context […]
Two trenches are uncovering new ground. Trench J has been extended and today they are starting to find bits of pottery. The other is a completely new trench by the loch edge. This is a colour sketch that will be […]
People are asking what my plan is this year. Presumably because it is my third season there is an assumption that there is a clear route, which is far from the case. If I have a plan, it is simply […]
