Ruminations, Rambles, Reflections

Another work received for my collaborative project

2012-01-25T22:36:00.000Z

Marion Michell sent this for the project and says:

'I rememberlearning to crochet as an alienated chore – little girls can’t be inspired bymaking pot-holders. Last year however, at my brother’s house, I happened acrossthe tiny, salmon-coloured and rather close-fitting outfit which I’d made forhis favourite soft-toy, a little brown-beige Steiff doggy which he’d had sincehe was a baby and whose once soft fur had become threadbare and was leaking itsfilling.

I wished I recalled the actual making, esp. as crocheting has become my medium.The outfits I fashion nowadays seem to be directly linked to this one: atwo-piece ensemble, consisting of a vest and pants which logically allowed anextra opening for Wäuwäu’s stubbytail.'

Do go across to her blog HERE and her website HERE and take a look at her enchanting work Thank you Marion

Art exchange and a forensic investigation!

2012-01-20T18:29:00.000Z

I've had a really good day at university today - it was an art exchange day when we got to work in the studios and get feedback from other students and all the fine art lecturers. It was initiated in an attempt to encourage students to fill in the National Student Survey but it has resulted in the lecturers taking on board our enthusiasm for it to happen more often. It was particularly important for us part timers as we don't get a studio space and consequently it is rare to see anything other than a small work, images on laptops or a journal from other students. We were given a space for the day and I worked on my 'painting in the attic' - moving it on a step further.

I have made the decision to carry out a forensic investigation of the 'man in a boat - painting in the attic' by scraping away the oil paint to reveal....... well who knows!

After scraping and removing pigment dust

small piles of pigment scrapings

Collecting up the pigment particles

image covered in pigment scrapings

What will remain is a trace I hope - just like the trace that's left, of that 16 year old girl, me, who painted it fifty years ago! I am collecting the pigment that I take away in a matchbox.

Remains of the day's work

It is a very meditative process and will take me a long time as the painting is 60 cms square. But the process feels right for the work - peeling back the years to see what fragments and traces of memory remain. A narrative is forming, part truth/part fiction and I can envisage a performance piece coming from this contemplative practice - maybe this will form part of my degree show? It feels an exciting place to be - a place of discovery and not really knowing what is going to happen next! I had very positive feedback from four lecturers and a number of students - it just makes all the difference when you get external verification of your work - I have been working away and rather doubting the process but now I know I am on the right track! It was suggested that I film myself working on the painting, so next weekend I will get hold of a camcorder and make a start.

Over the weekend you will find me scraping away in my studio for a few hours a day at least!

collaboration - 4th participant

2012-01-14T20:26:00.002Z

Kath Hazel creates intricate line drawings like this

AND this is what she made when she was 6 years old - I don't think the connection needs any further explanation do you?

Purse made at 6 years old

Detail of purse

Collaboration - 3rd participant's 'painting under the bed'

2012-01-10T19:54:00.000Z

Rob Steven otherwise known as Ben D Gedig painted this when he was 17 and then forgot about fine art for 35 years. He thought he had burnt all his early artwork but his cousin used this under his mattress for a bad back so it returned to him many years later. He is now in the last year of a part time Fine Art Degree

(Ben DGedig is a divison of Man in The Street Enterprises – a wholly owned subsidiaryof Rob Stephen)

several other people have expressed interest in taking part and I will be talking about the project in the group tutorial session tomorrow at university - looking forward to hearing what others think!

Collaboration - 2nd participant

2012-01-09T19:18:00.001Z

Marged Pendrell has sent images drawn (at 6 years old) from a bookcalled' Hit or Myth' by James Riddell 1950, which she still has!

Collaboration - 1st participant

2012-01-08T15:10:00.001Z

I've decided to post the images from the participants for 'Painting in the Attic' here on my blog with a sidebar link to their websites or blogs.
I received the first today from Lesley Bricknell who has reversed the brief and sent words about her childhood and an image of current work which she feels links to those earlier days - please feel free to do this - the more creative you are with your entries the better! I have also had a few people contact me who for various reasons have no art work from their childhood - it's led me to think that Lesley's approach would be a different way to contribute to the project! The final book could also use this concept - lots to think about - I am intrigued with how ideas change and develop depending on the input of others...would love to hear your comments and any other ideas........

‘Back to black’ - Lesley Bricknell

I am so looking forward to getting more entries and hoping they don't all come at once - if they trickle in during the next few weeks I will be able to show you how the project is developing

Now I just have to learn how to list everyone on the sidebar - bear with me please!

An invitation to participate in my new project

2012-01-05T19:59:00.001Z

‘The painting in the attic’ – a visual artcollaborative project

Last year I initiated a collaborative project on the themeof ‘Failure’ which resulted in an artist’s book and also formed thedissertation for my Fine Art degree which I complete this year. I enjoyed theprocess so much and learnt a lot from it so I have decided to send out aninvitation to submit work for a new collaborative project I am calling ‘The painting in the attic’ – I hastento add that this is not just about painting but includes all visual artworks.

Background

Recently, a painting I had made around the age of 16 yearscame back into my possession after hanging in my parent’s home for many yearsand standing wrapped up in storage for a few more! I have no memory of paintingit and have been curious to delve deeper into how it relates to my life now. Iam recording my responses using different processes but not painting, at leastnot at the moment. I am not a painter and only used oils when I was at school.But the medium is only one way of looking at it and during reflection I haverealised that it has a deeper connection than I initially thought! But moreabout that later! There is more information on older posts about both projects

The brief

Many artists talk about the influence of childhoodpassions and the impact of this creativity in later years.

“It takes avery long time to become young.” Picasso

Take a photograph of an artwork you created as a child oryoung adult and submit a jpeg image (maximum800 pixel width) and write not more than 100words on the significance of this artwork in your life now, does it connectto you, the way you work or how you see the world? Or you may feel it has nosignificance at all. It can be a story or as conceptual as you like, in theform of a poem, a piece of prose, or just random words.

Deadlinefor entries – 4 February 2012. You willbe informed if you have been selected by the end of February.

Please send the image and words as an email attachmentwith your name and contact details and Collaboration in the subject box - you can email me by clicking on 'about me' at the top of the right hand sidebar and then on the left is a link to my email address.

The works submitted will be selected for an artist’s book/s.This will be documented as a PDF and participants will receive a copy by email.One artist, picked at random from names in a hat, will receive a hard copy ofthe book.

I will also be posting responses here on my blog with a link to your blog if you have one.

I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and Ido hope you will join me in this collaboration. I feel really excited aboutreceiving all the responses. Meantime if you'd like any more information pleaseemail me or make a comment here.

Art intentions 2012

2012-01-02T15:53:00.001Z

There's no escaping them if I publish them here! (Based on a 5 day working week) and in no particular order..............

Complete Fine art degree in June
Take part in the Leeds International Artist's Book Fair in March
A photograph a day - this is today's a tiny feather on the beach - plus a new blog header image!

A drawing a day (doodles acceptable) - this is my sea drawing with a new Pentel brush pen I've never used before - I rather like it but the marks are very different to my usual pen/pencil so I need to practice.

A studio practice structure to the week which is flexible to allow for good walking days!
A weekly blog post
An end of day reflection, what's worked, not worked and things to do tomorrow.
Read one art book a month
Visit at least one exhibition a month
Submit work to at least 4 exhibitions during the year
Review this list quarterly to keep on track

I'd love to hear all your intentions for the year ahead - wishing you all many creative adventures!

Light drawing

2011-12-30T11:20:00.002Z

This is my entry for a drawing exhibition on the theme of SPEED in Artspace at Plymouth University in January 2012

I found the brief quite hard but then remembered this photograph and it seems to sum up my attitude towards the digital age and the difficulties of keeping up with technology - 'running with the light' so to speak!!
This is the brief

We live in a fast-paced world. Everything seems to move more

rapidly all the time. Things happen more quickly, we move about more quickly and

life changes more quickly than it did in previous generations. Many, if not all, aspects

of the society we live in – transportation, technology, media, scientific discovery,

even the rate at which cultural trends recycle themselves – are affected by this

apparent speeding up of life. How do artists respond to this? By meeting it head on,

jumping into the stream? Or by slowing down, standing to one side to observe and

reflect from a distance as the pace of life increases. Is it as simple as that, as adopting

one position or the other?

Technically it's not a drawing of course but I feel that the camera is an extension of the hand and can be used much like a pencil - what do you think? How would you respond? Perhaps you could post something on your blog? I'd love to hear your comments. My intention is to enlarge it as near to the maximum size specified for the exhibition 50cms x 70cms - I will have to take some advice on this as I'm never sure of image enlargements - so much technical information to learn these days!!

Happy New Year to everyone! Wishing you many creative adventures in 2012

Merry Christmas to all my blog followers

2011-12-19T10:55:00.001Z

Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light

Thank you for all your comments and support during 2011 - may 2012 be creatively fruitful for us all!

New project 'Painting in the attic'

2011-12-05T13:35:00.001Z

"In our daily life we proceed constantly through the coexistence of past and future. The essence of what we call spirit lies in the ability to move within the horizon of an open future and an unrepeatable past....the same activity of spirit finds expression as memory and recollection, which incorporates the art of the past along with our own artistic tradition.... tradition means transmission rather than conservation. This transmission does not imply that we leave things unchanged and merely conserve them. It means learning how to grasp and express the past anew" (Hans-Georg Gadamer, The Relevance of the Beautiful 1977)

Fifty years ago!

2011-10-31T19:45:00.000Z

Fifty years ago I painted this (an oil painting on hardboard) ...... I am not a painter, it was something I did at school - now I work with found objects and in a sense this is a found object much like the slide transparencies that I have been working with! When my father died a few years ago the painting came back to me and has remained wrapped up in storage. It's a strange feeling unlocking things from the past.........

this is a detail

I am wondering where that girl who painted this has gone? I don't remember painting it at all! It must have been from an illustration in a magazine or book! Why the man in a boat? It's a mystery! So it's about things lost and forgotten rather than memory - a kind of mourning for lost youth maybe!
Is this my next project? - I have taken the first step and attempted to clean it up - the background has yellowed considerably during the years it hung in my parent's house (they were both smokers) - the photograph hides the yellowing which is interesting. I'm not sure where I'm going with it yet.
I have propped it up in the studio and will live with it there for a while and see what happens!

Beach play

2011-10-17T20:22:00.001+01:00

I’ve been absent from my blog for quite sometime and I feel glad to be back. I’ve been suffering from a lack of confidence in my work – not sure what direction I’m taking and it’s worrying me because this is the final year of my degree course – it’s been going on for so long – 6 years to be exact – it is now strange to think of it ending – but maybe this is the beginning also!

I am disillusioned with contemporary conceptual art –I am confused to say the least – not motivated in the slightest and need to get back on track.

It doesn’t help that I am working with the British Art Show as an invigilator and guide –even though it is hugely enjoyable talking to a mixture of irrate, confused, and interested visitors about the work in the exhibition – it seems rather an over exposure to the contemporary art scene! So I’m now thinking why bother? Isn’t there enough stuff that people don’t understand in the world? But that’s not right because I do want to finish my degree. Most of all I want to make work that is honest in my final year! Work that the audience understands without a couple of pages of background information.

I had a tutorial last week and showed my tutor some of the photographs I took during the summer, of the ‘found sculptures’ – he suggested that maybe I could make some interventions myself with found objects

so today I went to play on the beach………

I found a washed up orange and some lovely pieces of driftwood and thought of Gabriel Orozco

It certainly blew the cobwebs away and washed away the blues - I then went on a long coastal walk along the Rame Peninsula, one of my favorite spots – it’s done me a world of good!

