Hello….
Well this week started really well, I was full of positive energy and happily painting away , experimenting in my journal and creating some little paintings…… not quite sure what has happened as I now feel quite flat….. think I am expecting too much from myself and getting carried away thinking every day should be a success and have lots of finished work on my desk…. really need to remember to take a break and fill my time with other activities or I just get stuck and start floating…. in space somewhere.. Not every day is going to be the same, some are good, some amazing and some I should just do something else…..like go to the gym… lol!
That is a good idea though, I do actually love being in the gym, just me and my music, it is the only place that I actually turn off the voices in my head ( not mad voices just annoying ones) and just exist in harmony with myself…… I just have a problem with getting myself motivated to go….. Think I may work on that it will really help to energise me and give me fresh eyes on my work…..
So my art journal for this year is coming along well, not to sure it is an actual “Art Journal” as I have not done any journalling in it yet, just experimenting with different techniques and trying out ideas for larger paintings later…… anyway I am enjoying the process and am sure it will help to gather my ideas and thoughts together..
and here are some of the small paintings that I did earlier this week, they are painted on MDF, lovely to paint on, nice smooth surface….
I am loving creating these little girls, I am going to keep at them and hope to improve over time as I am not quite comfortable doing faces and features, feel a bit out of my depth….. but hey its all about learning and developing…. so I hope to be back soon with some more.
Books, books and more books……
I have been going through my books that I want to read this year. Some I have have had for ages…. years in some cases, one of my obsessions collecting lovely books….. one bad habit, not reading them!!!!
So I have compiled a reading list, some of them are in preparation for my Masters that I start in October, and others just because I know they will help me in my creative life, and others that I have read before but would like to refresh my memory…….
So here we go, in no particular order, I love them all……or I will once I have become aquatinted.
That is going to take a while, massive book, If I manage this one alone I will be amazed…….
Looks like a very interesting book about living intentionally and being mindful….
Lots of inspiration and ideas about being creative from working Artists….. Love this book
4. Woman’s History of the World.
Cant believe I have not read this yet!!!!!
I have some knowledge on this subject but it is so long since I have read anything about philosophy I need a refresh…..
6. A little Knowledge, What archimedes really meant……
An amazing book with so much information on a variety of subjects including contemporary economics, physics and architecture…… help me!!!!
7. Ways of Seeing- John Berger
A brilliant book, quite an old essay but still very relevant to any artist.
8. Camera Lucida- Roland Barthes
Another classic, based around thoughts and relationships with photography.
9. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol- Andy Warhol
Think this will be interesting…….
10. Art and Fear- David Bayles and Ted Orland
Observations on the perils and rewards of making Art.
11. What is Contemporary Art – Terry Smith
Preparation for my Masters, good to get familiar with the subject.
12.The Photograph as Contemporary Art – Charlotte Cotton
Another re-read to refresh my mind……
13. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying – Sogyal Rinpoche
A must read, just for me.
I think that will make for an interesting year if I can actually get through all of them……. to be honest half of them would be good!
I will report back as I read through them and let you know a bit more about each one as I go.
Please let me know of any interesting books that you have read that may enhance my reading list, I love to hear about new books from peoples experiences, recommendations are the best…
Back soon with my art journal fun.
Its sooo good to have my studio back and it is super tidy as I have finally cleaned everything away and sorted it all out….. totally organised!
Problem is I am so used to working in chaos now it feels wrong to get anything out to start working again…. It wont last long, I feel a creative spell coming on.
Look how Tidy! In comparison to this ( scroll down a bit to see the mess)
I am so excited at the moment about a new on-line course I am doing by Tamara Laporte at Willowing Arts It is called Life Book… One whole year of creating beautiful art journal pages that will then be bound into a book…..
There are two video lessons per month, one from Tam and another from various visiting Artists. All sharing various mixed media techniques and inspiration. In addition to this there are so many more things to participate in each month, ATC swaps, monthly challenges, forums and discussion boards, all for you to do at your own pace and you can contribute as much or little as you want. It is amazing the site Tam has set up, so much more that I had imagined it to be, but exactly what I was looking for. A whole art community at your fingertips so fabulous!….I am so happy to be part of this course and I am itching to get started on some work….
This has made me feel so energised and enthusiastic about the start to this year, an art journal has been something I have wanted to do for ages, see what happens when you throw away all the to-do-lists, you just go with the flow and stop worrying and stressing…. love it.
