Late evening posting in the rain again: No60 goes in the box
We spent quite a while working with the bees in the garden, we had to do a pretty severe manipulation called a shook swarm which I hate doing, but helps keep the varroa mite levels lower. I find it emotionally draining to sacrifice brood and still find it hard to justify even though bad infestations of varroa can cause the demise of a colony. Usually the colony quickly recovers and often may become exceptionally strong and productive.
Anyway that was one of the reasons that I didn’t start my #Letter365 piece till late afternoon and then finished if off after dinner and some entertainment.
As you can see from the image, this one is for my partner Sally Beeson whose birthday it is today. I couldn’t spend untold hours in the studio working on #Letter365 on her birthday and it not be for her!
If you want to buy a #Letter365 piece for someone’s birthday or wedding or anniversary let me know. You will soon be able to buy options and reserve dates on this site and I can arrange for a gift card telling them about their present so they have something on the day.
David Smith posts No58 into the special box at Bridport Arts Centre
Clearly we are going to run out of space with this box as we always knew we would, but it’s great to have it there at the Arts Centre as a talking point. I’ll get some cards printed with details of how to buy to fit in the little holder at the side.
As we were going to the theatre tonight anyway (to see the cracking Miracle Theatre’s “The Case of the Frightened Lady”) I thought I would deliver it personally and save a stamp.
I reminded myself again that I don’t have to come up with something totally new each day. I can explore and play with themes and subjects and do series if I want. I don’t want to make duplicates but there is ample scope for exploring ideas and reusing elements exactly as I do in my other work. So this may or may not be associated with yesterday’s, or tomorrow’s or alternate Fridays’. It may or may not be part of series, but I think you will like it anyway.
I was late starting today as I have been trying to get some decent photos of my work done before things go off for framing. With Dorset Art Weeks only a few weeks away it’s all go.
I also popped into the Arts Centre to see the new box
The new #Letter365 post box is right next to the box office along with and project information
Polly and Dee at the Arts Centre have both decided the wish to purchase their respective birthdays so I best get on with making it possible for people to invest in #Letter365. Purchase options will open very soon.
I was trying to concentrate on preparations for Dorset Art Weeks today and getting frustrated by the changing light for photographing largely white pieces. So I didn’t attempt to do #Letter365 until after dinner. This is another one that I nearly kept – I think it would be good fodder for Dorset Art Weeks – but I had a plan and I’m sticking to it.
You can see I have left a piece of the border of the stamp page attached to the stamp. As a child I used to love seeing registration and other printers’ marks and can remember my father explaining how they were used in printing. Still like them now especially dotty colour ones.
The new #Letter365 box has arrived! Polly Gifford, Director of Bridport Arts Centre, emailed me yesterday to tell me she had taken delivery of the new perspex container for my #Letter365 pieces to be collected and displayed. The box is going to be installed tomorrow in the foyer of the Arts Centre next to the box office along with information about the project as it progresses. Hopefully it will become and remain a talking point and help to create interest and momentum. So thanks Polly and sorry that the team will have to walk a little further to store each letter!
I started on today’s piece quite early this morning as I was going to be out all day. I am glad I did because I was out longer than expected and got a bit hijacked by other events. My car is a bit poorly and I thought it best not to drive to Dorchester today, so it took a bit of extra time out of the day, especially as it was quite late on the way back. What with everything else (including a nice Curry at the Taj Mahal) it was gone 9pm before I got to the studio again. Fortunately I was pretty happy with it and just needed to make a few adjustments before packaging it up and posting it (in the drizzle)
Sometimes there just isn’t anything to report. I did the piece; signed and date-stamped it; photographed it; made the envelope text and printed it; stuck a stamp on the envelope; put the piece in the envelope and sealed it; put a sealing wax seal on the back of the envelope; date-stamped the envelope; photographed the envelope; walked to the post box and took pictures of the envelope in front of the post box; pushed the envelope and its contents into the post box ; walked home; downloaded the images to my PC; and wrote this.
It’s what I do without much variation every single day. That’s all ok and I usually enjoy doing most parts of it, but there is a limit to what I can write about. It’s part of my job at the moment that’s all.
No53 goes in the box with hints about its contents and a little slightly poetic message on the envelope
It’s only fair that people who will only see this on the internet will not be disadvantaged, should they be interested in buying it, compared to someone who might see it physically at the Arts Centre for example. This one is fatter than average! So fat that I was worried that it might not go through the little 5mm slot that says you can pay ordinary letter rate and so left off the sealing wax except for a tiny bit at the edges where it’s a little thinner.
No53 has only a small dab of sealing wax at each side
Of course it could be a very tiny and thin work that I have wrapped up with stiff, thick material to protect it. Whatever it is I like it very much and for anyone who likes my work this would be a good one to pitch for. I’m going to post a couple of other works that I completed today on my David Smith Artist blog – these will not be anything like this #Letter365 piece so that will help you guess what area this might be in!
Most of the afternoon it has been raining; sometimes so hard that I have found excuses not to make the walk up to the studio or back down to the house. It has been so dull that photography of my #Letter365 piece was not so easy. Almost the second I got back from the post box it stopped raining and the sky cleared. Isn’t British weather wonderful. Actually the day was relieved at times today with some wonderful skies that went a small way to compensate for yet more rain.
Take a look at the edge of the stamp sheet I have left attached. Royal Mail clearly doesn’t understand socio-economic groups: Buckingham Palace is definitely not the house of someone in group C1.
No51 displaying its custom Library of Birmingham with the iconic building itself as a backdrop
I made the decision long ago that I would not try to use sealing wax when I am away from home. Last time i was in Birmingham I used some spotty tape as a seal, I believe, but I forgot to take anything with me this time so created this custom seal. It was windy in the city today and a gust bent the letter at the moment I clicked!
No51 goes in the box in Birmingham
I posted it in the box near to Gormley’s “Iron Man”. The box has a helpful picture of a hand and a letter. I was unable to replicate this with my letter as I was unable to get the envelope to stick to my hand long enough to get it in the box and soon gave up as it began to rain. Also I wanted to pop in and take a look at Grayson Perry’s tapestries as it would be my last opportunity to see them. They were quite entertaining, amusing and in places very beautiful but I’m not sure if I would feel the same if I hadn’t seen the TV programmes.
An unfolding artwork created a piece each day for a year
