Tuesday 27 January 2015

belatedly ..... happy new year


I thought I better get in before the end of January to wish all my fellow bloggers and artists 'Happy New Year' and hope that you are all fired up for 2015 and busy creating marvellous things in your studios.  You will, I hope, have noticed that I have been away from mine since November for a combination of reasons but mostly because I have had a heath hiccup and now I have bounced back and have actually had a day in the studio (and a few hours stolen yesterday).  Over the next little while I will post some of the photos from my venture to Belgium, Ypres, to see the World War 1 Exhibition 'Pieces for Peace' and then over to London for two weeks.  All great fun.  And to top off all the excitement, there was an Anselm Kiefer Exhibition at the Royal Academy while I was there in London - what a feast that was.

There are many commitments lined up before I can begin work on the Noosa Exhibition which is later this year and the most pressing is three books for an exhibition of 8 book artists, 4 from South East Queensland and 4 from up around Cairns.  The books will be exhibited in two venues - up north and in Brisbane.

I began yesterday revisiting my 'downstream' book which was very loosely begun last year, though the first two photographs here are of a book concept I was distracted by this morning.  I have had this wood/bark sitting outside my studio for about four months - having claimed it from a special friends' garden.  This layered bark reminded me so much of book pages and I am sure there is something here that will work as a book sculpture.  Probably not for this exhibition ..... but I will keep playing.  I have some lovely rusty bolts and bands, possibly even rusty wire, which may come into play.

I like to think these look a little 'Anselm Kieferish'!



May bring these etchings back into an artist's book so am mind mapping those possibilities for the moment.

And here on the cover of the Solander Box is the first of the blue I have been wanting to use .... thread bought for me by Fiona and Barry and encouragement given to me by Jennifer.



This is where I got to last year in my planning and below, I have started working on some ideas for the book 'downstream'. Not sure the ideas will all remain - the photos make the pages look more luminous than they are.  They are more subtle than shown here but there is still much work to be done.





So, not a very long or exciting post, but I was so determined to get in before this month passed by.  I will spend time visiting everyone in their blogging studios over the next few weeks and will say hello when there.  I have missed being here just as much as I have missed being in the studio.

23 comments:

  1. Hi SB - great to see you back into it - love that trace of blue - great contrast. B

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great to know you're back in the studio and lovely to have you back in blog-land too! I LOVE that bark - how stunning, and the blue is deliciousness itself!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Fiona - really good to be back. Almost! The bark is fabulous isn't it - came from Janet and I will try and gather more. Thinking about a series of book sculptures ....... Mind is starting to race.

      Delete
  3. Happy New Year Susan! It's good to have you back in the blogging world. I have to say that the wood from your friend's garden had me totally hoodwinked. I saw an old book (or new one meant to seem old) that had been burned and waterlogged and that all sorts of stories to tell of its adventures as a well loved and oft used journal of world traveler. Or that what sprang into my mind...

    Until I scrolled on down to see you've finally overcome your concerns and added blue. Just simply exquisite. More please.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for my welcome back message Jennifer. I too have missed my blogging friends and it sure is nice to hear back from you. That wood is amazing and though I have enough for a couple of books, I am thinking of asking if I can steal lots more from my friend and make a whole grouping of bark books. They look like ancient lost wisdom to me .... the possibilities there are quite rich I think. And yes - the BLUE. There will be more. Gently gently :-)

      Delete
  4. I am SO pleased to read your post this morning - I have missed your posts and wonderful work very much.
    We have just come back from a week in Venice and my camera and my head are full of ideas so I must get down to work too.
    I hope that your health is better now and that 2015 will be a good year.
    Love to you
    Diane.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lovely to hear from you Diane. I will wander over very soon and see what you photographed in Venice - then watch as that inspiration unfolds into work from you studio. Exciting. I am way better now thank you. May 2015 be a good year to remember.

      Delete
  5. How great to read your lovely and inspiring blog again. There is so much to enjoy in this post - that wonderful layered bark, the stitch on the photos further down and those delicious etchings ... what pleasure!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Margaret. It means a great deal to me that you follow and enjoy my posts. Thank you. I have been thinking of you whilst I have been stitching in my 'downstream' book. Will post photos of it soon. Thanks for the encouragement.

      Delete
  6. I just love the images for 'downstream' amazing and the bark WOW fantastic

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Debbie - I have been working hard on 'downstream' and will post photos of the completed book soon. I too love that bark and can't wait to get started with it.

      Delete
  7. Happy New Year to you as well, Susan! I'm happy to hear you're back in your studio and to know that we will be able to follow your work in this space again. You have some wonderful materials to work with and I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with them...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Lisa. Oh I am glad to be back in touch - especially as my posting halted so soon after our blog hope experience. I will write an email soon, and in betwen, will head to your blog and have a peek at what you have been up to. I am really enjoying having time to work in the studio again - ahving said that, the last few days I have been away having a few blissful days at the beach. Back into the studio tomorrow!

      Delete
  8. My 2 previous comments seem to have been blown along by the snowstorm's winds so I'm going to give this one more try...

    The wood had me totally hoodwinked. I thought it was an artist book created to look like one that had been burned and waterlogged. Imagine my surprise! And then I scrolled on down to see that blue line running through your river book and a big grin spread across my face. You finally took the plunge and added just the right bit of blue. It's heavenly.

    Welcome back to the blogging world! You've been missed. Sorry I've been remiss in saying so. Enjoy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. loved having two gorgeous meassages from you Jennifer. Thank you! For some strange reason most of these comments on my post didn't come up in my email inbox, which is the norm and I only found them by going into the comments moderation page. I will check both in future!

      Delete
  9. Lovely to see you back Susan. How lucky to have your visit coincide with an Anselm Kiefer exhibition....and the bark is gorgeous and does look Kieferish. I'm sure you'll do something wonderful with this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Helen. I will look forward to telling you about the Anselm Kiefer exhibition when we catch up - it literally blew me away. Couldn't focus for hours!

      Delete
  10. Welcome back... sounds - and looks- like you have been to some wonderful places and travels.. and Anselm Kiefer exhibit as well... from your beginnings of new work it looks like you have returned refreshed and inspired. I love the beach stones...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks Donna. Will tell you more about my trip when I email - which I have been wanting to do for weeks and weeks! Looking forward to bringing some work to completion. x

      Delete
  11. p.s. that layered bark is fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  12. i like where downstream is going!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Velma - I have even used stitching on the pages ... hope you enjoy the finished work once I post on it.

      Delete
    2. stitching, well i'm anticipating this!

      Delete

I appreciate your comments - thank you!