I will keep you posted on my journey with Life Book and will be back soon with some new work to show xx
Ahhhhhh. I can now breath again……
I do love all the celebrating at the end of the year but it is so good to get back to some sense of normality again. It is always so crazy over Christmas and New Year. I love January for its calmness, I know some people find it a bit depressing but I like to think of the beginning of the year as a time to re-group and de-stress… and appreciate some time out…….. just chill for a while and enjoy being…..
Last year I started to make some changes, not consiously but they just seemed to happen….
Normally I make grand sweeping statements at the beginning of a New Year, lots of New Years Resolutions, I will do this… I will stop that… I must accomplish this etc…. but this year my view is very different. I have been writing list of things to do for years and I had kept them, many many lists, sometimes I would go through them to see what I should have done and all it would do is make me down and depressed about all these things I had not achieved….. many years of torturing myself with my own disappointments…. Then last year I just threw them all away…. Yaaaah! What a release that was…. For some reason I had been scared of letting go in case there was something important that I would forget to do….. Ha! If I had not done it then so be it….. It is so silly the pressure we put on ourselves, and all you end up doing is concentrating on is all the things that you havent occomplished in stead of celebrating the things you do…..
So I have no resolutions for this year…. just to be me and go with the flow.
That is not to say I don’t have a plan, and I do have things I want to achieve this year…. I am just viewing things from a different angle….. and I like it.
I feel much more energised and enthusiastic about my work and life in general than I have for a long time. I feel free to explore and experiment and also know it is ok to not always be so dam perfect…..
So… Heres to 2012…. may it be a fabulous one for all… Happy New Year xxx
Just had to show Fred the tree, he is all packed away now ready for next year…..
As soon as it hits September for me, I know the last few months of the year will fly past so fast I feel my feet don’t touch the ground… It all starts with my brothers birthday in October, then Halloween and Fireworks night, then my Birthday in November followed by my other brothers Birthday just before Christmas and the New Years celebrations….. So many landmarks in just a few months, thankfully January is empty so I can stop to breath for a while. It is just so hectic, but I love it. I love getting together with friends and family for parties and celebrations, making memories….. Christmas dinner is one of my favourite times, my Dad always cooks and what a fabulous job he does, it is just so much fun when we are all together round the table chatting and laughing, we dont do it often enough at the moment, to many things going on and sometimes life just gets in the way.
You have to stop and take time out, make room in your life for the people who matter and get together with them and make new memories, I love making memories, they are so important to me………
I just have to share a couple of my birthday presents, because they are both gorgeous and totally mad….
I love this so much, from my little brother xx Just need to find a home for it now…
Ok… this is from my Best Friends, lol very funny, love you two, you do make me laugh xx She is called Susan, apparently!
My studio is such a mess at the moment as I have been very busy making more Girls. I am totally addicted, just love creating them sooo much…. but I have to put everything away as I need to get some mosaics finished for Christmas, I have been putting them off for ages, really must get on with them and tidy up…..
I love my studio, but I cant wait to have more room, I am overflowing into other areas of the house….and I now have to share my room with all the Christmas present so there is no visible floor space left…. cant wait to hand them all out so I can organise my space again….
Just two new pieces to show before I start on my mammoth task, I am sure to have more ofter Christmas…..
I love this girl, so funky and I love how her boots came out…….
I wasn’t to sure about this one at first, but it has grown on me…….
One fabulous thing I have gained from taking Christy’s courses is that although she is so crazy ( in a good way) in her way of working and I am usually quite ridged as I tend to get bogged down with making things perfect, she has helped me to be free and expressive in my art work and not worry about the finished piece and just to go with the flow and enjoy the journey…..
That reminds me of something a friend said to me a while ago, we were talking about how with some people it is all about the destination and they don’t even acknowledge the journey, I on the other hand love the journey so much I forget where I am going….. true xx
Oooops…. I seem to have neglected my blog…. again….. I really dont understand why I cant get it together to keep up on regular posts…. In my head I write a blog every day, I wish I could just send it telepathically to my blog and miss out all the typing….. It would help if I could type, I totaly refused how to learn to type at school as I said I wanted to be an Artist not a Secretary… ha ha ha so wish I had learnt now, how was I to know artists needed to type as well as paint….
So what has been happening in my little world… Well so much has happened since my last post I think it will be better if I break it down into a few posts rather than one big one, that will go on forever and a day…..
