I needed to go out and get some coffee so I delivered today’s piece by hand. Dee was at the Arts Centre and, in her usual reluctant way, agreed to take delivery of No261. It’s not the taking delivery she has a problem with, but the taking of her picture – there is no telling her! She had noticed recent Schrödinger’s cat references and suggested “Cat” as the name that he might have called it. She also noticed that today’s envelope was quite chunky – I don’t mean knobbly, just robust, substantial – which is true. Perhaps she is right about what Schrödinger called the cat?
As I walked out of the Arts Centre I noticed someone reading about this project and said, in passing, “that’s good. It’s mine” She called me back and we had a chat and she is a sculptor called Rachel and her friend Nick came back to the studio for a chat and i didn’t get the coffee. A little bit later I went out for the coffee and met someone else and had a chat and ended up not doing much work!
That’s three days in a row that we have been to something at the Arts Centre and it’s not usually open on a Monday so my Film Society visit on Tuesday should count as 4 days in a row. This afternoon it was to see “Will and Testament” the new film about the life of Tony Benn with a Q&A beamed live. Spoiled for choice in sleepy old Dorset we are!
The artwork worked out better than I could have hoped. I usually have a really clear idea if what I intend or am empty and open to inspiration. Today I was empty and feeling rough again with this cold. I delved in my brain and got a vague idea I wanted to play with and it all turned out swell – though I suppose you would expect me to say that!
I could pretend that I was surprised and deeply upset that the special #Letter365 box in the Bridport Arts Centre foyer had disappeared when I went to deliver No103 by hand. The truth is that Polly had been kind enough to let me know in advance that another installation was using that space for a few weeks and a very interesting array it is too!
So I had to post this piece into the hands of lovely Dee, who finally appears in a picture with enough of her face showing to be recognisable. You will note the worsening state of the printer errors front of the envelope. My annotation about it on the back appears below:
Having forgotten the stamp on yesterday’s #Letter365 I thought it only right to pay the fine so I made a special envelope for the payment and dropped it in to Bridport Arts Centre so they would not be out of pocket. Lovely Dee Fenton, who for some unknown reason hates to be photographed, tried to hide behind the envelope but I snapped her when she peeked round the side!
Seems like the postie that delivers to the Arts Centre is on the ball he noticed there was one missing when I popped it in the special box myself.
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
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.
Jill and Dee at Bridport Arts Centre are still pleased to see me and seem delighted to receive another #Letter365 offering. We’ll see how they feel in 6 months time!
It’s interesting that Dee, who took this picture, suggested the picture should be taken from inside the office and that Jill should turn and smile into the camera (and an excellent smile it is too as always Jill). Yet when I took a photo of Dee taking delivery a few days back the most she would allow to seen on camera was her thumb!