Remembering

2011-08-16T12:40:00.000+01:00

Listening to Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu in my new studio space, while the summer rain drizzles outside my window, and remembering travelling through Central Australia hearing this extraordinary voice - beautiful voice and beautiful memories!

No excuse for some work now!!

New studio in new house

2011-07-05T21:22:00.009+01:00

The last few days I hsve been moving into my new house in Devonport, Plymouth. It is a new new house with no history as I am the first person to live in it! A first for me as I usually buy draughty old Victorian terraces - but not any more, this house is super insulated so I will be toasty warm in the winter with the lowest energy bills I've ever had!! I have room for a studio albeit smallish. All my stuff arrived yesterday out of storage where most of it's been for the last 18 months - I'd forgotten how much studio stuff (let alone kitchen stuff) I'd got - I felt overwhelmed confronting it this morning - the studio space looked like this..........

the kitchen was even worse but I won't go there!!

After a few hours hard work I managed to make some order of it all and left it looking like this1 Looks a lot better and in a few days I'm sure my space will be ready for the next project!

And I even made some inroads in the kitchen department!

I feel much happier tonight!

FAILURE got a First!

2011-07-01T19:07:00.006+01:00

Can you believe it - today I heard that my dissertation project on FAILURE got a FIRST - not only that but the University has asked me for a copy for their archive. I am over the moon - not least because of the 22 artists who supported the project with their artwork - I will be contacting you all separately of course but meantime thank you so much for submitting work because without you all it would indeed have been a FAILURE. So what about my last post then? Well I must try harder to fail obviously! This failure thing is complicated! But I have rather fallen in love with the subject and I'm definitely not finished with FAILURE yet!

I have just moved into my new house in Plymouth - so a double celebration! I am so ready to be settled in one place again - I will be spending the next few weeks unpacking boxes and setting up a small studio space. Meanwhile I have been mooching about taking photos of what I am calling 'found sculptures' - things I come across that seem to have a sculptural quality but are not defined as 'sculptures'. Not sure where this is leading but here are a couple from my BLUE BEACH series.........

'If you're not failing, you're not trying hard enough'

2011-05-29T09:02:00.001+01:00

Assessment

2011-05-14T08:45:00.012+01:00

I have a final assessment for this academic year on Wednesday and am sorting through all my work wondering what to include and what to leave out - there is too much to show it all as we only have 30 minutes and I want to include the 'slide show' (see my post on the Home to Home exhibition) which I consider to be the most important work this year (that could take up all the time so I will need to compile a shorter version). Then I need to move on from the (almost) obsession I have with these images - difficult!

As for other work the 2 images shown here are the ones I have selected to show, chosen from a larger body of photographs taken during the year - still not sure where this work is taking me though - I took them after discovering the work of Uta Barth!

It has been a fragmented year and I have felt largely disconnected due to personal circumstances. This has been reflected in the work I have developed through the overall theme of failure in my praxis project, and linking it to my main practice of working with chance, uncertainty and instability, both of materials and process, and also taking into account my own errors, self-evaluation and limitations. A part of this has included reviewing the unpredictable results of past work that I’ve considered ‘failures’. As time goes by they seem to feel more relevant and right, just not resolved. So I’ve followed the journey of these 'failed' images, using bits of mistakes to create new pieces of work. I have often been guilty of rushing on too fast to the next new, exciting idea, without really interrogating the last one. I seem to have spent a lot of time walking and thinking through ideas too!

I have experimented with other ways of presenting the material, some more successful than others. Printmaking has resulted in images, which exist in their own right but lose something of the quality in the slides. The film I attempted to make from scanned images of the collagraphs has been very disappointing and I have abandoned it for the time being. I have not felt as excited by these diversions and keep returning to the slides and projector. I still consider this as the most successful work produced this year!

I’m finished with Failure!

2011-05-04T17:02:00.001+01:00

The book/catalogue is finally finished and was handed in to the University at 12 today – hooray!! The size is A3 so it is quite a large book. I even made a slip cover to protect it – fiddly but not as difficult as I’d imagined.

I loved making the book and it has sparked lots of ideas for future work but I am glad to have the pressure of the deadline removed and to be able to move on to the studio practice which is going to be assessed in 2 weeks.

As I’ve been concentrating on the book I have done little else so need to give it some serious attention – but tonight I’m having the night off and going to have a glass of wine and see a film at the Plymouth Arts Centre.

Making the 'Failure" book!

2011-04-28T21:13:00.009+01:00

The essay for the book is finished and has been approved by my tutor. So I am now concentrating on getting the artist book made. Thank goodness I made the book cover a few weeks ago before the University closed for the Easter vacation! It reopened on Tuesday and I've now had a couple of traumatic days of small failures! It's strange how the things you expect to be difficult turn out to be easier than you anticipated and the things you haven't considered turn out to be the challenges and often the 'failures'! I have to say I was nervous at making such a large book - A3 - as the saying goes - size matters!!!

This is the first stage - the glueing and pressing and waiting ! There's lots of waiting while glue drys! I'm making 2 books - it's always good to have a back up copy in case things go wrong!

Then on to the stitching - this book is thick and needed hand drilled holes for the stitching - something I've not done before as my books never needed more than an awl to make the holes - the drill got stuck in the paper and was impossible to remove - but then I learnt a trick - to crease the drill bit with beeswax and it worked a treat!!
I'd hoped to finish the 2 books today but it was not to be - I was tired and not concentrating and placed the book back to front in the cover of my 'best ' one! So I had to take it apart and won't be able to finish it until Tuesday when the University reopens! Sigh - sometimes these bank holidays are not useful!

I'm becoming an expert at FAILURE...................

Hopefully the next post will be the END!!

Oh and yes I have included the tissue paper header in the book - thank you to all of you that encouraged me to do this.

Feedback on Failure essay

2011-04-20T20:24:00.002+01:00

There is no failure. Only feedback. -Robert Allen

Latest Failure!

2011-04-16T09:36:00.020+01:00

Outer front cover

Inner front cover

Outer back cover

Inner back cover

The deadline for my dissertation project is looming near (4 May) and I am getting anxious!! I will try to post more frequently now and show you the progress of the Failure project.
The book/catalogue cover is finished and awaiting its pages, the size is A3 landscape - the largest book I've made. I tried to get clearer images to show you but the light has been terrible and the photographs look grey rather than black. I have used blind embossing for the words. I am thinking of including the acid free tissue sheet which was sandwiched between the stencil and the board (the blog header) this would be at the front of the book maybe after the title page - what do you think?
The first complete draft of the catalogue essay is completed and will go to my tutor on Monday. I am still working on the catalogue introduction which is about the work I've received and how the project was set up - I'm not happy with it yet - it sounds pretty boring but maybe that's because I've re read it so many times and I'm my own worst judge!! A failure to say what I really want to say - sometimes the words just don't come! Gosh I've written enough about failure to know it inside out now! Today I am going to transcribe the interview I had with Lisa Le Feuvre - again I'm not sure whether to include the actual transcribe (exhibition catalogues do this frequently) or to refer to it in the introduction! So many editorial decisions - I had no idea!!

What is happening in the salt shed?

2011-04-14T08:50:00.007+01:00

I love this work - it is by the American artist Claudia Borgna who collects thousands of plastic bags to create her art. Her blog is HERE she has one of her sculptures at BROOMHILL - I haven't been here yet but I am planning a day out to see the National Sculpture Prize etc. Apparently they have a lovely RESTAURANT there too! SO if you are in the UK and find yourself in North Devon then here is an idea for an art day out!! You can even stay there in the HOTEL
Enjoy!

FAILURE project

2011-04-04T21:36:00.003+01:00

I thought this was just perfect!
'Royals are torn apart'
You can read more about it HERE
Meantime I'm wondering if I should use it in the book I'm making?

A walk

2011-03-27T09:47:00.001+01:00

We've been having some wonderful spring weather here in the UK and yesterday I took a rest from FAILURE and took myself out in the fresh air to blow away the cobwebs!!! I took the bus to Wembury where there is a rather nice National Trust cafe - I treated myself to a coffee and read the Saturday morning paper - I bought one of their delicious Devon pasties (they are slightly different to the famous Cornish pasty and if you find yourself in Devon then woe betide you if you don't call it by it's proper name - a Devon pasty!) They kindly wrapped it in foil to keep it warm - and off I set to walk back to Plymouth along the South West Coastal footpath - around 7 miles. I rambled along and ate my pasty on a pretty beach watching a hazy sea. Then a little bit of failure happened!! I failed to see the footpath sign veering off to the right to avoid the military zone and ended up at Fort Bovisand - it was a lucky failure as I took these photographs of the windows in the fort.

There was also some wonderful rust and weathered wood!

Thank goodness I'd taken my camera but in any case I will make another visit during the summer months. I had thought that the Fort was part of the 2nd World War defense as this coastline is scattered with them but it turns out it was built in the 1800's as a defense against a French invasion! I arrived home tired and took a long soak in a hot bath - It had been a good day and I felt very refreshed and alive!
Today the sun is still shining and I have some pottering jobs to do - tomorrow it's back in the print room to finish my Failure cover for the book I'm making.

FAILURE

2011-03-25T21:06:00.001Z

I'm spending my time at the moment on the dissertation part of my degree course as the deadline of 4 May suddenly feels not far away given that the University's resources are closed for a month during the Easter holidays - we have 3 choices in this module, a thesis, a critical commentary or a praxis project - I have elected to do the Praxis Project - this is less words than the thesis (3000-5000) but must include a practical piece of work that is separate but linked to your main practice -I am doing an Artist's book about artistic failure called ' A catalogue of Failures' - and have approached it as a mail art project and invited 30 artists to submit one piece of work on the topic of FAILURE all work will be included in the catalogue - there will be no selection as I feel that is part of the failure process - there will be no exhibition as that is one aspect of the failure (I have failed to get a venue for the exhibition) -so the catalogue will exist in it's own right. I now have 23 artists taking part and feel honoured that they have trusted me with their images and words. I feel the weight of responsibility and don't want to FAIL!! Today I have been experimenting with the cover of the book and YES there have been FAILURES but I now know what I want the cover to be like -I have been trying the blind embossing technique on black card - soaking the card did not work and so I have used a dry emboss - here are some images of today....

this is the beautiful old press that I'm using at the University

I feel very fortunate that Lisa Le Feuvre, curator of the British Art Show 2011 and writer of several articles on the topic of FAiLURE agree to give me an interview for the catalogue. Thank you Lisa.
I feel excited about the project and will post more about the work to be included in the book - I'd love to hear about your own views of artistic failure too!

Leeds International Artist's Book Fair

2011-03-15T20:24:00.000Z

It's been a busy time getting ready for this event last Friday and Saturday - first a long car trip from Plymouth up to Leeds via Leicester where I enjoyed dinner with an old friend. We talked about gardening and art and people we both knew. I'm now staying with one of my daughters and seeing friends up here too. My friend Jane from the days I was at Leeds College of Art shared a table with me at the event - you can see what she thought HERE. It was a great idea to share as it meant we could slope off and look at all the other tables and enjoy a break and cup of coffee. The feedback from visitors was so useful - it was a great learning experience and fun to do - the atmosphere was friendly and buzzy with lots of interest - I even sold work which has inspired me to continue making books. I only made blank books this year but now I am keen to include images, photographs, prints and drawings. I have lots of new ideas. Thank you Jane and to all the people who visited me. I almost forgot a really important part which was meeting Catherine Scriven whose blog I have been following and Susan Krause who has been following my blog. They are also both taking part in my Failure project - more about that later as it is now all coming together. I am also exhibiting in the 'Home from Home' exhibition running alongside the Book Fair with an archive of slide transparencies - I wrote about this in my last post - they are being shown on a slide projector in a walk in wardrobe - you have to peep around the door and operate the remote control to see them - an interactive installation that has a private feel to it - i am pleased with how it has worked and the comments I have received.

