I started work on my first large panel way back end of march, and came to a shuddering halt,knowing that I had gone as far as I could for then and that I had to rest it. This resting period can be over very quickly or can last a very long time, or may last for ever or until you overpaint or scrap. During this time I leave the piece is plain sight, so that I view it regularely during the course of my work, it is a kind of subconscious weighing up, and at some time hopefully, inspiration will come. I can now say that last friday during a long telephone conversation, during which time I could hardly get a word in edgewise, I had one such eureka moment. During the course of the very long diatribe ensuing on the phone, I was wandering around my studio, picking up this and that, and suddenly my problem with my panel was solved, it just popped into my head fully formed and ready to go. I quickly noted down what I had to do to resolve my panel issue, continued my phone call, and when it was concluded, set to work. I have to say, although still a work in progress, I am back in business and the panel progresses.Very satisfying indeed.

I have just re-read my last blog, and I have to say that the work just continues. There is a saying, that something regarded as boring, can be said to be as boring as waiting for paint to dry, and alas this is somewhat similar to my situation now. I am still building up layers of gesso, and the entire panel is grey, wet grey, dry grey, textured grey, etc etc. Inbetween working on the panel I continue to create my gesso spheres, some can be called dribble spheres as the process is somewhat akin to dribbling, this also is a process of application and drying time, building up gradually layer by layer, and for someone of my personality, which can sometimes be impetuous, it is a lesson in time management and patience. I have also a private commission to work on, which takes me back a little to some previous work, with glass and wood, and it will be enjoyable to revisit, and also to re look and maybe extend this body of work. It is I think good practice every now and then to look back and take stock of the artistic journey that has been taken, and the choices made along the way. I thought back to what inspired me to work with glass, and why I chose to create kiln formed glass as opposed to blown glass, and although glass has very unique properties, such as translucency, and light reflection, it was still texture that had to be an intrinsic ellement. My kiln has not been used for a very long time now and I’m not even sure it will work when switched back on again, however after this body of work has been completed I am anxious to work with glass once again. Note to self “write that down on the to do list”.

Working on the large panels allows for much more physicallity, and gives the feeling of walking the earthscape and mirroring the movement of line with the body, a real connection, remeniscent of how aborigenees walk the land and their amazing paintings that map their trails. The initial stages are all about contour, texture, and building the feeling of terrain, and must not be rushed, this stage has to be perfect before anything else can be done. Visually, it is frustrating, and eventually applying colour comes as a releif and bring the panels to life. Each panel becomes an intimate part of my life whilst being formed, I know every twist and turn, line, and feature, and it progresses slowly each mark, each addition a decision made, and a choice taken.

I have today ordered some 8’x4′ panels for my next work and this will be in my new studio premises at Garmston Court, I have an urge to have some large panels for my next exhibition. The Carre Gallery exhibition was very good with some interesting observations from some very erudite visitors, I thank them for that and hope to see them at Sam Scorer in November. I have some ideas that I want to work through, involving making paper impressions from panels, and to tint with natural pigments.

Having just got back from a lovely holiday, it is great to feel rested and revitalised. I have my exhibition “Earthscapes” starting next week at the Carre Gallery, just for one week, and then after that I will be moving into my new studio space at Garmston Court. I am looking forward to trying out some new ideas that came to me whilst on holiday in Barbados. The sea is such an amazing colour there that I found I was having all sorts of ideas without even trying to think. Also came upon some amazing rock formations on the east coast, near Bathsheba, and of course coral and shells found whilst walking the beaches. I have now to put together workshops and art classes that I intend to run from my new premises, interesting times.

Things are definately moving, if all goes according to plan I shall be moving in to my new studio beginning of march along with a long time friend and colleague. It will be exciting to be able to welcome students to my workshops in the new premises, so much work to be done to prepare etc. I have yet to decide on different workshops, almost certainly there will be Decorative Arts, as well as Design, Gesso, and Glass. Watch this space for further updates.

I have just got some work back from being framed, and I am very pleased with the result. Frames can totally change the appearence of the work, the trick is to select according to the subject, and where you ultimately expect to them to hang. The frame is like the full stop, the final step in the process. Frames can make statements about all manner of things, for example, they used to be huge heavy carved and gilded, ornate frames that were to be hung in places owned by the very wealthy and so had to fit in with their surroundings. A frame can make a cultural statement, or a fiscal statement, however today, a lot of paintings/panels are not framed at all, which is in its self a statement, perhaps of less formality or of a modern interior.As far as my work is concerned, I frame smaller pieces, but the larger panels of necessity stand on there own, unframed.

I have been looking at premises with a view to moving, giving me more space, and opportunity to begin regular workshops and art classes. It is an exciting prospect, and much time will be given to the setting up of all this. It is a geat beginning to 2009, and especially as there will be opportunity for professional collaborations, both in my own work, and hopefully with other art agencies. As I have often said, being an artist and working in a studio can be a very solitary, this move, when and if, will help to alleviate, that situation, heres to happy moves.

The new year finds me preparing my work for exhibition, sifting through drawings, selecting which work is to be framed, which are to be made into prints, leaflets and publicity material to be printed, and a million and one other things. I look forward to the new year, lots of exciting prospects, and a lot more work to be done. I have not touched glass for quite a while, it will be interesting to see where the muse takes me, and which materials I choose to work with, never a foregone conclusion. So I gues its a case of watch this space.

I am struggling with my conceptual visualisation, I want to express how we all connect to our terrain, sometimes withour bodies sometimes with our feelings, consciously and subconsciously. The patterns of the earths creation is so woven into our psychie that we dont consciously always recognise them. An obvious exception I think is the Australian aboriginal people, and that is probably why all cultures can tune into it on a both a very deep intellectual level, or just like them for the colour and pattern. I feel very much in tune to those aboriginal works as I am sure that I also am tuning in to the integral harmony of the earths patterns in landscape. These natural circles, bands , stripes, curves, ribbons, cracks, swirls et al, have somehow also become part of our everyday life, used to decorate fabrics, ceramics, almost everything we surround ourselves with it has become part of our graphic language, our decorative language, but have somehow lost the original connection. However I am searching for my own connectivity, with landscape, my emotional connectivity.