Connection is the word that keeps coming back to me of late. Maybe world circumstances are triggering nostalgia but it's certainly a reoccurring theme for me. I visited elderly family in Wales this week, some of whom were reunited after over 30yrs!
One room, four octogenarians, 6 hearing aids and enough fruit cake to sink a ship! There were times it felt like a sit-com and then others when I felt overwhelming love for a scene that took me back to being a small kid, sitting in my Granny's front room, coal smoke and chatter filling the room.
History is important to me and massively influences my art making. It's not always easy to explain how, but I'll try. My art focus and inspiration is wild, unfettered landscapes and when I stand in my favourite spots I imagine all that goes on in the world, as this place remains constant, resilient and unchanged (save for the near catastrophic effects of climate change we have wrought).
History unfolds and the landscape just carries on doing what it does. The wind still blows, the tides still turn and the slow shifting of sand and stone is almost imperceptible. The landscape appears to carry on regardless of what each of us and the world at large experiences. But it feels to me that each of us leaves a little imprint, or shadow in the timeline of the landscape, and it is this that I try to capture with marks, gestures and paint in the layers of my paintings. To the viewer my intentions are ambiguous and often unseen, but I know they are there. I said it was difficult to explain 😂. Enough woo woo for now, but I'm sure I'll return to it again, as my understanding of my practice is evolving all the time.
Finishing Touches
As well as traveling to and from Wales, this week has been about finishing up my exhibition pieces for 'Different Works' at Elmslie House, Malvern from the 27th March. Rarely is it the end of the road when the painting is finished. Then it's time for the finishing layers to be applied, panel sides cleaned, or the image framed and the hanging mechanism applied.
Here's a video of making the preparation for painting. You can see the next step in my Instagram post. I like creating on these boards as they give a clean contemporary look when popped on a wall. To date I've kept the edges neutral, but I think the next large painting I do, I am going to extend the image around the sides and see what effect that gives.
The Weeks Ahead
Connections will continue this week with two arty meet ups - one in a church in Malvern for our regular painting day, and the other in a park in the Black Country for a Plein air session - could be chilly! If you'd like to join either just get in touch. It would be lovely to see you.
Also a spot of hot yoga and snuggles with my cousin's adorable month old little boy!
Finally, here are a couple of things that have inspired me this week.
An amazing interview with Dame Stephanie Shirley on Helen Perry's podcast - Just Bloody Post it. This amazing woman is an outstanding 87 yr old entrepreneur and philanthropist, who is still set on making new adventures and mistakes!
And Laura Horn's free Abstract Collage Creations - th resource section on her website is filled with fabulous goodies to keep you busy for weeks! Enjoy!
Wishing you a creative week.
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