So when I was last here I was just about to start my MA in Fine Art…. Well I did and it was going very well, but soon after starting the course I found out I will be going into hospital for a major operation quite soon and would have to have 6 to 8 weeks off recovering and not being able to do much…. So after lots of deliberating and talking to my tutor I came to the decision to postpone my studies until next year…. I will start again in October 2012… Even though I was very disappointed at having to do this it has put me in a fantastic position to get myself totally prepared for the year as I now have an insight into what is expected and I have 10 months to sort out some projects and decide what I want to achieve while I am there…. So in the end it has all worked out fabulous… Just took me a bit of time to wrap my head around it all…
So after all the drama with my MA and preparing my self for my operation, it had really affected me mentally and physically. I was really struggling to focus on anything and creatively I had lost the plot completely. It is very difficult when one part of your life becomes such a big issue that it starts to dominate everything else. It has been one big roller coaster ride for a long time now…… but I can now finally see the light at the end of this very dark tunnell. Even though life is not dealing me the cards that I wanted I feel so much better than I did this time last year…. I know it will all be OK, more that ok it will be fabulous… I have a wonderful husband who has been so supportive every step of the way, I am so grateful and lucky….. Thank you xx
I am learning some very important life lessons at the moment and I need to feel everything, actually opening yourself up to experience each moment and accepting that sometimes things are just the way they are and no matter how much you struggle and fight they wont change. All these things can only make you stronger……..
Well thats all a bit heavy….I feel much better now…..
So trying to find my creative spirit again I decided to take Christy Tomlinson’s She Art Class. So much fun… Christy is lovely, even if you are a complete beginner she explains all sorts of techniques to you and literally guides you every step of the way, I just loved the first She Art course, it really has helped me to get back into creating and I keep coming up with new ideas all the time. Christy is very organic in her creating style which is just so different from how I work, it has taught me to loosen up a bit and go with the flow, loving it….. So I am going to keep on creating and hope to have more work to show you soon.
This is my first girl, I was really happy with how she turned out. Hope……
My next two, just loving creating them, so much fun and the possibilities are endless.
The problem is I have so many ideas I don’t know what to do first…..
Last one for now, I have not put the words on her yet, so for now I call her Dancing Queen, I will re-photograph her when she is finished…. I absolutely love how her skirt turned out, my Mum asked me if I could make her a skirt like it, I said yes as long as you don’t mind it made out of paper and being one dimensional so you cant turn round…..interesting idea, don’t think it will catch on though…..
Thats all for now, I will be back soon xx
PS: its a bit long… sorry !
Well summer has arrived at last, just a tad late but it is fabulous outside, just wish I was still on holiday in Cornwall.
My father is cornish so as a family we spent a lot of our holidays there, generally around Wadebridge, Padstow, Constentine Bay and Watergate Bay. To me it is home, I absolutely love the way of live there and the cornish coast line is beautiful no matter what time of year.
This year we stayed at Watergate Bay Hotel. We used to stay there in the summer holidays years ago. Since then they have done a lot of renovation work to the hotel and have expanded their accommodation. We had a fantastic week, great hotel, gorgeous food and excellent friendly service. If you want to get away for a while I totally recommend a stay there, you wont be disappointed. Problem is that you just don’t want to come home. I would just love to be sat on the beach right now, I am not one to wish my life away but I cant wait till next May when we can go back…..
I have found a new love this year. My brothers and I have always messed around with body boards trying to catch some waves, but this year we had a couple of lessons with some great guys from the Extreme Academy next to the hotel. We had a surfing lesson and a waveski lesson. They were both really great fun and now I am determined to master that board next year and “claim my wave” as Dave said. Waveskie is incredibly hard work, made the surfing seem easy in comparison ( and it is not), I was very lucky to have a great teacher who helped me catch some waves, without his help it would have been a complete disaster. Thanks Carl.
My brothers and husband have really caught the bug of surfing now so we will be back for some more help next year. I am going to do loads of yoga so I will stay on top of the board and not keep falling off. I did stand up once, Ok I fell of immediately but it is progress…..
Something to aim for next year and I look forward to my Gin and Tonic on the terrace over looking the sea….
Right…. Who stole summer????
I have no ides where the summer months have gone, I seemed to start losing time somewhere in May….. What happened to June, July and August and what an earth have I been doing…. Panicking mainly I think.