'Home from Home' exhibition in Leeds

2011-02-26T21:41:00.007Z

'With ideas ranging from the domestic to displacement, over 80 artists from 7 different countries have contributed to this years Artist Book Collective exhibition around the theme of Home.

153 Woodhouse Lane, Leeds is the setting for Home from Home, to be shown alongside the 14th Leeds International Artist Book Fair. As a spacious Victorian terrace situated over three floors, it provides the perfect backdrop for this site-specific exhibition.

Artists have responded to the brief through exploring and expanding on the book as a time-based medium, whilst incorporating the notion of the everyday. Traditional book works as well as sculptural objects, text, narrative, video, furniture, audio and performance are represented throughout the show.

The concept of Home evokes various associations, including our experience of domestic spaces in relation to their designated public/private status, as well as the collection and curation of personal possessions within those spaces. Often our sense of self and security is linked to feeling ‘at home’, insinuating that this sensation is not always related to a particular place or building.

At first glance, Home from Home gives an impression of family, refuge and sanctuary, but upon closer inspection, it also begins to uncover associated feelings of anxiety and uncertainty relating to superstition, illness and transience'. (ABC Archive)

I am showing slide transparencies of a family photo archive on an old projector - these will eventually be made into an artist's book of images - this is my statement for the exhibition and an image of one of the slides

My interest is in how memory is constructed; the fragility of memory and the passing of time; memories that have an uncertain relationship with reality. My focus is on the transitory and fragmentary nature of existence, human identity and mortality, and in exploring the tension between the concrete and the abstract - for this exhibition the focus has been on family memories of the home

The exhibition opens on Friday 11th March and runs until 18th - if you are in Leeds do visit and leave your comments. For more information on the other artists taking part go here

Collagraphs from slide transparency

2010-12-05T09:59:00.001Z

One of the aspects of my practice over the last few months has been printmaking experimenting with etching and aquatint which has been challenging. I haven't felt at ease with the process. Now I have discovered collagraphs and I love the process!

I am using one of my family slide transparencies as a starting point.

I created a collagraph plate using mounting card as the base to create the image. I printed first in relief and then intaglio on somerset paper (below)

onto acid free tissue

then tracing paper

and finally onion skin paper - I really loved the onion skin as it has a slight sheen and is semi transparent giving it an aged look - but impossible to photograph or scan! The prints on somerset paper will be framed and entered for an exhibition at the Limekiln Gallery in Calstock next February.

My practice is concerned with the fragility of memory and the passing of time so my images are sometimes blurred, sometimes out of focus, sometimes with an unreal clarity - they are memories that have a uncertain relationship with reality. The materials I use are also fragile or translucent - decay, disintegration and discoloration also play an important part as does failure!

Last week we had a group crit - I took 20 slide transparencies and showed them on an old slide projector along with the collagraphs - the feedback was positive - particularly the clicking of the projector which evokes certain memories depending on your age of course! Those endless hours of watching friend and family holiday slides!

University of Plymouth | Blogs | Degrees unedited | a-n

2010-11-09T19:57:00.000Z

University of Plymouth | Blogs | Degrees unedited | a-n

New blog

2010-10-17T12:29:00.005+01:00

I have set up a new blog on Artists Newsletter which is specifically for students in the final year of their degree - or in my case 2 years as I am part time!

I haven't found out how to link it to this blog yet but am working on it you can find me here if you would like to follow my degree year journey!

www.a-n.co.uk/link/rosiek-blog

I will continue to blog here on wider issues! Like the Anselm Kiefer exhibition at the Baltic in Newcastle - if you are in the North of the country then I recommend a visit - here is a taster image

Anselm Kiefer. Man under a Pyramid ,1996
© Tate, London 2010
Emulsion, acrylic, shellac and ash on burlap
2810 x 5020 x 50 mm
ARTIST ROOMS
Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Acquired jointly through The d'Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the Art Fund 2008

I do hope you will visit my other blog and leave me your thoughts, comments

Back to Uni

2010-09-20T21:46:00.002+01:00

After a year of traveling and settling myself down in Devon I am back on my part time Fine Art degree course - I have transferred from Leeds College of Art and Design to Plymouth University and today was the first induction day and welcome! I am impressed with the library and resources available to students - it's huge compared to where I was before and will take a while to find my way around! I can't wait to start the course next week although the thesis is a bit daunting and will certainly be challenging! I have 2 years more to complete the degree equivalent to the 3rd and final year of a full time course.

Last year before taking a year off I was working with a family archive of transparences and using projection - I am keen to see if I can deepen this process - work with them in a different way - these are a couple of the images which were projected in a pair (side by side). The transparences were quite damaged but this was exactly what made them so exciting for me - memories of deceased family (this is my mother who died 30 years ago) are often fragmented and faded!

I'll be using this blog now as a way of exploring my practice over the next couple of years - using it as a kind of sketchbook/journal of the work I am doing for my degree although I will also be using a tactile sketchbook too!

Drawn to the valley - artist's open studios

2010-09-01T18:58:00.003+01:00

The last few days I have been visiting artists studios - 'Drawn to the valley' is an artist led collective of around 100 members who all live and work in the Tamar Valley, designated 'an area of outstanding natural beauty' - it's a great way to meet other artists and also get to know the area I've recently moved to better! I love visiting artist's homes and studios too! The river Tamar runs through the valley and divides Devon and Cornwall, from Launceston in the north down to the sea at Plymouth - so the artists are working in border lands - on the edge of 2 very different counties!

I started off on Friday evening by going along to a Private View at the Tamar Valley Centre in Gunnislake - the 4 artists exhibiting belong to the printmaking studio I have been attending during the last few months and Mary Gillett, the tutor was one of the exhibitors. It was so lovely to know people and to chat over a glass of wine- something I have missed being new to the area!! It was a great space and all the work was of high quality.

On Saturday I visited 4 artists based in Millbrook on the Rame Peninsula - I particularly liked the ceramics of Jill Holland and the work of Helen Round a painter and printmaker.

it was a beautiful sunny day and I took the Cremyl ferry and walked a circular route of around 8 miles stopping for a coffee at my favorite cafe The Honey Room at Widdicombe's In Millbrook and then lunch on this hilltop - overlooking the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand

what a view!

I love visiting this area - it's not far, as the crow flys, from where I am at the moment but it requires a ferry ride or a longish drive around the estuary - Millbrook is where I would like to live when I get around to buying a property next year. I am renting at the moment to give me a chance to find the ' ideal spot' - then of course I need the ideal house at the ideal price to appear! this is where I need to TRUST! so watch this space and see if I find my dream home!

I returned to Plymouth on the Cawsand ferry and finally a bus arriving home tired, inspired and happy and ready for my supper!

Weaving webs.....

2010-08-29T15:16:00.002+01:00

Last week after several days rain I was rambling up on Dartmoor with my camera and found hundreds of webs strung across the gorse bushes - glistening with dew jewels!

Some were as large as 18 inches wide and how far the nest penetrated into the gorse I could only guess - the spider just disappeared down the tunnel at high speed when the camera came out!

I was fascinated both by the beauty and the strength of the structures - some of these dewdrops were quite large!

I am still getting to know my new camera (Canon G11) so these were taken on auto - once I get to grip with where all the manual controls are I will be experimenting - meantime I am very happy with the image quality!

'we are all acorns'

2010-08-14T09:23:00.003+01:00

I want to say a big thank you to Cathy Cullis - I won her print giveaway 'we are all acorns' - my name was pulled out of the hat and this is the lovely surprise I received in the post a few days ago.

I am going to get it framed and it will hang in my studio with the collage I won last year in Leslie Avon Miller's (aka Textures, shapes, colour) giveaway - aren't I lucky!

EVERLASTING MOMENTS - Official Trailer

2010-08-10T11:04:00.001+01:00

A beautiful film about the importance of authenticity and never giving up on your passion

Arguing for artists: Axis responds to cuts in arts funding

2010-07-28T09:50:00.000+01:00

Arguing for artists: Axis responds to cuts in arts funding

YESTERDAY AND TODAY!

2010-07-21T15:53:00.003+01:00

Time flies, days wing past

moments wet, sodden, closed

swing, change, pass by

white clouds sail, green breeze, sunlight

Mono printing FUN!

2010-07-16T11:20:00.009+01:00

I was intrigued by the mono printing process which I previously remember as finger and hand printing as a child - oh to be a child again! And why not I thought and Cathy Cullis whose work I admire just gave me the excuse (why do I need an excuse?) the other day when I read her wonderful post on how she creates her mono prints - Cathy really has found her inner child - thank you Cathy - here are some of my first attempts - I had much too much ink on the plate of course and it turned out quite a spotchy mess - yes there was meant to be an image!then I had to put the plate away for a few days while more grown up things took over my time - I came back to an almost dry but still tacky plate which had lost the ink in places - even the prints from the cling film were quite interesting! I had a lovely time rubbing it in the ink free spots and getting mucky - so that's why baby wipes were invented!!

Then I drew a couple of trees, the left hand one with a large needle and the right hand one with a fine tipped pen which was much easier as I could see what I was drawing - but it felt more predictable and I like the abstract quality of the one on the left much more.... I am using a water soluble oil paint but am going to get some printing ink to see the difference..... meantime I seem to still be obsessing about trees and rocks!
Last week I rolled some ink over my reduction lino cut of the gorse which I showed in a previous post and printed it under the press - there was not much lino left but this is the result which I think I will use as the basis of a drawing.....

Do go and have a look at Cathy's work if you don't know her already! She is a very prolific artist.

Now I have my new camera I hope to get back to posting more often - I have the next 10 days free of any commitments so I hope to get some time to catch up with all my blogging friends too!

I LOVE my new camera!!

2010-07-13T17:25:00.011+01:00

I finally made my choice of camera and bought a CANON G11 in Bristol on my way to a visit to friends in Brynamman, South Wales - one of our trips was to the National Botanic Garden of Wales where I took these images - this is what the camera does on auto so I can't wait to explore the manual functions! The weather was unpredictable with rain showers but we managed to stay dry! The gardens really needed the rain after the dry spell we have had over the last couple of months and the positive side was that everywhere looked so lush and green!

there was even dancing in the cafe area and we stopped for tea while the Morris dancers kept us entertained - even the rain stopped for a while!

so these are just a small selection of what I took - if you are in South Wales then I recommend a visit - it's a beautiful place

As promised the final lino print

2010-06-23T13:03:00.005+01:00

I had this ready to post 3 weeks ago and guess what - my 5 year old Sony digital camera and trusty friend got very sick - I have been told it is not worth mending but I am loath it throw it away - how I hate this throw away society! But I think I have to accept that it has now died and that I need a new one! I am looking at replacing it with a Canon G11 - has anyone got one and can recommend it? I want a compact camera that can do what an SLR can do - I know this is impossible but I keep looking!!

Anyway I finally printed this image in an edition of 10 - of which this one is the best! 'Dartmoor gorse in May'
As I said in my last post it was a reduction linocut - and this is what remained of the lino itself- not much as you can see - a few stalks at the bottom. I really liked the process and will do another one even if it does take forever!

Linocut workshop

2010-05-26T14:16:00.000+01:00

I am keen to try different printing processes so I enrolled for a reduction lino workshop last weekend with Mary Gillett. I am also doing a weekly etching course with Mary and enjoy working in her large studio out in the country near Tavistock in Devon. There was only 3 of us so we got lots of individual attention and a printing press each! The weather was glorious and we were able to keep our lino very warm and supple under the sun as well as enjoy lunch outside!!

