I have recently been to Razzle Dazzle to paint my very own teapot! Caroline and I had such a lovely Saturday afternoon drinking tea, eating cake and painting. My concentration face came out a good few times.
The pale photos are pre-fired and the bright ones are once it’s been fired and varnished. I decided, after an inspiring pub chat to go for the theme graphs, animals and tea.
Today I had my first day off for art purposes of the year. It was an absolute delight! We now have a table downstairs for me to spread out and create lots of mess. I have done my first paper making unsupervised. My Mum gave me a wonderul lesson at Christmas. It’s so relaxing and it takes no time at all.
I have recently rediscovered Erwin Wurm and his work has been making me smile all week. I particularly like his one minute sculptures where himself, models or the audience interact with everyday objects. I have never been to a show of his but would love to read the instructions that he writes or illustrates and have a go at turning myself into a sculpture. It will be no surprise to hear that I think the photograph of a person using a chair to create a sculpture is incredible. I find them amusing but also enjoy the immediacy of how they are made.
In my first year at University someone suggested I look at Erwin Wurm’s work. At the time I was making self portraits by lying down on a piece of A1 paper and asking someone to draw round me. I would then fill in with block colour the shape left behind to create an odd silhouette. The idea was to make these into 3D versions but I could never quite get to the bottom of how.
During the same year I was spending a lot of time getting into small spaces (as you do!). My most proud achievement was fitting into the top compartment of a discarded fridge (might well have been the start of my love affair with discarded objects!).
Writing about the idea that I can’t seem to make work about wasting time whilst wasting time not making art about wasted time. I always want to suffer for my art. A cliché, I know. The idea of wasting time enjoying myself has never occurred to me. All this time I could have been making work by eating my favourite foods, meeting my friends for tea or jumping for joy.
No, that would be pointless, meaningless and I dare say it, enjoyable. NOT. THE. POINT.
What is the point? Why is it that time wasted has to involve an element of the mundane, the drab, the boring and end with a yawn? I think it’s because the things I enjoy are categorised as useful, valuable, exciting moments of time so even if the occurrence of these events is to put something else off, it somehow feels acceptable.
I would not get that sense of nothing from doing something. I would not have that feeling of being at my wits end, of giving up, sometimes of deep despair. I might feel…happy? God forbid. No suffering is better. The act of doing something you do not want to do, is so much more cathartic. It clears your mind.
If I just sat in silence and decided I was going to make art, I would fail. If I go to work and my mind wanders, or I’m on a train without a pen or listening to the same story that they told me yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, my head will flood with ideas. Why?
I have just taken the rubbish out and next door are getting rid of lots of their stuff with the aid of my favourite sign ‘please help yourself’. Never fails to confuse me how happy moments like this make me!
I didn’t have a closer look for fear of filling my house with more unnecessary things. Tempting though…
I’ve had such a lovely Christmas! I’ve eaten, drank and documented to excess. On Christmas eve eve I saw a sofa which was an early Christmas present for me and probably a relief to the person getting rid.
Then on Christmas morning we had a ‘Pollyanna‘ moment in our living room. The sun was shining through the window, so we strategically placed the glass star in it’s path to create beautiful shadows and moving light. The cats thought it was all for their benefit, but they do think everything put on earth is for their benefit!
Then we went sledging, which is something I haven’t done for a very long time. It was so much fun although I wasn’t a natural talent. For all the chaos and grief the snow has caused people, you cannot fault it for the way it makes everything look beautiful!
Since the snow has melted, I am happy to report that people are discarding furniture again. This never fails to make my day, so grand news for me!
This delight was on Mansfield road in a spot which is a regular hang out for sofas and chairs alike. I took it on my phone camera using night mode and think it makes it look quite atmospheric.
Caroline and I were sat in front of the fire yesterday drinking tea. I had mentioned that I was a bit fed up with having such a huge cardboard box in my living room and Caroline suggested the following inspired idea: To cover the box in wrapping paper and tinsel ready for Christmas! As someone who is far too excited about Christmas already, I was on board like a flash. We got our coats, boots, hats and scarfs and ventured out into the snow. Wilko’s bound we purchased very cheap wrapping paper and tinsel and revamped the cat activity centre. What a wonderful way to spend a snowy Saturday!
Even the monkey had a tinsel scarf!
I am having a constant battle at the moment. I want to make art. I know what art I want to make (which I have been told is half the battle). I was recently reminded that at college I worried that I had forgotten how to paint. (I’m not convinced I ever knew how!) I am now worried that I have forgotten, full stop.
.
I think the filing system inside my brain has lost its administrator to the day job. I shall organise my thoughts, make lots of lists and make writing about this ‘stuckness’ part of the idea…or I might just need a sit down and have a cup of tea!
I have been away from the day job for a week now and have had a most wonderful break. Al and I went to Exmouth, Devon to visit my Grandma, go for walks and drink lots of ale. Grandma was on great form and we had such lovely conversations and huge amounts of laughter.
The weather was sent to turn on the Wednesday so we thought we should take advantage of the good weather on Tuesday for a long walk. We went from Budleigh Salterton a beautiful beach with a wildlife reserve to Otterton, a small village with a pub called the Kings Arms that sold Otter Ale and had a pub cat called Garfield. En route we saw stunning coastal views, a building called Brandy Head and a ghostly out of season caravan site.
I had three camera’s with me which might seem slightly excessive but they all came in useful. My SLR was the most used but I am ashamed to say the auto function is my comfort zone.
Saw this post it note on the beach with its biblical reference about evil deeds. You can click on the photograph to view its full size.
This was the bin in the toilet. I canny get enough of this kind of wear and tear.
There was an outdoor BBQ which would be an amazing setting for cooking fresh fish.
Sign post saying ‘POLITE NOTICE PLEASE KEEP TO THE FOOTPATH. DO NOT STRAY ON THE GRASS AREA, SOWS CAN BE VERY PROTECTIVE OF THEIR PIGLETS. PLEASE KEEP DOGS ON THEIR LEAD. THANKS.’ You can click on it to see the full size photograph.
We spent a lot of time at Brandy Head. It was such a beautiful building in beautiful surroundings. It felt like a discovery of sorts (even though it had a sign up telling you all about it). The reason for it’s name is because smuggling activities were rife along this coast, one of these being kegs of brandy. More recently it was used in World War II to test new aircraft mounted cannon and gun sights.
At the end of the coastal part of the walk there was this eerie out of season caravan park at Ladram Bay. Even the post box was out of order.
When we got to Otterton there was this lovely building weather worn paint.
Finally we arrived at the warm pub called the Kings Arm. Here is the pub cat Garfield. He sat on my lap which was such a great end to a great day. We drank Otter Ale and ate crisps which felt deserved after taking so many photographs!
