Old sketch books

It's lovely to take some time to look back through old sketch books, and follow the meandering of ideas.

a BIG painting

Last night my head was filled once again with images of a painting I need to do. It was a full length self-portrait. I couldn't make out the clothing, but my body is turned towards the right, and behind me, to the left, the background is dark, and full of images that haunt my conscience. To the right the background is a shimmering pale yellow mixed with the palest of blues. My left hand is reaching behind me, but my body and face are turned to the light, the right. There were ghosts of objects in the light too, which I don't want to dwell on yet. It's not that I'm not wanting to talk about them at all, it's just that they're not fully formed yet and I don't want to solidify the hints I can feel floating in my head, I want to leave them loose at the moment.
I also had a revelation about Jackson Pollock the other evening, but I'll talk about that another time.

A dream of me

I had a nap this afternoon. I bet you're not surprised, as I had a busy morning. As I drifted off, an image developed in my mind's eye; dark staring eyes, a small sculptured nose, wild wiry hair radiating from the head, all on a hot yellow background.

still here, still making art

My apologies guys.

I'm know in trouble for not updating my blog for yonks.

What have I been doing all this time? Reading about art in Vienna, because I'm visiting there soon. Staring a journal, because of a great book I recently read called 'The Creative Licence, giving yourself permission to be the artist you really are', which is quite a light read, but has extended my concept of what a sketchbook is, what's it's there for. It's also widened what I 'allow' myself to put in mine.

There will be pictures to follow soon, but I just wanted to update my blog today. I'm working in bursts, but I'd like the blog to be a more regular thing I do. So I'm going to extend slightly what I include in it. Instead of just my drawings and paintings, I'm going to include a whole range of creative experiences I have - from books that inspire me, or exhibitions I visit, to ideas I have and what I'd like to do in the future creatively.

Not enough hours in the day

I have images in my head of paintings I want to do;

a large canvas split into three showing cast iron machinery from Beamish Open Air Museum and the old mining works in quite a graphic form

a series of landscapes showing the North Sea viewed from various points on the coast with railings, balustrades, wooden fencing, etc...

studies of the negative spaces found in crochet doilies and lace work

some tall narrow views across North Dock in Roker rising from the pavement looking across the dock at the embankment and the houses and flats rising above that

the view I see of the path stretching ahead of me when I'm trudging along the pavement, with the picture plane tilted down

I'd need to give up my day job (which I actually enjoy, if not love), farm the kids out (just chop one of my limbs off, why don't you) and drink lots of caffeine (I don't think my bladder could take it). I'd keep my hubby around as he's a great cook, and he keeps my feet warm at night, and I would wash occasionally, if only because I got a great big stash of Lush goodies for my birthday which are shouting to be used.

I spent most of yesterday clearing out the garage to reclaim some studio space in there. When I went back int this morning I was surprised at how much I'd got done.