The lino reduction method was invented by Picasso, who had a great love of printmaking apparently. This method of lino cutting involves progressively cutting the same linoblock for each new colour, making it impossible to take any further prints from the original plates, and there’s not much left of them anyway!

Mary suggested we made 10 prints– that number would allow for mistakes and hopefully we would get a few good ones - so it is quite time consuming, printing each colour 10 times. The registration for printing is really important and we spent a lot of time getting it right so that each print would line up exactly on the press – even so I managed to get some of mine slightly out which of course shifts everything – sometimes this works sometimes it doesn’t – such is the excitement of printing – you never know what you are going to get!!

I worked from a coloured drawing prepared earlier (yes of course I watched Blue Peter!) I wanted to capture the gorse on the moor near my house and took my sketchbook on my walks last week – this was the drawing that I worked from

I then made a tracing of the drawing, reversed it and traced it through carbon paper onto the lino. I was then ready to make the first cuts and remove the areas that I wanted white. The vivid yellow of the gorse was the most important colour to keep pure so that was the first colour I printed

I then cut away the areas I wanted yellow. It was quite strange at first cutting away the area of the wanted colour, a reversal of the usual practice of taking away what you don’t want! The next colour was blue – I loved rolling out the colours on to plate glass before applying it to the linocut.

this is the stage when you know whether the registration is correct. I had forgotten one of the instructions, to always run the print through the press in the same direction and as a result some of my prints were a fraction out! All good learning - but it pays to listen!!

It is usual practice to work from light to dark but other considerations are important as you are overlaying colours on top of each other and they are still wet unless you take a week and do one colour a day!

I then cut away the blue area, the sky,

and printed in a light grey/brown – I had now printed 30 times and was half way through the second day – I realised I was not going to finish in a weekend !

So at the end of the weekend I was nearly there but still have a couple more colours to apply– another brown and finally black – unless I change my mind and choose other colours after living with them for a couple of weeks – I can’t get back to the studio again until 9 June to complete the prints – I’ll post the finished result then but meantime this is as far as I got…….. x 10!

sketchbook reflexions

2010-05-12T22:11:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday I took my granddaughter to the beach at Wembury – I left my camera at home and only took a sketchbook – there was an east wind blowing but a little sunshine now and then …. I drew in my sketchbook

My granddaughter had heard quite alot about volcanic dust because her parents were now having a break in St Ives instead of Prague! So she made a volcanic city!

I record something entirely different without a camera!

Aquatint

2010-05-06T13:41:00.008+01:00

I'm still working on the first plate but I have started a second one with a simple etching - quite small 7cms x 19.5 cms from the tree series - this is the coolibah tree - the trunk of the tree is dark and gradually the branches become paler and can be quite white at the top of the tree! From the dark earth to the light in the sky - the tree is very symbolic!Next I applied the first aquatint which was not the depth I wanted........... and I really wanted to lose that horizon!
the plate was subsequently treated to both a further hard ground and a soft ground and another aquatint ........... this is near to what I wanted!
all trial and error - meantime I'm learning lots! Please click on the images to enlarge them - I really must get a scanner as it is difficult to get a good reproduction with the camera!

Reflections on white

2010-05-04T21:04:00.001+01:00

I’ve been reflecting on the significance of my focus on white yesterday. White has so many meanings – there is of course the religious or spiritual meaning, the pure, clean and simple meaning, and for the artist the meaning of blank or empty as in the empty blank white sheet of paper or canvas that confronts us –

I love a clean new white sketchbook but it can also create a sense of panic too! Where to start, what to do, suppose I make the wrong mark – and so it goes on until a creative block stifles any further work! I have been wanting to get back to some drawing and have been avoiding it – it is much easier for me to take photographs but I look and see differently when I draw……

so today I found a simple white sketchbook that I’d made a few months ago – just 8 folded pages bound with a simple bookbinding technique – these are quick and easy to make – I have resolved to fill it this week with working drawings of trees from the printmaking class

The drawings are not finished – I will continue working into these first two. On my walk to day I left my camera behind and took a small notebook with me – I did a few tree rubbings and may use these in my drawing tomorrow. I’d love to hear any thoughts on creative blocks, blank white pages and drawing!

I hope you are all having a creative week!

A ‘black and white’ day

2010-05-03T17:37:00.003+01:00

I’ve had a couple of days feeling rather low, Still a lack of focus and not much energy for anything. A creative block? Had all that RED drained me - was it a danger sign? I mooched about wondering what to do with myself and finally went out for a walk! I found myself looking at white …………….

the hawthorn blossom is splendid at the moment but then we are now in May!

A glance in my direction but her back was soon turned on me!

I then noticed black – obviously my mood was affecting me!! I felt small, a little lost and alone!

“Well just look at me then” this ewe seemed to empathize my self doubt but it made me laugh at myself! Hmmm…..

but then‘black and white’

Finally my sprits soared when this kite appeared in the dark grey sky !

And a moment later the sun came out in a blue sky – colour and light were back in my life!

I feel much better now and tonight I’m going to have some yummy rhubarb crumble I made earlier (with creme fraiche) and watch a DVD - ‘Conversations with my gardener’ A French film which I think will suit my mood! Tomorrow is another day……………

A 'RED' day

2010-04-29T15:35:00.020+01:00

I have lacked focus during my walks and there hasn't seemed any connection to the images I have come home with - so yesterday I decided to give myself a challenge - a word to focus on - I saw 'RED' (so to speak) !! As soon as I left the gate!

And then saw these!

The beautiful camellias just outside my front gate are quickly fading but other plants are just beginning!

Red really does SHOUT out in contrast to surrounding colours!
Can you see it? A faint blur in the sky - I just wasn't quick enough to capture the RED helicopter above!
Then a soft red!
And red in the most unexpected places!

Leaves turning a glorious red.......

Yes - I've finally seen the light

I wonder what tomorrow's word or colour will be!

Getting closer!

2010-04-27T19:25:00.004+01:00

A couple of close ups of the etchings in my last post - click on the image to enlarge it further!

Aquatint tomorrow!

A new medium

2010-04-24T15:16:00.006+01:00

My printmaking class started a couple of weeks ago and I have been learning etching. These are some of my first attempts based on some drawings of trees in Australia.............. and a dream!

First print was on cream heavyweight paper of a good quality - subsequent prints were made on proofing paper
I experimented with hard and soft grounds
The final print after 4 different grounds and now ready to add aquatint! Watch for the next post!

A long walk home

2010-04-09T21:18:00.001+01:00

In this part of the world we have 100 inches of rain a year so when we have bright sunny days like today it is best to take advantage of it! I feel very privileged to be able to do this – I neglected the sorting, unpacking and general admin of moving into a new home to start exploring my locality! I took a local bus to Tavistock my nearest town and then walked home……….

7 miles (11 kms)

I started here in the park where lots of families were enjoying the sunshine and catkins and spring blossom were showing their splendor

I felt buoyant and full of the joys of spring!!

Once out of town I arrived on Roborough Downs

these ponies roam wild in this area and on nearby Dartmoor – I love the stocky ones with short stubby legs, gentle eyes and shaggy manes!

and the elegant white ponies (maybe this is a unicorn!)

there were some perfect stones where I could sit and eat my cheese and pickle sandwiches!

A day of long shadows

Maybe a lunch time stopping place next time!

Or maybe here……………………….!

or at the aptly named ‘Double Waters’ where the Rivers Tavy and Walkham meet……………….

Across the old bridge…………….

And up another Devon county lane …..

I’m still fixated by trees! This time an English one!

And guess what else?

I fear I am repeating myself!

A perfect final resting point just 20minutes from home!

3 and a half hours and I was home to a well earned glass of wine and hot bath!

See you on my next ramble!

Celebration of LIFE…………

2010-04-01T14:53:00.001+01:00

Last week a former colleague and friend died suddenly in his early sixties of a heart attack – it was a shock as he was seemingly healthy and robust! Bryce Taylor a Co-Director at the Oasis School of Human Relations was one of those people you are glad to have known in your life. He was full of life, a bear hugging man who always had time for you – he played a significant part in my own personal development and was forever working on his own! He helped and supported me (and many many others) through several of life’s crisis’s.

Today was his funeral – 1 April and April Fool’s Day – and I feel sure he was laughing as he always knew the importance of THE JOKER!!! I could not attend the funeral 300 miles north of my new home in Devon so I went to one of my favorite beaches at Wembury.

and of course Bryce being Bryce and having a special spiritual connection ordered SPECIAL weather – in a week of wintery cold, wet rainy days the SUN shone, the birds sang and I felt blessed to be alive! It was truly a beautiful and peaceful way to remember what Bryce had given me and to indulge in my memories of him

I built a cairn of stones (each one a memory added to the next) where the tide would take it away later in the day!

I collected some heart shaped stones and placed them around the base along with a cross of 2 stones.

Some seaweed for writing – again to be washed away by the tide

A pinkish heart stone placed on some black burnt charcoal found on the beach…………

It felt good, right and even joyful to say goodbye to Bryce in this way………

I then walked on along the beach and rocks looking for something as a memory of the day and Bryce himself – this is what I found

the markings on this driftwood are beautiful and I remembered the time in a group facilitation session with Bryce using a Native American talking stick (whoever holds the stick cannot be interrupted while they are talking to the group!) - so guess what I will be using it for?

GOODBYE BRYCE – R.I.P.

Tomorrow I move into my new home – SO - a beginning and an ending!

A ramble in The Lake District

2010-03-21T18:05:00.000Z

I've moved on again to visit my eldest daughter living near Cockermouth - we went on a beautiful 4 hour walk to Whinlatter Forest and up 2 Wainwright's - Lord's Seat and Broomfell and I saw the first snow this year when most of the folks here are sick of it!! There is still a bit left!

As some of you know I have been gadding about on the other side of the world in hotter climes - I am really feeling the cold back home although everyone keeps saying it is positively balmy now!! But it was beautiful with the shifting grey clouds moving across the mountains - it is wonderful to visit other countries and experience different cultures and to be reminded that I live in a beautiful country too! I want to do a lot more rambling around the UK this year and have more of this (a bit warmer would be welcome as well!!)

Exhibition visit

2010-03-18T11:17:00.001Z

I have just been to Leeds Art Gallery and seen a powerful and exciting exhibition 'Between Kismet and Karma - South Asian Women Artists respond to conflict' One of my favorite pieces was 'Elastic Dress' in knitted elastic and red dye by the Columbian artist Anoli Perera

Nazia H Khan from Pakistan had exhibited some amazing metal bodices - click on her name to go to her website and see some of her beautiful work . I was also very inspired by a film 'The Last Rites' a heartbreaking and beautiful film about the Chittagong shipbreaking yards in Bangladesh. Yasmine Kabir is an internationally aclaimed and independent filmmaker based in Bangladesh. You can see some great stills and a synopsis of the film HERE. Part of my interest in this film was because I have visited the country and found it a fascinating place. One of my daughters has lived in Dhaka for the last 3 years and if she stays another year I hope to have the opportunity to go back there!
The exhibition is on until 9 May so if you are anywhere near Leeds do go and see it!

Central Australia

2010-02-24T00:31:00.002Z

A few images from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon – I have been challenged by one of my daughters to show her only my BEST 10 PHOTOS when I get home – this is out of around 3000 that I have taken during the last 3 months of my rambles! So I will eventually be posting the ones I’ve chosen but it will take me several weeks to sort through them!

