A very rich result for today’s piece: one that has something for everyone perhaps. Technically interesting, visually rich with references to our art heritage. Took a bit of a while but worth it.
Really went to town on today’s piece
Monthly Archives: December 2014
When it all goes wrong sometimes all you can salvage is a lesson
My first attempt at my #Letter365 piece today was, well, crap really. What seemed to be a good idea started well then quickly foundered. Despite many attempts to bring it back from the brink, sadly, it tipped off the edge! Part of the problem was my love of using mixtures of materials that are perhaps not designed to go together – sometimes it produces interesting results. There again another part of the problem was that it wasn’t a well thought through idea and I was experimenting as I went. As we all know not every experiment yields a useful result! If I am really honest, I would have to say that my discipline failed for a while too. It was cold at the studio and I had left it later than I intended and wanted to try out some other ideas not related to #Letter365. The lesson is, I suppose, you can’t win them all and get your ducks in a row first!
Chilly in the studio
I don’t have a thermometer in the studio but it definitely wasn’t warm there today. This morning it was -6°C outside and when my son and I moved my printing press to the studio we didn’t stop. I just spent a few hours there in my merino wool thermals and hat, which I felt was enough time today!
Time to make lasagne
I’ve walked to the sea and back and done my #Letter365 for today and now it’s time for making dinner.
Sorry but Trivial Pursuit could be more important
The family is gathered and food and fun and games seems more attractive than making up some old guff to write here. Job done so we will leave it at that!
I am still working even if you are not
Most people in the UK get Boxing Day off but like people in the Health and Emergency Services I am committed to working for at least a little while to work each day for a year. These days quite a lot of retail workers have to work today too. The difference between me and emergency and health workers is they are doing something of real value to the benefit of others and I am bonkers. The difference between me and retail workers is that I am creating something of real value and they are doing something bonkers for the benefit of their capitalist bosses.
And a happy Christmas to all my reader!
All the best laid plans… of course I forgot something! Having decided that I would be doing my #Letter365 pieces at home over the festive season I prepared various things and gathered materials together to allow this to happen with maximum ease, minimum stress and widest options. I wanted to be able to let inspiration not be too limited but on first outing got caught out! To be fair my first idea was crap and the second wasn’t going anywhere and it was all taking much longer than I planned and I was starting to get cold in the Pig Barn (my erstwhile studio in the garden). All went better after lighting the woodburner! Tempting to stay there as today’s piece has sparked some ideas to take elsewhere, but it is Christmas day so it’s back to the warmth of the house and family.
I thought of a great headline but forgot it!
Walking round to the Arts Centre I thought of a brilliant headline and how I would write this blog entry but it went totally out of mind when I realised that I had omitted an apostrophe from my message on the envelope: worse than that I realised that I had done the same yesterday but not seen it. Woe, woe and, thrice, woe!
Conspiring things that make art or take art
It’s all a bit of a long tale but to cut it short I planned to do my artwork for the day and take it to Bridport Arts Centre personally as I was taking down my #Collage365 show this afternoon. I had created the envelope, including a message that it was to be delivered by hand, but left it at home. By the time I had finished the piece there wasn’t the time to go back home before I had to be at the Arts Centre. Because I had already created the envelope I sort of felt bound to deliver by hand. I considered making a new envelope or crossing out the message but decided to do it properly. I’m pleased I did because, as you can see in the photograph, I discovered the “art doors” of the Arts Centre. The shadow of the Christmas lights appears to say “art” across the doors, which I think is pretty cool! The art work inside the envelope (which I didn’t just leave outside) is pretty cool too, a bit odd and unusual, but cool! The envelope has another quote from Joni Mitchell’s “River”: the nearest I get to liking a Christmas song!
Oh and I have just realised that I will reach No300 on 31st December!
Well I really wasn’t expecting that!
I have no idea where the idea for today’s piece just popped up from, the thing I had in mind didn’t get a look in – well there is a passing allusion to what was in my head. I just let it have its head and it worked out well. It’s quite an unusual piece for me and the treatment and choice of subject are very different from other works in this genre.
If you can’t see it in the photo there is a quote from Joni Mitchell’s Christmas song on the envelope, “And she loved me so naughty, Made me weak in the knees”. (I changed the sex to suit my preference.)