When I have been out of the studio a while, even for a month, it takes me a while to feel at home. Not really feel at home as such, as the Studio is where I feel most at home, I guess I mean re connected. In touch with what I am hoping to create. I am sure we all know what I mean even though I am not expressing myself adequately!
In October, one of my young friends is getting married. My daughter will be one of the bridesmaids for this very formal and special wedding. I have been asked, in lieu of both engagement and wedding gifts, to make art for Anna. I know that Anna loves my work but all those confidence lacking traits seem to come to the fore when I am painting/creating for someone, rather than them seeing a work and saying that they love it ..... hence the way out of my dilemma is to spend the next month making a dozen or more images that I think Anna and I will both like, and then let her choose. This may be a cop out - but it also means I will have lots of hanging artwork completed once she has chosen.
Starting points ...... a few of the artworks will be formed out of my manipulation of paper. I sometimes like to use this method to prompt ideas, rather than impose my thoughts on the paper. I have enough of those and will be spending time forcing my opinions onto those blank spaces but yesterday I began playing with some paper to see what ideas would arrive. This first one has given me plenty of room for thought and I am looking forward to bringing it to completion. I have shown small snippets of larger sheets in subsequent photographs. Certainly there are enough marks, and enough interest to lead me along the way. I have been working with books and hence much smaller images so much over the last while that I hope I am able to sustain this form of imagery on large sheets of paper.