Meantime here are a few images from the last couple of weeks in the heart of Australia (you can click on the image to enlarge them) – It is truly magnificent country and I hope to return one day to ramble further north in Broome, Darwin and Cairns – so much to see here and the distances are huge!

First stop from Alice Springs was the Camel Farm!

I was getting excited but NO it’s not Ayers Rock/Uluru but Mount Conner. It’s a long and lonely road – just under 500 kilometres!

Sunset at Uluru – I took a series of about 30 photos while the sun was setting!

It’s a very spiritual place and difficult to do it justice with photographs

Around the base walk of the rock I came across this marvellous piece of burn wood! I thought it was a sculpture at first but it was completely natural.

The Olgas or Kata Tjuta (the aborginal name) are every bit as awe inspiring as Uluru

Finally a 6 kilometre walk around the rim of Kings Canyon – this is where they filmed the final desert scene in the movie ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ – and yes I climbed all those steps and stood on the top shouting into the canyon below – a fantastic echo!

Now I’m back in Sydney for my last few days here in Australia – I fly back to the UK on Monday – I’m really looking forward to being back home again now!

Shadows and cracks

2010-02-22T05:26:00.003Z

It can’t always be awe inspiring, beautiful and wonderful when travelling in our own and other countries - sometimes we see the shadows and cracks - the darker side of humanity!

The interior of Australia is a harsh and fragile environment and I would not want to make any judgments in terms of how it is to live out here. However one incident really did enrage me and I feel guilty for not saying anything! I was sitting outside a cafe in the early evening – it was quiet – hardly anyone around in the centre of Alice Springs – a couple approached in one direction and an elderly Aboriginal woman in the other (she had been wandering up and down trying to sell her husband’s painting to the few people around and I had briefly spoken to her). The Aboriginal woman asked the woman in the couple, who was smoking as she walked across the road towards the cafe, for a cigarette – the woman replied “there are shops that sell cigarettes you know, you could buy some” and dropped her half cigarette on the ground – the elderly Aboriginal woman of course bent down and picked it up. The couple just sniggered to each other and went into the cafe. I sat there in disbelief at such rudeness and racist behavior – I could have followed the woman into the cafe and confronted her but I didn’t, maybe it was because there were 2 of them and only 1 of me but nevertheless I feel like a coward now! What would you have done?

I have only witnessed one other sign of disrespect for the Aboriginal culture during my time up here (thank goodness!!) - a man in his 60’s continued taking photographs when an Aboriginal Elder had requested that he did not! He was a white European of course! Sometimes I feel ashamed of being white!!

Coincidently they showed the Australian aboriginal film ‘Samson and Delilah’ last night at the YHA where I am staying – you can see a review and clip from the movie HERE – the film is partly filmed in Alice Springs and explores issues of survival for two ostracised teenagers from a remote indigenous community in Central Australia. It is dark and sad and almost without dialogue with extraordinary acting

I must say that once I looked in-between the cracks, the issues that tourism glosses over, are quite evident! There is a population of 28,000 in Alice Springs and 33% are indigenous Aboriginal people. Throughout the rest of Australia this percentage drops to around 6% so it’s not surprising that the issues are most evident here – previously in my travels from Sydney down to Melbourne I hardly saw any Aborigines!

On my walk this morning I found this bird’s nest….

A small and poignant reminder of HOME (in 1 week!) ?

From Alice Springs to the Western MacDonald range and gorges

2010-02-21T11:51:00.001Z

I continue to be fascinated with the trees and rocks in Australia and they just seem to get more magnificent each place I visit – on the advice of my Melbourne friend Kate I took this trip out to the Western MacDonald ranges and here are some of the images I took – i have had no time to edit the photographs in anyway so they are straight from the camera. This is where I was heading

the first stop was at Simpson’s gap – a waterhole several kilometres out of Alice Springs then on to Stanley Chasm

Yes the sky is really this blue!

Tree bark- the river gum tree

The ochre pits below are a sacred Aboriginal site where they obtain the red, yellow and white pigments for skin decoration – the pigments are mixed with fat to intensify the colour.

I love the way the pure white bark of this tree protrudes from the red rock face

Heavy rains a few weeks ago have caused the waterholes to be unusually full and rivers to flow – a rare event in this part of the world! This is Glen Helen Gorge below.

And finally some tree images of course!

Can you believe the bark on this tree – I thought it looked clothed!

Money, money, money!!!

2010-02-15T02:16:00.004Z

No photos but an interesting life lesson, and an adventure I could have done without, causing me to ruminate and reflect on the experience and write it down here – it might also be useful to any of you reading this and thinking of travelling! I am in Central Australia now, Alice Springs to be precise, and in the final few weeks of my rambling down under! For 2 days I have been without money! not entirely true as I did have about 80 dollars on me but that doesn’t go far in terms of moving on! I had a 5 day trip planned and paid for up to Ayers Rock and King’s Canyon and likewise a flight to Sydney next week – but no money for 5 nights accommodation and food – how did this come about! I will try and explain simply a rather complex situation – I always travel with travelers cheques (finished now!!!) a debit bank account card (the subject of bank fraud late December so the bank issued a new card which sits with my daughter in the UK) and a credit card which to my dismay reached it’s limit and refused to give me any more money!! I had tried to send them a payment twice at the end of January and was unaware that the second time the payment had still not gone through- so of course rang them immediately 3 days ago and discovered this was my own stupid fault as I had written down one of the sort code digits wrong so of course it bounced back again the second time – the payment I then made takes 3/4 working days (and remember this was Friday!) so the card really was going to be no good until the end of the following week and I was moving on at the beginning of the week – the credit card help desk suggested that the bank could make a fast payment but to cut a long story short they couldn’t! a further telephone call to the bank who then suggested a payment to me through my (unactivated) debit card that my daughter was keeping for me didn’t help as my daughter had left on holiday to the USA the previous night! Talk about the timing of all this! I think I got an anxiety panic attack at that point! I really was meant to learn this lesson wasn’t I! After several phone calls an enlightened young man at my bank talked to his manager and said to ring Visa International for an emergency payment! I did but even this was not straightforward – everything in my life seemed blocked – I started doing affirmations ( why do I forget - but better late than never!) GUESS WHAT - last night a lovely woman called Benel in Maryland USA pulled out the stops and solved the reason for the delay (which turned out to be lack of my passport no for the bank to release my details to them) – I have just been to the post office and received the emergency payment which is enough to cover all my expenses until I get home – life is good, bright and beautiful again today and I am sitting in a lovely cafe in Alice Springs with a delicious latte and 2 pieces of raison toast!!

So what happened in those 2 days – my world turned negative along with my thoughts – people seemed unfriendly, the place dirty, it even rained (quite rare in Alice) - I will leave the rest up to your imaginations albeit to say that my security was well and truly tested! and in terms of the majority of the world’s population I am one of the lucky ones! I have money sitting in my bank account from the sale of my house – all that money and could I get my hands on it – well NO!! It has made me think so much about refugees and alyssum seekers and the anxiety they must face on a daily basis! When I get home I will find a way of offering some support to these people. I just want to add that 98 percent of the people I have met while travelling including those trying to help on the other end of the phone have been truly supportive and great people to know – I have made several friends here in Australia that I know I will stay in touch with and hopefully meet again!

SO WHAT HAVE I LEARNT FROM THIS EXPERIENCE SO FAR!! (and I’m sure there will be more!)

1. Never to rely on a bank/credit card or even 2 cards when not in your own country!

2. Always to have enough cash to pay for everything for at least a week when travelling!

3. Negative thoughts create a negative world around you (I knew this but needed to be reminded)

4. There is always someone willing to go the extra mile and it’s just a matter of finding them ( positive thoughts needed)

5. Affirmations really do work and why do I forget this!

6 TRUST!

7. Remember that I am blessed and that I have an abundant, creative and rich life!

8. Money is actually quite important if you haven’t got any!!

9. That actually in the scheme of things it was not all that bad because the worst that could happen was that I would have had to cancel my trip (and lose the cost of it) as I am sure the YHA would have let me stay here for a few more nights until the card payment went through! But I really didn’t want to miss seeing Uluru (Ayers Rock) And of course I would have lost a few more pounds (in weight) too!!

I would love to hear your comments! The next post will have some photos I promise!

From TREES to ROCKS!

2010-02-02T21:13:00.002Z

I’m just back from Wilson’s Prom

and a Night photography and Light painting workshop with Lloyd Godman of Baldessin Press – we camped for 4 days and I must say I was very glad to get back to a comfy bed last night! No wombats searching for a morsel or other delightful species of Australian wildlife wanting to share my tent!

I have had fun with my camera and here are a few of the images that I picked for the show and tell at the end of the workshop! (You can click on the image to see a larger version)

All the photography took place at sunrise (yes we had to get up at 5.30am!) or at dusk - it was the full moon and we went off down to Squeaky Beach see above 2nd image (yes the sand squeaks underfoot hence the original name!) to do the light painting – it was very experimental and I only came out with a couple of worthwhile images but I loved the process and will definitely be out there (wherever I am) at night with my torch and camera! (keeping the mossies company and providing them with food!!!!). It does help if it's full moon as you can see what you're doing!!

If you want to try this it is pretty simple but you need a tripod and a camera that lets you set the exposure to at least 15secs and preferably much longer – my camera lets me go to 30 secs and I managed to get some interesting results – you then set the self timer pick up your torch and run around in front of the camera making a drawing with your torch –

As I said it’s all very experimental and you never know what kind of result you’ll get – here someone was running along the side of the river with a torch

you can also use a torch and coloured gels to paint areas of the scene in front of you as in this one – as you can see I’ve got a lot of practising to do!

the last ingredient is a beautiful place because if all fails it is just wonderful to be out in the wild!

if anything about this process doesn’t make sense then please ask me anything you want to know and if you are in Australia then I highly recommend Lloyd’s workshop - go HERE for info

Tomorrow I’m looking forward to meeting up with Jo from Mystory – we are going to visit the TarraWarra Museum of Art together

Tree art at St Andrews

2010-01-27T07:07:00.002Z

This is what I’ve been up to over the last few days – as I said before I have been rather obsessed by the trees and as you can see I wasn’t joking!!!

I used gum from nearby pine trees to fix the red leaves in place

I love the drawing quality of the Spotted Eucolyptus tree bark

it was fun working in the Australian bush and I feel I understand more about the country – especially the insect life!! The mosquitos round here seem to think an English woman is a good reason to have a banquet!!!! I itch alot!

Australian trees

2010-01-17T06:14:00.001Z

I have been rather obsessed by the trees over here and these are just a few of the MANY photographs I have taken

the last photo of a Scribbley Gum tree is a taster of what is to come ………soon!

Julie Arkell workshop

2010-01-12T20:08:00.002Z

While i was visiting Grrl+dog in Sydney - Just by chance (and because I’m nosy!) I spotted a catalogue from a Julie Arkell exhibition on her bookshelf – to cut a long story short this happened…………………….

Grrl did the knitting of course!

i left her with Grrl to remember me by! I think she’ll be very happy there!!

Then this – the middle long thing!!!

which Grrl instantly named and don’t think I can repeat here!

the sticky mess spread throughout the house and into the back yard – our creativity flowed!! i had such a fun time with her!

Sydney and Cockatoo Island

2009-12-30T23:24:00.012Z

On the advice from Tess at Baldessin Press one of the first things I did on arriving in Sydney was to take the ferry across to Cockatoo Island - I am so glad I did!! I took a few hundred photos which I hope will inspire some future work here is a SMALL sample
And then of course I started getting down to the details.....................!!!

you can see where I'm going with this...............................!! No I'm not in a contemporary art gallery!!

Yes it was rust heavon again ................... I will be revisting again on my return to Sydney at the end of February as the William Kentridge installation that is there at the moment was not open the day I went and that I must see!!!

