Blurred

Time blurs everything. Thirty years ago I was doing a course at college and for a while I rented a small studio with two other artists. But it didnt work out. One of them was collecting egg boxes to try and insulate the walls as the place was freezing in the winter but also to try and deaden the noise of rock music one of the artists used to like playing. The windows had arched wooden frames that were quite architectural but they were single glazed. I only painted a few things but when I was there and the music was on it would drive me mad. Unfortunately I could only use the place in the evenings and that coincided with the rock sessions. So I gave it up in the end. Now I’m looking at leaving my current studio. It’s too expensive to carry on renting. If it is the choice between paying rent for it or paying the fuel bills I have to make the sensible choice.

Painting

Describe your ideal week.

I would spend time at my studio at Spode, painting, or drawing. My plan is to try and go back to it. I spent a few years there, then covid happened and I lost my nerve a bit. I started to go back, but health issues cropped up. If I don’t return soon I never will, but I’ve built a wall round things in my mind. If I can’t do things properly I seem to freeze up.

My ideal week will be less stressful, full of real art, not just quick digital drawings. I would then build on it, even if I was only in my studio a couple of days a week. I would try and produce more small paintings for craft fairs, but it’s about time I started doing some ‘proper’ paintings real fine art, not craft based. I just need to get my confidence back. I have good intentions but I keep prevaricating. Maybe I can have that ideal week. It needs to be soon….

Jupiter tryptich

I just went to my studio to take a photo of this tryptic. I’m afraid the light was bad, so I don’t think I’ve captured the exact colours on the paintings, but to be honest I’m walking with a stick and everything feels a bit “off” so this was the best I could do. I’ve adjusted the colour balance, contrast and brightness.

Postponed craft fairs

Sadly the two craft fairs I signed up for have been postponed because they fall too close to Christmas, there are other similar fairs on at the same time and the cost of living makes them less likely to be profitable because no one will have any money.

I would like to participate in ones next year but how can I be certain that things will be any better then? People are going to suffer financially and luxuries like arts and crafts may not be saleable. The whole idea of being an artist and trying to sell work seems less and less feasible.

Meanwhile, I’m seriously thinking about leaving my studio at Spode. I didn’t use it very often since Covid happened because I’m still avoiding people. I don’t know if I can afford it any more. Life isn’t terrible but sometimes you need to be sensible.

Happier times

Just found this view of my studio wall, a selection of smaller paintings I did a few years ago. I wish I was still going there. Maybe by September I can get back in there? I’m paying rent for a room I’m not using.

I’ve got paintings to take down there, maybe when I finish this semester I can get back to it? I’m glad I’m busy, I’m glad I’m being creative. I just need to get my act together more.

Anyone else struggling with being organised at the moment?

I’ve just noticed how many times I’ve written ‘I’m’ here. I wonder if its bad grammar….

Moving paintings

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I really must get all my paintings stored down at my studio. These are a tryptich of Jupiter. I need some work doing on the house, but I’ve got things hanging around that could be put away safe, they are up in the bedroom where I’m doing college work and everything is crammed together on one side of the room. Plus I actually have a commission. Someone contacted me. My first real job this year! I need to start getting things sorted out…. Spring cleaning – in late July. Perhaps I will get it done by September! In the meantime I need to get the college work done. The date for handing in work is soon. Help!

Net curtains

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When you live next to a road, without a front garden, you need something to obscure people views of the inside of your home. I mean, if it was a show home it might be different, but I’m messy when it comes to life. I’ve got lots of art materials and canvases so you can imagine.. I have a studio at Spode, but in winter it’s too cold to use.

Anyway I used to have lovely net curtains, with cat patterns on them, but they got clawed by my new cats, so these are stronger, less easy to damage. The cats still climb on the windowledge and look out, half the time they pull the net curtains along with them, so I’m constantly having to straighten them up…. Like a nosy neighbour twitching their curtains!

Some favourites from 2018?

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Well I think it was 2018. Time gets mixed up in my brain. I enjoyed going to a life drawing group for a while then other things got in the way, the drawing of a dancer and a guitarist are from there. I had a go at using gold leaf on pictures, which is the picture of the crow or rook. The teacup with a willow pattern was a hat for our local panto. The owls was one of my first tiny paintings. The tree is one I drew while we were up in Yorkshire on the Keithley and Worth Valley railway. The houses ainting is based on a picture I had done in 1980. The photo of  me in the mirror is in my studio.

So that was the selection from 2018. I might do one for 2019.

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