`Doldrums`

Static -  (but not)!

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I would love to say I had made lots of progress since my last blog - but you would know thats not true or I would have been on here before now - spilling the beans eh?

It is not that I haven't done anything - ideas abound as usual, but the forming or putting together has been difficult.  The weather has been cold, the materials are not to hand, the technical help has not been available are just some of `the excuses` I could use and I wouldn't be lying.  Still slow but sure comes to mind.

Three entries have been submitted to The Ferens - so that is the next hurdle approaching.  It is so difficult to access the gallery if you have no info for parking!  We went round and round and finally parking in the street set off pedestrian to unload our stuff.
Sitting in cafe we see the Princes Quay!! IF ONLY WE HAD KNOWN.  Not to worry - go with the flow and hope for acceptance.
The booking in rooms were teeming with art works of all sizes and mediums - it will be an achievement just to get in the next stage.
Good luck to everyone - these galleries must be supported.

My friend Sheila the glass artist has been kind enough to fire a load of ceramic work for me - so generous ;

These are porcelain 
and quite fine - the bottom pic is one I have created with a loose bottom!
I also made some sculptural pieces - unfortunately the big one is loose at the join - maybe it will seal with the glaze -worth a try.

Presently I am working on two hands - adult and child form direct in clay - its a challenge.  I`ll fire them before I display.  Ceramic classes start again on Thursday 27th January.  No frivolity this time - will work with the slab building sculptures.  My book turned out really well - and the loose pages also - this is worth exploring I think.

Watching Italy Unpacked - did you see those sculptural pieces in that programme - download it NOW if you didnt - so inspiring.

I will return to my foundation progress in my next blog ;

Keep producing and progressing..............


                                                  ......

Infinite Possibilities!...........

`Infiniteidea`
( ? )


This is an artist led project - started in Bolton with Jane Orange - it is inspired and directed by Diaspora.

The initial piece was built and displayed as a solo piece in a Bolton Centre shop window and was an eye catching piece and very intriguing to the passer-by.  

Jane Orange assigned twelve artists to answer to this piece and then subsequently they were to assign another artist to respond to their art work.

Detail and progression.

The original idea or should I say `infiniteidea` was created using eggs.

I was one of the artists chosen and the progression of my work has been slow because I wanted to use ceramic eggs and the time relation to formation and firing can be relative to waiting!!!  But I have now finished the work which is sculptural.  My answer became directly attached to ancestry and dispersion of peoples within families, but always still having links to original roots.

I will now pass this on to my choice of responsive artist - and we will see where this will go...........

Sorry for the blip at the top of page - not sure what number blog this is!               

However, this will be put right soon eh?

HAPPY 2014 EVERYONE. 

(Maybe we should start a New Year Blog?)

                                                   .......

Furthermore; (sorry for the long hiccup)

(7)  

I have been busy of late, and so I think it is time for me to tell you what I have been up to.

I will continue with the overview of my foundation course work and my amazing follow up adventure in due course.............


FIRSTLY:   I joined the ceramics class at WWHo, and that has been really good - and bad - yes it is still on the curve of learning.  However, I am enjoying it so thats the good bit, and naturally I now take all bad outcomes as experience so the bad is good if you get my drift?  

Another left-footer.


I am drawn to the sculptural side of ceramics although I do like to try different types of clay and glaze.  This foot is a black textured clay - but not entirely black when fired.  I didnt want to glaze it so sealed it with wax.

              It was inspired from the sculpture in The Basilica in Rome.

                  



              As you can see the work is                 very expressive and does                   not concentrate on                           definitive precision.          




                                   Fabulous!                          
















I want to create a few more left feet - of course the significance is the name calling of Catholic persons as `left footers`.

           

                           This is a feminine foot.

                           And the child!


I am also preparing a series of pages - and a whole book! 
This is challenging, but is so absorbing. I have already made a paper book but feel I must make a series of clay pieces.  

                 
                                A tantalising view of edges.

So you can see I have been quite focused on clay, but have not forgotten how valuable my apprenticeship into the world of art was.

I am involved with a project started by a fabulous artist  up in Bolton, called `Infinite Idea`.  This involves the personal reaction/interpretation of the original piece of art by initially 12 other artists then this is passed onto another artist who will then produce a work in answer to it.  The brief was to connect with Diaspora, or otherwise.  I have yet to assemble my work before I pass it on!

Thats more or less brought you up to date with me now - lots of finishing to do - glazing etc. and plinths to think about.

Take care all.

Continuance paid off!

Onward:

(6)        

 I was certainly enjoying the challenge in Susan`s class.  The choices may not have always been the right ones as far as the theme for my module work but I didn`t slacken in enthusiasm!

Module 3 for me was a tough one - as I mentioned previously I went with the title of `Significant Form` and what was significant to me was not the exact interpretation from the list which included:

Night at the Opera.

Scratch the Surface.

Medea.

Road to nowhere.

Against the rules. 

Stanley Spencer.

I considered `Against the Rules`, but decided I could make more of Significant Form.  

The work outcome was mainly abstract and I enjoyed this aspect - change is always an adventure!  I had been previously painting portraits of both people and animals.  

This is some exploratory work - then I did a transposition of Cezanne`s Mont Sainte-Victoire which pleased me more.  So much to learn from looking back over old sketch-books, you must try it.

The fourth module was another list of compelling titles from the tutor; Yin Yang, Off The Beaten Track, Eagle Eye, were some and the artist Artemisia Gentileschi.  I went with my first gut reaction and that was Yin Yang.

There was much more sculptural work to my interpretations on this one - I really enjoyed it.  