Happy Christmas everyone!

2009-12-24T08:49:00.005Z

This is Grrl+dog's front door! - don't you just love her enormous RED decoration - the best in the street of course - it certainly makes a statement!

I wish all my friends, family and blog followers a very merry and happy Christmas and New Year 2010

Birthday celebrations Sydney style - a food post!!

2009-12-22T08:24:00.009Z

It was my birthday and Grrl did me proud (thank you Grrl) taking me to 41 restaurant - as the name says it's on the 41st floor of the Chiefly Bldg in the middle of Sydney - there was fantastic company ..........Fantastic starter...... isn't it pretty! Kingfish and some sort of fish eggs that looked like a necklace!
Delicious main course - Sea trout sitting on baby peas, sorrel (the green swirl) and potato cake - the white is foam which apparently is all the rage at the moment and is certainly visually stunning on the plate.....
with a beautiful salad....
Not forgetting the view..... taken in the restroom (can you believe it!!)
It certainly has the WOW factor - and the wine from New Zealand was excellent - by the time we got to dessert, coffee, amaretto with ice and chocolates I'd forgotten about taking photos!!! It is a birthday I will always remember......

In Sydney but backtracking a bit

2009-12-17T08:35:00.005Z

A couple of images of Thailand - Bangkok market and final destination in Koh Tao
I'm now in Sydney! It's hot and great!

Leaving!!

2009-11-25T17:35:00.002Z

Well I'm finally ready to leave on my travels to Thailand and Australia tomorrow - all packed - I thought I would leave you with this - I used to love Peter Paul and Mary years ago and still do!!

will be posting about my travels when I get the opportunity - bye for now!

More from the Venice Biennale 2009

2009-11-01T12:04:00.008Z

As promised here is more work that I enjoyed at the

Venice Biennale in September

Hans-Peter Feldmann's Installation

there was a long table covered with rotating figures - figurines, dolls, toys, with lights behind them, projecting their spinning shadows onto a white wall about 20' long. The shadows merge and it's difficult to tell which one is which - it's magical and dreamlike and also quite scary!

You can read more about this artist HERE

I really wanted to put this on my sidebar does anyone know how to do this without going through the Youtube option?

A FANTASTIC new bag!!

2009-10-31T17:32:00.006Z

I AM OVER THE MOON AND SO EXCITED !

This is arrived in the post today and I just LOVE it!! It is of course for my travels!!

EARTH EXPLORER MEDIUM SHOULDER BAG
When I left my part time job at the beginning of September the lovely people there gave me a gift token to spend on Amazon. I have been researching the perfect bag for my travels!! The perfect bag had to not just be a padded camera bag but take art materials too! And I didn't want a bag that was an obvious camera bag. So I eventually found this range of Earth Explorer bags - made by Boden for National Geographic it has lots of great features - it will carry my camera safely in a detachable padded pocket, sketchbook, pencils and pens and a water bottle and even has a back pocket for documents/passport etc. You can see reviews and further details HERE - it's made of hemp so is also environmentally friendly too - what more could I ask for? It feels really strong which is good because it will be lugged around Thailand and Australia for a few months - I can't wait to pack it with my gear and go off exploring - maybe I will take a short day trip somewhere very soon!! If my Aussie blogging friends have any advice on what else to bring please let me know!

Rambling and forthcoming adventures!

2009-10-28T20:18:00.011Z

I've been so busy sorting and packing during the last few weeks - my studio is in boxes - actually most of my life seems to be in boxes as I wait the last few weeks to set off on my adventures! My stuff is going into store for several months while I am in Thailand and Australia and then I will be renting for a few months when I come back so I have been trying to sort things into long term (I really don't need this stuff to survive!!!) and the stuff I will need - basic living stuff and of course all the studio stuff!!! No need to explain this further I feel....... !!!! The word FRAGILE seems to be cropping up quite a lot I've noticed!!

Yes - I'm certainly filling the space up!!!

I was visiting some favorite blogs and was reminded of this quote by India at 'not all those that wander are lost' - It was apt timing " A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving" Lao Tzu.

I have been a bit hung up with plans lately and forgotten this wise advice!

I wonder where I'll end up then !

Hughie O'Donoghue

2009-10-22T08:34:00.006+01:00

Prompted by Blue Sky Dreaming I did a further search on the internet and found some images - most of his paintings are very big and photographs don't do them justice - which is why not many are published on the web no doult!! They have many layers of paint, photographic imagery and glazes so have a real translucent quality to them - he talks very eloquently about his working processes and the source material from his research - he has a keen interest in history particularly the first and second world war periods - if you find yourself in Ireland he has work in the Irish Museum of Modern Art. I was interested in how he incorporated photographic images and the transfer to the canvas - he was generous in sharing some of this process - he enlarges the photographs into tiles which are transfered to gossamer fine Japanese paper and then applied to the canvas - that was as much as he was willing to divulge!! I am fascinated by the process so if any of you reading this know more I would love to hear about it!

More information about his work from HERE where I found the image below

Wonderful exhibition

2009-10-21T21:42:00.006+01:00

I was passing Leeds Art Gallery and popped in on the advice of my daughter to see the current exhibition - I was completely knocked out by this painter's work (which is rare for me with painting) and just by chance noticed that he was giving a talk on his work that evening - so I went to it - last night. I am fascinated by the processes of other artists and this was not a disappointment. I bought the catalogue and even had it signed by the artist - Hughie O'Donoghue - I have struggled to find anything about this painter's work on the internet - the best I could come up with is HERE - he works in Southern Ireland and has been painting for 30 years! Although I am not a painter I felt such a connection between what we were both trying to say in our work. I can't understand why his work is not more recognized in the world! I wish I could share more of his beautiful paintings which incorporate photography.

It is rare indeed to find someone who has been working for so long and is a Royal Academy artist with virtually no information or images on the internet!

It has started me wondering...............wandering.............. !!!

THIS IS THE FIRST POST WITHOUT AN IMAGE.

VIDEO: have fun... take the stairs

2009-10-14T20:45:00.003+01:00

I wished I lived in Stockholm! click on the link below to see why!

VIDEO: have fun... taking the stairs ?

Shared via AddThis

Back from exporing!

2009-10-08T16:00:00.010+01:00

Julia Cameron in her book 'The Artist's Way' recommends artist dates! I so agree with her! It recharges the batteries! So I went exploring - or it felt like it! I visited so many different countries! No this is not the 'Yellow Brick Road' but I did feel like Dorothy in a wonderful world 'somewhere over the rainbow'.............

I rambled down this mosaic path somewhere in the Mediterranean - called 'Liquid Gold' the name Homer (800BC) gave to olive oil - the square of gold in the granite surround symbolises the olive oil press from which a central golden line evoking the long tradition of oil as a symbol of light, life and divinity runs through a pathway of simply conceived images of the dove - one for each Mediterranean nation - the artist is Elaine M Goodwin

From here on it got hotter as I entered the rainforest!

Past the spice boat below..................

Avoiding the ant's nest which was very alive!!

on past the WEEE man!! made from 3 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment - the staggering amount that an average person throws away in their lifetime!

Until I reached the CORE!

70 tonnes of carved Cornish granite from Delank Quarry on Bodmin Moor, lifted in to place through the roof of the building by a giant crane - the film of it happening was quite amazing! You can read more about it HERE. The sculptor is Peter Randall Page and he has a large exhibition of his work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park until next year - I am saving that for a day in November before going on my travels!

So have you guessed where I went exploring? Yes the Eden Project in Cornwall - it was a great day and I'm back!

2009-10-06T17:32:00.003+01:00

BACK VERY SOON!!!!

Venice Biennale - Making Worlds

2009-10-01T17:52:00.012+01:00

I feel I have neglected my blog again lately - I think the upheaval of the move is causing more disturbance than I thought so I have started up my meditation practice again - thankfully it is paying off and I feel much calmer and more grounded. I came back from a few days in Venice at the Biennale a week ago. I went with an artist friend and we stayed at the Hotel Casa Linger (an apt name!!) Basic and cheap (for Venice) accomodation in the Castello district so within easy walking distance of both the Giardini and Arsenale without having to get vaporetti! On the way we came to our first art work situated on the edge of the Grand Canal - a giant mirrored box which reflected weird images of the water, nearby buildings and the passers by and caused lots of amusement - it was like being in an outside hall of mirrors! This is me with a one thin and one fat leg! Of course before we started we needed a cup of coffee - this is one of the cafes - great fun and not very busy thank goodness! Here I am enjoying the first of several cafe lattes!
I want to share with you a few of my favorite artist's works - I took lots of photos as you can imagine and I have found it difficult to choose just a few - maybe I'll introduce some more of the artists whose work I enjoyed in future posts - meantime - this was in the main exhibition Palazzo in the Giardini - a very beautiful installation of black threads by the Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno with the wonderful title 'galaxies forming along filments, like droplets along the strands of a spider's web'
Also in the Giardini in the Egyptian Pavilion was the work of the artist Adel El Siwi - tall, straw woven figures bowed us in!
I loved his work and his sense of humor - the exhibition was called 'Lightly Monumental' and it was!!
Some of the best exhibits were projections and artist films and impossible to capture so I am hoping I can find links for you if you are interested in seeing some of the work - below is Nathalie Djurberg (Sweden) who created a 'Garden of Eden' installation of enormous plants and several screens showing her rather disturbing feminist gothic animated films - (she calls them Claymation films) disturbing and brilliant - I saw one of her films at the Frieze Art Festival four years ago and it made an impression on me then!

Very different and equally powerful - Krzysztof Wodiczko projections of windows on the Polish Pavilion walls showed immigrants washing windows and chatting together outside while the viewers watched from the inside - the link HERE gives a lot more information about the work that was created for the Biennale - It had a profound effect on me and will stay with me for a long time
The link for the British Pavilion is HERE - I was inspired by Steve McQueen's film made in the Giardini and depicting it's other life once the Biennale was over and winter arrived. the work from artists in Northern Ireland was also strong - the most disappointing of all was the Welsh artist John Cale - I'm afraid to say it did nothing for me at all!

Well that's all for now!

'ANOTHER PLACE'

2009-09-18T19:54:00.018+01:00

I've been so busy in the last few weeks with my pre moving house decluttering that I've neglected blogland! I'm almost ready for the first car load of STUFF to transport down to Plymouth tomorrow where I will be staying for 3 weeks before returning to Leeds for the final packing and cleaning of the house. Although I'm moving down to Plymouth I have decided to take some time out and defer my degree for a year - I'm going WALKABOUT and about this I will write something later on as I'm not starting until November - in the meantime inbetween the sorting, packing, going backwards and forwards from one end of the country I decided to mark the beginning of my decision to go WALKABOUT last Monday and go to ' ANOTHER PLACE' - it seemed a fitting start! I took the train to Liverpool and then to Crosby Beach, just a few miles north - as I walked from the station at Blundelsands/Crosby I turned around - this was behind me............... Liverpool Docks!

And this was ahead of me - I felt excited at the anticipation of what was waiting on the other side of the dunes...

THIS.........................
'ANOTHER PLACE' - 100 cast iron figures by the artist Anthony Gormley spread along 3 kms of beach and reaching 1 km out to sea. According to Antony Gormley, Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature. He says "the seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of sky seems to question the earth's substance. In this work human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet." The figures are life size casts of Gormley's body. Incredibly they all seem to be so different..........I felt so moved - just look at this face - he seemed to have a tear rolling down his cheek!

this figure was near to the dunes and not submerged by water very often - the patina of the rusty iron was incredible to feel - something you just can't do in a gallery!
And this one much nearer to the sea - spending much more time under water

Quite spooky really..........
I tried to capture the expanse of the beach but it felt impossible........... the high tides here can rise by 100ft and at certain times all 100 figures are completely submerged - I was lucky enough to catch a very low tide and walk 1km out towards the sea......

