sorry no blog, all extra time dedicated to travel, not boring,  and other stuff too boring to mention. This week in the studio,painting panels. I just love the way that colour alters our interpretations. For example, wave forms in the hue of earth tones, the mind automatically assumes sand dunes, same wave form with blue or oceanic tones then we see sea. Colour also stimulates emotional responces, most people have favourite colours , and people decorate their homes in hues to promote feelings such as blue/violet for a peaceful, calm ambiance. Colour is a very powerful code used in nature as warnings, but can also be used to conceal.

I was having a conversation with a colleague about creativity and the creative process, about how there can be a long gestation period before ideas come to fruition, and in some cases it seem to be a time when nothing happens. A lot of creatives call this “the blank page”, I sometimes feel it as a brick wall, because when it breaks down, it really feels like a breakthrough. I am lucky enough to be working through a period of breakthrough, and work, and concepts seems to flow freely and easily. That is not to say that everything else to do with work goes the same way, admin etc etc. Depending on the field in which you work, eg, visual arts, music, film, it occurs to me that the creative process is pretty similar, just different outcomes, but, is it the same for both sexes?Hmmmmmmmmmm I suppose that one thing nearly all people working within the arts have in common is usually being alone whilst working, and thats probably on the whole a good thing given the artistic temperament

The panels I have been working on are appro 4′ X 3′, and so are quite unwieldy to move around, especially when finished, as the layers of gesso add a substantial amount to the overall weight. This is especially apparent when moving them around as I did today delivering to the Usher gallery. Also obviously they take up a lot of wall space, which I would imagine dosnt make me very popular when space is in short supply as at a group exhibition, however I dont think anyone chooses the size of their work it is the subject matter that dictates. Oh how I wish at these times that I was a water colourist.

I am back at work with all heaters blasting away.I have just delighted my local diy store by buying copious amounts of varnish and primers and other necessary materials, woops there goes my bank balance again.I have 4 more panels to prep and then I can get started once more. My sphere’s are still experimental, and I want to push the prototypes as far as I can, I cant see them being ready for exhibition for quite a long time.I will take some photos and probably post some of them as they emerge from their embrionic stages. They vary in size, the smallest is tennis ball size and the largest so far large gym ball size. The largest size brings problems of management and weight.Interesting times!

I had a great xmas, but now its back to work. I am checking all my panels, making sure they all are finished, varnished, and labled ready for exhibiting. It is quite a quandry putting a title to a piece of work, and each one could have any number of titles,  I am fairly positive that I err on the side of boring but safe, I have a mind to rename them, although some would say “a rose by any other name…….” I have some new panels I want to start, but before I can begin comes the mind numbing prep, sanding, priming, batoning etc, however I can put on some very loud music and stomp around whilst going through the motions.

sometimes you just have to stand back to get the long view, (strange I should feel like that considering that my work is about exactly that) and I feel that that is where I am at present with my current work. Ive been so up close and personal that I feel I cant see it, so with advice from my earstwhile colleague it goes in the naughty corner until such time that I feel freed from my current proximity. I know that yuletide is upon us, and I am so looking forward to seeing much more of family and friends, however it does mean disruption to usual workflow, but maybe that is what all this is about, so hey nonny no, deck the halls etc……..

So, it is art on the map this coming weekend, and that of necessity means clean up the studio, grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Whilst in the midst of work my studio is generally a chaotic mess, as it is at the moment. I have buckets, and jugs that have been used as recepticalls for all manner of things, plaster, sand, water, gesso, paper,et al. and my bench is a litter of paint tubes metal flakes, vinegar, and various instruments brushes and sticks. However I will grit my teeth and try to bring some sort of order into my chaos. To most people it would just like a mess, but to me it is creative bliss. How am I getting on with my sphere’s?, well all I can say at present is that is 2as to pear through a glass darkly”. More than that I cannot say, nor even if this work will see the light of day.

I am sort of midway through my project, and I am beginning to feel resistance,( its a bit like getting married  when the honeymoon period is over)this is where you have to dig in. All the lovely shiny new ideas have to be turned into a reality, I hate this bit, so please forgive if I sound like a grumpy, mardy, impatient………..!? I am trying also to sourse some light units, some small self contained leds that can be fitted into my spheres, so the journey continues.

I have been in my studio all week, and because my work involves quite a few different processes and also drying time in between, I have got at least 4 different stages happening at once, and all messy. Yesterday involved at different times, plaster layering, gesso layering, painting and gilding, on approx 5 different pieces, so when I am asked how long does it take to create a piece or panel, it is impossible to andwer without keeping ridiculously detailed time sheets. The result being a messy studio and a messy artist, meals on the hoof, and total collapse at night. Well I must away back to the workshop.

seems to me that so much time is spent on admin. I have just had three days of the damn stuff, and considering that monday was climbing a ******* mountain, next 3 days admin, and this morning having my usual friday morning coffee and bitching session with my friend and fellow colleague, followed by writing this blog, not much has been acheived on the work front, apart from the dreaming thing, and so I suppose you could say that much has been achieved as dreaming time is imortant to the creative process. I have some of my best ideas just around the waking or going to sleep time, granted I usually dont remember the falling asleep stuff, but the waking time I find very valuable. My friend however does her creative thinking stuff under the shower, so, whatever rocks your boat, go with it. The positive side of all this is that having subjected myself to enforced paperwork, I now have free raign to get on with my work. I’ll keep you posted, I have to go and rescue my cat from next doors bully cat.