In July I had a brain wave… I have been wanting to do my Masters since leaving Brighton University in 2003, having done a BA Hons in Photography. I have spent most of my time over the last few years doing mosaics, selling through galleries, shops and on-line, but I had become a bit disheartened and distracted from them and started to just sort of exist with no vision. I like to have a plan and feel like I am heading forwards…. So after thinking about this without actually thinking I suddenly thought what are you waiting for, just go and do it….
So I did. I contacted Winchester School of Art and they said they were still accepting applications so I applied and got in… Yipppeeeee… MA in Fine Art here I come….
Now the panic sets in, I have been so out of the loop and not at all up to date with the Art world I just hope I don’t sink on arrival… I had planned on doing loads of research, reading a experimenting but that hasn’t quite gone to plan, life has a funny way of throwing a spanner in the works when you least expect or want it…..
So here I am with two weeks to go till I start…. I am very excited and looking forward to it but also really worried that I am not prepared with a plan… My tutor has told me not to have a plan, to arrive as a blank canvas, open and willing to experiment, it makes me feel uneasy…. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail….. Chinese proverbs….. keeps running through my head.
I will be fine, I just need to get there and start then it will all be ok….. I am talking to my self here…..
I am going to use my blog to follow my progress and document my journey through the next year. This is going to be one amazing ride and one where time just disintegrates like sand through a funnel. Stop…… you are here now! Enjoy the journey.
“The ever moving, ever changing surface creates endless possibilities for renewal. Everything must change, nothing remains the same. Fragments of time encapsulated in an image, but time’s hand continues to move – creating, distorting and destroying.” Diana Jane 2003
Change is inevitable, but generally people shy away from change. It makes them feel insecure and vulnerable, especially if the change is out of their control or thrust upon then unexpectedly. People can start to react to change in dramatic and hysterical ways, this is generally a reaction to change its self not the conditions of the actual change.
Jumping straight in and shouting your arguments without thinking and analysing what has actually been said can take you down a very dangerous path, one of no return. Many will jump on the band wagon with you, all shouting there own opinions and disagreements. This from my own experience usually ends in disaster, with no significant effect to the greater good of anyone. If you want to express your opinions and express them using grand gestures of revolt in any way then you have to be prepared to face the consequences, and also be happy to be left on your own to do so. Many will be very quick to jump in, but when the heat is turned up they are the first to quickly remove themselves and suddenly become very quiet.
Being confronted with a change that effects your daily routine of life, work, existence in general can and is a challenge for anyone, it is how you handle the situation that counts. Think about how it will effect you directly and how you can make this change work for you rather than against you. Accept that change is inevitable in life and you will find your path much easier to follow. There will always be winners and losers, this can be a hard lesson to learn but it is a fact of life, learn from your experiences and move on, take the experience with you and use it to your own advantage to gain a better understanding of life, work and yourself.
There are some things in life that are inevitable and change is one of them, it is up to you to decide what to accept and what to challenge, but be aware that actions have consequences and don’t make choices you cant live with.
I love this quote by Karen Kaiser Clark:
Life is change
Growth is optional,
Choose wisely.
I have put together a list of some of the suppliers who I have used and still do. I have included some of the best places I have found to be of value and with excellent products or services. I hope this will be of help to you, it is always good to have personal recommendations. I will be very happy to hear from anyone who has found any sites that you think will be of help to me.
MOSAICS
They have a fantastic collection of glass and ceramic tiles, tools, grout and basically everything you will need to create a mosaic. Barbra is very helpful and will help with any requests you may have. Excellent speedy delivery also.
A lovely mosaic gallery in Exeter. If you live anywhere near them they do mosaic classes and are very helpful if you have any questions. They stock a lovely assortment of stained glass and other mosaic equipment and glass tiles.
Richard is very helpful and approachable. They stock a large range of Bisazza Glass tiles that are harder to get hold of from some places. Excellent customer service and delivery.
An amazing selection of stained glass, very helpful. They don’t have a website yet but you can get there contact details from their page.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Good price on epson ink cartridges.
An excellent selection of Fine Art printing papers and excellent customer service.
High quality developing and printing lab in Hove. They do an excellent personal service.
One stop place for all film and digital needs. Excellent selection of films, paper and display portfolios.
JEWELLERY
Lovely selection of Vintage Natural Brass and many more beads and findings. Great service, sign up for the news letter and get promotional codes for discounts and free findings. Great friendly service.
A huge selection of beads, charms, tools and findings, also has some helpful tips on jewellery making foe beginners.
A beautiful selection of beads in all colours.