Next week I'm off to Venice to the Biennale - more about that in a couple of weeks!

Breakdown

2009-08-23T14:25:00.004+01:00

So is this the answer I wonder or just TOO extreme! I must say I am feeling more in sympathy with this artist at the moment! But I don't think I could go this far........

DECLUTTERING!!

2009-08-23T10:50:00.006+01:00

I have been packing up my studio this week and feeling frustrated by not being able to find anything anymore - how am I going to cope with this new MINIMALIST living for the next few months while I move myself down from the North of England to the South West and find a new home - the traveller in me has a real sense of freedom from accumulated stuff that I have let go of!! But how will I cope with the artist in me who wants this stuff to create works of art - hmmm - I need to learn from the land art I created and let go of in July - Seth has a marvellous sense of timing at The Altered Page and has just posted this on his blog about the artist Song Dong. There is a link to the artist's installation video here - It makes me feel tired just watching the video and I don't have that many helpers and a fork lift truck at my disposal!!!

I do not want to end up like this so as I said a very timely reminder! Thanks Seth

Rambles in Wales

2009-08-13T19:53:00.008+01:00

Here I am in North Wales again with my artist friend Marged who lives in the Snowdonia National Park - today we up near Beddgelert on the National Trust footpath at Craflwyn. It is close to the ruins of Vortigan's Hill Fort near Dinas Emrys. This is the land of King Arthur and legend has it that Merlin spent a lot of time at the fort...... in fact he lived there for a while. The ground is quite sacred! It was also the scene of a battle between the White Dragon of England and the Red Dragon of Wales - the Red Dragon won hence the Welsh flag!
Naomi Leake's sculpture 'Dresser' sits on the hillside - an empty standing dress with a copper bodice and stone cairn skirt - you can read more about her here

We carried on along the path and next was this enormous 'chair' made by the sculptor Dominic Clare
We had fun being children again..............
and this is what I was looking at .................
Oh and in case you were wondering I'm not 3ft tall but 5ft 7ins in fact!!!

Paint brush award

2009-08-06T09:22:00.003+01:00

Dianne Poinski has given me this honour the very prestigious (my words!)

Thank you Dianne!

I am now suppose to share 7 random things you may or may not know about me and then pass it on to 7 other bloggers. So here we go:

1. I am a Senior Citizen and have been for a few years ........now I really have let the cat out of the bag

2. I have 5 daughters - rather excessive don't you think but believe me I've paid the price! oh and they are truly wonderful daughters and my very best friends!

3. I was a single parent for a number of years when they were growing up

4. One of my daughters lives in Bangladesh at the moment and works for the British Council - I miss her dreadfully even though her sisters keep me busy

5. I am studying for a Fine Art Degree (6 years part time) - something I wanted to do when I left school - but I had a family instead (very creative!!) and indulged my art through gardening, cooking, decorating and making their clothes (they now ask me why they looked like the children in Little House on the Prairie! I just loved Laura Ashley at that time)

6. I am moving from Leeds where I've lived for the past 6 years down to Plymouth (one of my daughters and 2 of grandchildren live here) to be near the sea.

7. I have been offered a place at Plymouth University to complete the last 2 years of my degree and am pretty excited at the thought of new artistic adventures there!

(and an extra one - I come from Worcestershire - where the sauce comes from! That tells you alot doesn't it!!

So there it is - I find it interesting to read back what I chose to share with you quite spontaneously

Now all there is to do is to pass the brush to 7 other bloggers and these are my choice

Dneese at Grrl and her dog who always makes me smile with her knitting adventures and general whackiness!

Jeane at Art It for her beautiful creations

Ann at Wild Somerset Child for her industry and wonderfully detailed posts

BW at I love Black and White for her marvelous eye and beautiful photographs

Blue Sky Dreaming - for being who she is and her icy hot journey !

India at Not all those who wander are lost for her creativity and travelling adventures

And last but certainly not least Leslie at Textures, Shapes and Colour - because I find her work inspirational and just love it (I am lucky enough to have one of her collages!)

I could go on because all the bloggers I follow are truly interesting people but 7 is what I've got!! I hope you will go to there blogs if you don't already know them, (and if you do already know them to) and have lots of fun there discovering more about them and what they get up to!

Buried Treasure

2009-07-22T10:28:00.003+01:00

Better late than never I have just found Seth's latest project 'Buried Treasure' on his blog - this is the very first post on my own blog and in those days I had no followers so I hope you will enjoy this trip back into the past! If you'd like to join in you have until 23 July

Find my buried treasure HERE and click on the photos to enlarge them!

DAY 4 - last day of LAND ART

2009-07-21T17:56:00.019+01:00

Porth Wen Brick Works on Anglesey (click for more photographs and history) is an amazing place - RUST HEAVON !
It is quite hidden from the land and you have to know where to find it - down a small footpath running from a minor road on the northern coast of the island - abandoned for years you can wander around the derelict buildings and rusting machinery... and if the sun is out go for a swim from one of the beaches nearby!

One of the participants inspecting the RUST qualities!
And this is a detail!
My immediate reaction seemed to have carried on from the sea/rock cairns I built yesterday......
But I soon moved on....using the material around me - I collected some wonderful nails and this large bolt which I just placed here!
After having a good look around at the possibilities our course facilitators set us the theme of FRAGILITY!
I returned to ground work........and the cracked concrete under my feet and filled this hole with black seaweed! It took on quite a menacing presence!
One of the overhanging platforms was broken around a several feet drop below and I emphasised the cracks with found charcoal.......
The white stripes were already there and added to the 'broken' work............

And then we were finished... we all said our goodbyes.... yes the group had finished but I have so much work from these 4 days that I can take forward I feel as if I am only just BEGINNING..................

and as for those BRICK WORKS - well I just have to return one day..............

DAY 3 Land Art and another beach!

2009-07-20T20:45:00.023+01:00

As I said yesterday I felt a theme was emerging - maybe SUBMERGING would be more appropriate!!

i had such fun playing on yet another beach - we had a different beach each day to play on! this beach well known for it's variety of pebbles and I couldn't resist - but I stayed with the idea of space and building vertical rather than horizontal

Colour - shape - size - so many choices!! And then there was BALANCE!

I built 7 starting near the sea and working backwards - no idea of how the tide would come up the beach!

Again quicker than I realised my structures were surrounded by sea and I was no longer able to reach them.........

One by one they became islands!! Would the ones on high rocks stay dry?

The last 2 to go!! I just couldn't believe the tide would come in over 8ft high!

and then they were gone - the fisherman at the top of the cliff told me later that they could still be seen under the sea from above! I caused quite alot of entertainment and interest that day!!

Tomorrow another beach and a deserted and abandoned BRICK WORKS - it just got better and better but you will have to wait to see what I got up to with the theme of FRAGILITY!

DAY 2 Land Art

2009-07-19T19:12:00.015+01:00

The idea of creating ephemeral work really started to appeal to me after the 'writing on the wall' - our second assignment was to create a work in space rather than linear - this was challenging as my immediate reaction like DAY 1 was a linear respond to the environment around me - we walked to the beach and on the way stopped several times making marks and drawings in a concertina book we made in the morning - this sharpened our observation skills and served as an excellent warming up to the piece of work we made on the beach in the afternoon. We were instructed to use just one material and this is what I found in a cave washed up amongest the debris the tide had brought in - I dragged it to the sea - roots and all and thought of making an island - but NO - this is what happened instead - a SEA CREATURE immerged the tide was coming in faster than I imagined and soon water was swirling around my feet - no more time to work - the tide imposed it's own deadline and I had started the work too near the incoming sea!!

I quickly added some dried twigs to the head!

An eye emerged from somewhere OUT THERE!
The sea was coming in fast!
I watched with a little sadness as my sea creature slowly disappeared!
Until no longer there! What would happen I wonder.................. when the tide went out again........
The next morning after breakfast I hurried down to the beach before our next day's workshop began - guess what I found - in exactly the same place - a bit bedraggled and on it's knees!!!......... but boasting NEW bright green finery!!!

a theme was emerging and 2 more days to go - MORE TOMORROW!!!

Land Art in Anglesey, Wales DAY 1

2009-07-18T20:32:00.010+01:00

I have been rather late in posting my adventures during the 4 day Land Art workshop at the Creative Arts Retreat in Anglesey - it is now 3 weeks ago and the time has been taken up with daughter visits. At last a breather and a chance to show you what I was up to with Marged and Helen, our tutors, at Brynddu (the name of the beautiful house) - the weather was fantastic and most of the time was spent out of doors, in the walled vegetable garden gathering our vegetables and fruit for supper, in the woods and on the beach - more idyllic is not really possible if you combine this with making ART!!

Here are some photos of what I created on the FIRST day, from the beach debris - dried stalks of seaweed with some wonderful textures.

writing on the wall!!
The photos are all that is left of the art work plus a few pieces of seaweed for my collection. I will post up Day 2 tomorrow!

Exhibition opening

2009-07-05T10:28:00.005+01:00

The exhibition 'In my other life...' opened on Wednesday - the wine flowed and the work looked good and the private view well attended - a steady flow of people during the evening, more friends that couldn't make the evening do have visited during the week so I feel confident in declaring it a 'success'. The experience in making work in response to a particular space was invaluable. I am really keen on developing this aspect of my work and I will be saying more about the Creative Arts Retreat on 'Land Art' that I went on last week just before the exhibition opening. It was a wonderful and exciting experience and I have about a hundred photos of the work I created to sort through before I write a post on it!! So watch this space .........

Exhibition installed and more news!

2009-06-25T14:20:00.011+01:00

My exhibition work is NOW in the church thank goodness as these stones/rocks were taking over my little house!! Here are some photos that I took when I'd finished. The first of 14 'markers' is placed in the entrance porch The next one is near the baptismal font - then the others are placed down the aisle finishing at the last 14th 'marker' and my final piece of work which I have called 'Deathbed' - it doesn't feel heavy or morbid to me - it is simply my reflection on the end of life's journey (which we will all face one day) - it feels peaceful and contemplative!! The whole installation relates to 'The Stations of the Cross' and Christ's journey to his tomb, see also what I wrote earlier about the work here!

Two of us have now installed our work and the other 2 artists will install work over the weekend The opening of the exhibition is next Wednesday 1 July 6-8.30pm at St John's Church, Leeds please come along if you are near enough.

When I got home from installing my work I found this up on my house

- it seemed quite symbolic of everything moving forward - a big transition - exciting and wobbley!!

Tomorrow I am off to the Creative Arts Retreat in Anglesey Wales for 4 days and am excited at the prospect of working outside during this workshop on Land Art - hoping the sun continues to shine like it has this last week! I'll be posting photos of what I get up to next week when I get back!

On the way home next Tuesday evening I will be passing Manchester Airport and picking up my daughter who is living and working in Bangladesh - I haven't seen her for a year so we are planning some quality time together during the 2 weeks she is home, visiting her sisters and a day in London is on the list - and I just know she will want to SHOP (till I drop no doult!)

Visit to the South West

2009-06-15T20:25:00.011+01:00

I have come back from a few days down in Plymouth - I wasn't the only one out and about..................

AND

I spent a glorious day in St Ives visiting the Tate gallery and Barbara Hepworth's studio and garden (a haven of tranquillity in the middle of bustling tourist land!) I have been before and it never fails to inspire 'the artist' in me - here are a few photos taken in the studio (which you can't enter only see from the doorway)......................

and in the garden.............

and St Ives must have the best station in England - this is the view when you get out of the train (it was of course the perfect June day and may not be quite so lovely in December!)