When I was told by my college tutor during the start of my B.A. that I needed to work 3D in a tutorial class, this was the start of my self realisation that I was definitely a sculptor.  How did she know ?

What chink of this quality was showing ?  

Final word for this blog - DO NOT underestimate your tutors knowledge - listen to the positives and focus.

Lineage!

The Tree of Jesse.

(5)

The three trees spoken of in the bible: The Tree of Jesse

                                                              The tree of Knowledge

                                                              The tree of life

For this module my thoughts turned to life lines and lineage, births and deaths, seeds and continuance and cyclic growth.  The connotations here are many and restricting myself was difficult - I could go with the spiral forms found in nature and very obvious in Klimt's Tree of Life. I did a transposition of this in my work - book and later it was Study 3 for final hand in and presentation, in collage form on green wrapping paper.

Study 1 was developed slowly, by looking at Picasso and his sculpture `Woman with Foliage` and the consideration that his thoughts may have been with regard to Cassandra and the reaching for the seed of perfection?  The `Green Man` was delved into and wiring of paper leaf shapes.  Graham Sutherland and his Tree Form 1941, was interesting and dark!  I looked at how colour can affect the thoughts of a viewer. The outcome for study 1 was an integration of a human form into a tree form and was labour intensive and `tight`.  Not an enjoyable study!  

I did a study of windswept leaves in my favoured medium (pastel),
and this brought to mind `Rhapsody on a Windy night` by T.S.Eliot.
                 The Memory throws up high and dry,
                 A crowd of twisted things;
                 A twisted branch upon the beach,
                 Eaten smooth and polished,
                 As if the world gave up its skeleton.

Beautiful words always inspire beautiful work.  The second study was the twisted branch!  A familiar piece that had been with us for years - which seems quite significant with the subject matter.  This part branch was found on the beach years before and had been used in numerous things - either on the garden as an emphasis for a group of small plants or as an accompaniment to a flower arrangement for the village show.  I used it for my final piece for this module.

The bible was wired and opened at relevant pages as this subject was taking in the death of the world and probable re-birth!  I made the gravestone with a hole through which the wood was put and the wire continued up from the book.  The wire was twisted into a tight spiral on the reverse of what you see in the picture and held an acorn with root extended to the earth.   I thoroughly enjoyed the making of this piece together with the research into it, and on the whole was pleased with my work and what it said.

`Labelled`

`LABELLED`

(4)

This is the sub-title of my Sketchbook for my class, and that is what I thought referred to me absolutely. Perhaps I have been labelled through my life, but it seemed to matter more what was thought of me now! This course was so life changing for me and I cannot thank my tutor enough for that.  It seems I have been a closet artist all my life -  TIME TO COME OUT OF THE CLOSET  eh?

Let me tell you about another set of `titles` we had to choose a subject from :

In module two I thought about The wrath of Medus; Goncherova; Family Tree.

I had seen the statue of Perseus holding the head of Medusa by Bellini in Florence and was captivated, as I always seem to be with mythology, and it was my initial spark. The art of Goncherova was certainly enthralling, and this moment was when I started to think as a sculptor.... ?  It seems quite obvious now when I analyse these works and my writings in my sketchbook.  The `rayonism` of Goncherova  I could show in 3D, and certainly materials and mediums are abundant, unfortunately, this was new to me and it worried me as to how I would continue and at least explore this artist more.   The choice was made - Family Tree.

Taking the safe option.  My upbringing was within a strict catholic regime.  The Bible came to immediate mind.

This module brought me to appreciate Gustav Klimt.

I subsequently went to see the exhibition in Liverpool - I was awe struck.  Imagine huge pieces of wall displaying the Stoclet Frieze.  FABULOUS.  Such a varied oeuvre.

Filling my `gap`

Eyes wide open.

(3)

It is a fact that I could now see inspiration for my art in many things.   Things that had never had an impact seemed to show me a way to produce different ways to express the ideas I had.  Even standing ironing was a pleasure as I could drift off and imagine colours and shapes and go on to experiment.

I was lucky enough to have great friends who encouraged me to carry on and I have to admit to loving this brain - filling activity.  Books on art started to fill my shelves, borrowed and bought.  (Some I have yet to return!)  Oh. Dear, must do that soon.  Two of my close friends have moved to the other side of the county and therefore cannot call in for a coffee and chat too often.  Still, friends remain close and just as dear, and it is lovely to get together.  One of the books in question, Gombrich: The Story of Art. is a  most important art book and is still good to look into sometimes despite its age.  

It is not only my book collection that has grown:- my book shelves have too.  How can we ever replace books?

One of the early titles I chose for a theme was `Significant Form`.   To a novice this could be a little difficult to interpret.  Of course that was the aim of this course, to find out things.  Clive Bell was a member of the Bloomsbury Group and coined significant form as an art that exhibits beauty through colour and line and therefore engenders intellectual recognition and aesthetic experience in persons of taste.  An intuitive quality known by `rare gift of artistic appreciation`.   Imagine if you can, coming across this intellectual statement when you have chosen this title thinking it and easy task to depict possibly a form of significance.   I knew I was not well enough informed and I began to read and read and read........more and more.......and more......

trying to fill this gap that appeared to be widening! 

At first I did NOT understand I know now, but I was persistent.

How would you expect a piece of artwork to create an emotional aesthetic response?

What does this art do for you:

I can remember being very moved when I first encountered the paintings of Francis Bacon.  Was this an emotional response?  Well of course, but not based on intellectual aesthetics!

The response was sufficient for me at that time - it made me curious, it made me want more, so I decided then to educate myself in the arts as much as I could.