Studio Clearing!

With the sun out, and early seasonal pollen hot and peppery in the air like a bowl of Aunty Maureen's soup. I have taken to the cool, of the studio to clear and tidy ahead of taking a long look at preparing for Open Studios in June.

And great news received today, that I have been accepted for the Palace Art Fair in Fulham London. between the 6th -9th October 2011. I have been allocated Stand 1, in the new Pavillion on the main lawn.

Mail me for more information on both events and to be put on the invitation list.

New Work

Pairing the palette back to monochrome, once again I am exploring mark upon surface and the crude science of chemical and molecular bond the ink particles make within the protein and carbonate structures of the gesso. Marks penetrate the surface, repetition, over marking to point of initial trace obliteration, only to be revealed in the archeology of removing thin surface layers to uncover and lay bare the raw initial marks of my play.

Tondos bought from Chromos are the new obsessions.

My daily pieces continuing with a sparse brevity of line or colour that have a focussed relevance to my machinations. A little like musings on the back of fag packets or beer mats, when desirous of overcoming a block or planning world peace. It never leaving your mind until you fathom it out on whatever surface, at whatever time, in whatever form; text, scribble, lexicon of symbols or motifs to be enlarged and lived with on a different scale and pushed further with the luxury of time.

Work commitments are looking to end shortly with a return to attending to the journey across the drive to the studio. However I am left questioning a continual conundrum of the preciousness I feel I sometimes place upon the time in the studio, the materials to which I feel wedded and whilst mark making is a fairly new discipline for me; "how quickly I feel I may have become a 'Company Thinker'?"

So I continue with the sketch books, and permit into the mix; iphone images, margin notes from a meeting, questionably random doodles and perhaps a beer mat or two into the enquiry process and aesthetic decisions.

An Eastern Touch

A new home to a small gestural graphite drawing from the 'Studio Collections'.

Move it, Freeze it, Write it!

Class window, x-ray montage

Screen printed t-shirts/costume for dance workshops

I have started working with a dancer and a group of year 5 students on a Creative Partnerships project for the Royal Opera House in Grays Essex. We are enquiring through a movement and visual arts project how to improve students confidence in and have fun with literacy.

We have been exploring with the group the structures and processes of the body that inform movement and our thoughts and feelings towards creating shapes, 'body sculpts' and dance moves around a class led topic.

Dance moves, drawings from observing a full sized skeleton, animating the skeleton through space, interviewing the skeleton and creative story writing were offered alongside the designing, cutting and printing of stencils for their t-shirt costumes. Session 1 of 3 completed with surprising outcomes and eager anticipation of the next.

"Ceci n'est pas un tube de peinture" - Work In Progress

Ceci n'est pas un tube de peinture

South East Open Studios have asked members to interpret the 'paint tube' logo in their particular artform. The opportunity is to translate the familiar ident of the long standing arts organisation across the south east into a more inclusive image. A glass tube, welded metal carved stone, rag rugs, felt cushions, engraving or enameled silver, to name a few. Membership has gone above 300 for a second year running and it encompasses over 40 disciplines within the fine art and craft/making traditions. We are more than painters.

I am playing with casting tubes of paint and re-modeling with these contradictory mediums carved onto the label in text.

Entries will be used on the front cover of our guide and throughout the website and during the event.

Dates of which are 3rd -21st June 2011

Check out the website for individual opening times, artists trails and searching for a gift or start or add to your collection.

I Did It!

The Kaizen approach works. This Sunday saw me complete my first 10km run. The Ashford & District Road Running Club event. Training was made easier by the fabulous Lisa at RIE Ashford with weekly club runs and encouragement to improve, consolidate and stretch. Thanks also to my club chums.

My time was 1 hour and 6 minutes a Personal Best and one to beat at the next event.

Now to the studio and apply kaizen to the work.