The best of all this is that I am planning to move to the Plymouth area in the next few months and my house goes up for sale in about a week's time - I am so excited about living near the sea again and it's been a dream to live in this part of the world since I was a teenager (quite a long time ago!!! but as they say it's never too late to fulfill dreams! ) One of my daughters and 2 grandchildren live down here so I will be much nearer to them too!!!

More news about this adventure will follow meantime I just need to sell my house!

Rocks, stones and an exhibition

2009-06-14T16:51:00.006+01:00

I am busy preparing work for a collaborative exhibition with 3 other artists, that opens on 1 July at St John's Church in Leeds UK. We are dedicating the exhibition to an orginal member of the group, Chris Lockwood, a lovely young man of 28 years who tragically died in an accident in the Alps in March this year, and is sadly missed by us all. We hope to include some of his last work in the show - a celebration of his artistic life!

This latest body of work, very different to my previous work, is my response to the space in the church and my religious upbringing as a Roman Catholic. The 'paper' stones/rocks that I am making symbolise the tensions between my stable foundation as a child and the fragility and vulnerability of growing older. They are markers of life's journey, stepping stones, hardships overcome and mountains climbed. Stones are an ancient pagan and religious symbol of stability, hardness and endurance. They often mark our way in the natural world, indicating the path ahead. We only have to think of standing stones, stone circles, cairns and boundary stones and their many meanings. Paper on the other hand hand is a symbol of literature, learning and law and for me is a magical material. The everyday ordinariness of paper makes its transformation into works of art all the more extraordinary. Paper can be both strong and fragile!

the space at the church is enormous and quite daunting - maybe that too is a metaphor for life's journey! The stones/rocks vary in size from 18 inches to about 3ft and are free standing objects which will be placed in the aisles of the church at stragetic points. Please come along between 6pm and 8.30pm on Wed 1 July if you are 'within a stone's throw away' - or even a bit further!!!

My 4th degree year is finished! Here is the slide projection I presented!

2009-05-25T19:27:00.031+01:00

I had my tutorial for my final project last week and I did pretty well - I was really pleased with the feedback which was positive as to the strength of the work.

My practice this year has been concerned with time, place, memory and meaning. The focus has been on the materiality of the objects; the appropriateness of the material being central to its meaning. In preparation for Year 4 I applied for a place on the DIY project in London ‘Keep your luggage with you at all times’, led by the artist Geraldine Pilgrim. It was the catalyst for the processes I then followed. Having explored the use of suitcases and journeys, particularly holidays, my attention turned to an old suitcase inherited from my father containing a family archive of slide transparencies, mostly of holidays taken in the 70’s, towards which I felt both ambiguity and ambivalence. I was interested in exploring these tensions in my practice, and it has formed the basis for the final presentation of my work. Many of the slide transparencies showed the ravages of time and poor storage, radically altering the reading of the images. Others were of poor quality, out of focus and with little regard for composition or distance. In fact they were so bad they were wonderful material for an artist! I selected 20 to work with, all of lone figures which seemed to predominate in the archive and continued to fragment them even more. I felt that the materiality of these objects connected with the fragmented memories I held of my parents, both dead for several years now. I wanted to delve deeper and somehow extract their essence. At the same time to explore the tensions between the abstract and the concrete. I began by playing with mirrors and projection, using an old suitcase as a focal point, placing the projector within the suitcase and projecting the slides on to fragments of mirror which reflected back a fragment of the image. How to present this turned out to be a major problem and I felt so frustrated by the process that I shelved the idea. The next step I took was to digitalise the slides. These I then printed out on to acetate in various scales. I preceded to inflict minor violence to them in order to extract their secrets, cutting them up, replicating details, continuing to fragment the image, working with the materiality of each slide to render them empty of and separate from their histories. At the same time I have tried to link them to my own personal memories of a coat, a colour, a particular way of standing or sitting, my mother’s handbag…. Memories that show them as something of myself and as something that could be anybody’s, anywhere; that connects with a universal memory. As Susan Hiller so aptly said of her work ‘ which seemed to carry an aura of memory and to hint at the meaning of something’ (Hiller 2000, Afterword) By putting them through a series of processes that threatened to further damage or alter them physically I felt that I was trying to force their secret out of them, only to find that the memory stayed where it was and that I had constructed a new set of objects (in this case new slide transparencies) which in turn contain a fragment or memory of the originals that I supposed to hold memories of the past. I made the decision to present these slides as they would have originally been seen, on slide projectors rather than digital. The slides were spaced in order to emphasis the gap, between the object and me, the work and the viewer; spaces where meaning can be found.

The slides were shown in pairs - it was difficult to photograph the final projection but the images above are a few of my favorite pairs of images - I apologise for the fact they are a bit skew wiff! And of course they were much larger - each image about 3 ft width and very grainy!

Drawings and flaking paint

2009-05-16T19:20:00.008+01:00

This is a photograph of that flaky paint I see from my bed - It's very different from the photographs I took very near the wall - I had the zoom on the camera as it is quite tiny from where I sit - no more than 3" As I stared at the wall while drinking my cup of tea I had the urge to draw what seemed like a figure emerging - luckily I keep a small sketchbook and pencils nearby for just these occasions

The figure at first seemed light and floating - a dancer maybe?

But then it became darker and more threatening - fleeing maybe - a phantom?

Then ghost like and shadowy - unsure of direction!

All this from a few flaking bits of paint!

Taking photographs or redecorating?

2009-05-14T11:43:00.008+01:00

I lie in bed in the morning with my cup of tea (not every morning but whenever I can) and stare at this ........

It hovers in the dim light cast from the window and seems to resemble a small cross carved into the wall - it fascinates me! I got my camera out this morning thinking I would explore the image further

Guess what - I started finding bits of paint flaking off in all sorts of corners

They kind of remind me of Lucio Fontana's work

This last one is my favorite - I feel it will become a drawing!

Perhaps I should STOP taking photographs and do a bit of REDECORATING!

one more week to go

2009-05-06T22:30:00.008+01:00

Only one week to go and my final 4th year project will be installed for assessment - I will then (if I pass) have a diploma in fine art with 2 more years (part time) to get my BA (hons) - 6 years is a long time I think you will agree but I just go from year to year and it is amazing how quickly they fly by. So 6 days to complete my project and so much to do - I find that sometimes the hardest thing to know is when the work is finished - STOP - when? Then I have a 500 word rational to write and my sketch book and research to bring up to day as I have all sorts of loose paper scattered about the studio in piles which my tutor assessors would make no sense of at all - so it needs to be organised and made sense of by me first!

And the project itself well let me try and explain. I have been working with a family archive of about 200 slide transparences (remember them?) passed on to me when my father died a few years ago - many are damaged and would suit Seth's disintegration project really well!! You can see what I mean in this slide below

At this point I must mention what a terrible photographer my father was, figures so far in the distance they are hard to make out or so close up only part of the person is in the picture, mostly out of focus too! They really are so bad they are quite wonderful!

Added to this is mold, fungal disintegration and bleeding of colours.

So I have taken this a step further playing with these elements. The originals have been digitalised and reprinted on acetate and made into slide transparences again - these are going to be projected in pairs! I hope it works - here is one of the original slides that I have been playing with

that has now become 2 slides which will be projected side by side on an automatic slide projector. Why my mother is sitting, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, in a suit staring out to sea i have no idea - it was taken about 35 years ago, I would love to ask her but she has been dead for many years now. So my project is about memories and how even when we are not part of the event in a photograph it sparks our own memories, maybe of the place or the people, we might remember just a fragment of something that is contained in that photograph! I would love to know your thoughts about this!

I hope to have around 15 pairs of images and when they are finished I will post some of them on the blog - meantime wish me luck!

Gardening

2009-05-03T19:35:00.002+01:00

I know that a few of my followers are really into gardening/art and journaling so I really recommend having a look at this blog here - I just love it!

New header!

2009-05-02T14:48:00.002+01:00

I thought this photo I took a few months ago when they were demolishing a large building in Leeds seemed to fit the general mood of DISINTEGRATION that several of us in blogland are obsessing about at the moment!! Happy revealing everyone

Time to REVEAL all!

2009-05-01T18:54:00.014+01:00

MAYday - It started with breakfast and the sun shining so I took it outside, coffee and toasted teacakes (I'd run out of bread for toast!) As you can see the table paint has also disintegrated and will need an uplift ready for summer outside meals!!
How the garden has grown since the winter pictures - my sheep skull peeping out from between the fennel! Let's see what it is protecting................
The residential insect life now needs to find a new residence!

The wrappings unwrapped - the slides and film are looking interesting!

Another little bug creeping about in yellowing pages!

This is the tea bag fabric hung out to dry - not as marked as I'd hoped - but I did join in this project rather late!

The brown envelope looks promising!

But I do feel bad about disturbing all this insect life!

Even this fat slug is hiding from me and hoping I won't find it amongest the holiday pages!

So there we all - all unwrapped and ready for the next step!

A day in London

2009-05-01T10:50:00.010+01:00

On Wednesday I was in London for the day and what a perfect day it was - the sun was shining and everyone was out and about enjoying the early summer temperatures - travelling down on the train the 2 ladies opposite me were also ready to enjoy a day out and one of them said they might go to........ The Garden History Museum in Lambeth - well my ears pricked up as I was also on my way to Lambeth for a meeting - during my meeting later that morning The Garden Museum was mentioned - it was suggested that I might like to go there after the meeting as it was just around the corner

AND I DID! - WELL I HAD TOO didn't I!

And was I glad I DID - what a marvellous find - I didn't have my camera with me (always a mistake to decide to leave it at home - this image is from their website) - it is a gem of a place so if any of you find yourself visiting that part of the London (it is on the other side of the river almost opposite the Houses of Parliament) - there is a fantastic cafe inside the converted old church that houses the Museum. I didn't go inside the Museum but enjoyed a lovely cup of coffee and homemade cake sitting in the garden after a ramble around - the salads, in enormous bowls looked delicious too! And it must be the best value lunch in London! I will be back the next time I am in London - so if you want a quiet shady corner with mouth watering food after the busy London streets this is for you! You can even buy plants and they have a lovely gift shop. I will be back there next time I am in London which will be soon as I was not aware that there is a big exhibition at the Hayward Gallery until 25 May of Annette Messager, work - another of my favorite artists. Just need to find a cheap rail ticket!

From Lambeth I rambled along the river path - under the London Eye (another wish for my camera) past the Royal Festival Hall, the Hayward Gallery, South Bank and British Film Institute wishing I had more time, finally ending up at Tate Modern to see the Roni Horn exhibition. It was disappointing which was a surprise as I was looking forward to seeing it - I'm still trying to work out why I was disappointed. I just did not connect to the work - is that what it is about - connection? the work was beautifully presented and her process and subject matter is similiar to my own themes and processes. I should have been bowled over but I wasn't - I felt detached from it - as I said there was no connection. I would love to have your thoughts on this.

Later that day I ended up in South Kensington at the Conran Shop housed in the beautiful Michelin building (this photo doesn't really do it justice - again taken from the website - there is the most beautiful flower shop in the foyer which spills out on to the pavement - the smell is wonderful!) I coveted a huge beautiful aged table, the top looked like it was made from old polished railway sleepers sat on an industrial iron base - it looked perfect for displaying the contents of the disintegration project!

I ended the day with a glass of red wine on St Pancras International Station and caught the train home - exhausted and happy!

I will be posting the REVEAL of my disintegration project later today!!