So What?

This is by way of conveying a bit of attitude! I have now moved away from the boxes which were actually leaving me a bit boxed-in and am freely working on paper. The attitude of ‘So What’ prevails in that I’m questioning what art is all about and reflecting on the workings of the artworld. Don’t worry, not planning to get too heavy on all these weighty concerns, actually feeling quite light and free with my bits of paper and the word play that was anyway a theme running through recent work. I’m attempting to produce bad work that is raw and immediate, yet satisfies me aesthetically. What a total contradiction but then I am an artist!

That ever burgeoning collection of boxes!

Yes, this has been my main focus in the studio and I’ve been working towards applying for a competition Open exhibition at Holton Lee in Dorset. I developed whole collections of themed boxes including bird drawings and paintings all of which gave birth to the idea of an installed piece (shown above). Inspite of this stint of studio activity, I’ve also enjoyed getting out of the studio for anything from rambles to bird watching and botanising out of season. I quite enjoy seeing what is still in flower at this late stage of the season and also spotting the occassional butterfly on the wing, most notably the Red Admiral. Anyone got particular sightings to add to the list? Looking forward to hearing from nature lovers out there. Can you identify my fictitious birds from their drawings? I have a few ideas of my own as to what they might be but could also do with some help from those with a keen ornithological eye.

The charm of Autumn

I’m arrested by the transition from Autumn into Winter which we now seem to be experiencing. With consecutive clear days there have been some stunningly moody skies. I have had to exit the studio for my mid-week excursion which took me through muddy woodland tracks and then steeply up on to downland at the site of the Worsley monument, which if you don’t know it provides views across the whole Island from East to West. It was a steep ascent, which put me in a seriously bad mood, but the exhilaration at the top soon put me right together with the simple pleasures of a picnic lunch. Last week provided a photo opportunity along the south coast to witness bracket fungus, in this case growing out of a decaying bench. I thought this image summed up something of Autumn, with fungi and ivy growth both at their best this time of year, both of which don’t shout about their presence but are nonetheless integral to any rural scene.

I got to Quarr Abbey this afternoon, which I alluded to earlier in the summer. I had hoped a residency might be possible, however that was not to be. All the same I can enjoy the peace and tranquility of this unique location and the light and shade of late afternoon, together with the chatter of jackdaws and the charm of the Glocester Old Spot Pigs snuffling about (eventual porkers!).

Latest Reflections

I wanted to flag up something current, which is the landscape piece currently showing at the ‘LOCATION’ Open exhibition at Quay Arts on the Isle of Wight. I have blogged previously in the run-up to submission and here is the finished piece. It relates to a part of the Island where I have made regular visits and on reflection is about ‘a sense of place’. I was over on the east coast this afternoon in fading light at another familiar location, St. Helens Duver and again got a real sense of this theme. Perhaps it is the Isle of Wight as a whole which gives me this sense and as I move around between different areas there may well be more paintings to come.

Self-Portrait meets Digital

 

I have progressed this work with a few more digitally manipulated images. My paintings have a surface texture and and hopefully these appear as a digital equivalence to collage/paint.

Train Journey Home

Yesterday I travelled back from Liverpool with lots to think about following the DaDaFest. Whilst surveying the floods from the train window I thought, well just maybe I could do a self portrait from the reflection in the privacy of my little corner near the door. It seems like an apt response to Disability Arts, whatever that term might mean. I haven’t quite got a handle on this movement as I regard myself as ‘mainstream’ despite setbacks along the way.  At the festival was an exhibition of portraits by Tanya Raabe entitled WHO’S WHO? representing a number of individuals who have played their part in the movement. I have a bit of a lasting impression of this exhibition as I was able to re-visit it on several occassions. It got me thinking about portraiture and has triggered my own personal response.

Technical hitch – Hamster in disgrace!

I have just returned from Liverpool having attended the largest disability arts festival of it’s kind entitled DaDaFest. It was also a great opportunity to see the city particularly with its status as European City of Culture. The giant spider was launching off from below my hotel window, so that was unmissable. I have some footage, however Cloudy the hamster is in disgrace for chewing through my camera cable and alas, at the moment am unable to upload the photos. Upon my return to Lime Street Station this morning, the spider was glued to the side of a building. Most peculiar to behold but must be a feat of considerable engineering. As for the festival there were highs and lows. A high point from last night was a masterful performance on crutches by Claire Cunningham where she was able to do an aerial display all with the aid of her global collection of crutches and a winch. On the whole, the festival was not quite what I expected. The scale of the operation was relatively small and as someone presenting as able-bodied I was somewhat in the minority.

Back to the Studio

Following on from the Amber workshop I was keen to get back into the studio and see where that left me. I’ve been able to leaf through my sketchbook and odd scraps of paper for images that say something about the process of making jewellery as well as the themes I adopted during the week for my designs. Birds are still very much a feature of the images I’m currently producing and have resulted in further box art pieces that I have since been able to bring together. Here are the boxes in their ‘raw’ state prior to being rearranged, reassembled and generally transformed into other works.

‘Brooching the Subject’

When the lights are on ‘Amber’

 I have actually spent today cutting and carving into Amber stone in it’s natural state. Actually quite soft to cut and shape by filing and sanding, followed by endless polishing to a high shine. Hopefully all will be revealed at the end of the week with my finished piece, more a ‘neck-piece’ than a pendant with the way things are going. Making the dreaded bezel should be interesting tomorrow. Precision never my strong point but here goes.