Friday, September 24, 2021

Find inspiration (whatever that is)


As I write, I see the neighbour's sheets billowing in the wind as they hang on the line to dry. 

I went for an hour-long walk today - nowhere fancy just the usual paths. I didn't listen to music, just the wind in the trees and the birds, footsteps and breath. I felt the coolness in the air, watched over the ferns growing in an old wall and the dappled light filtering down into the old railway path. 

I have been down lately and my foundation, askew. 

So it's time to build the foundation back up, slowly, mindfully. Walking alone in nature is one way I can do this and as autumn approaches yet again, walking is a proven and tested remedy to the extra darkness that will come soon enough. 

I have been hard-pressed to find inspiration (whatever that is) and that makes it harder to create anything

So, I am taking creating anything off the table for now. My new goal (thanks to a friend) is to just make marks for a while each day. Inspiration is really a habit and so many of our habits have been challenged. I am no different. So I set a timer for 15 minutes and made marks and enjoyed it enough that I set the timer for another 15 and made more marks and then I went for my walk. And this is how I will return to something that I can depend on. I'll walk and make marks. 

The Abstractionistas have a couple of exhibitions planned for October and November and we are excited. But more on that next week.

For now, make marks, walk, rebuild (again). 

Keep fighting.

Friday, September 17, 2021

Exhibitions, Studio Visits, Ko-fi and more!


What a lovely weekend we all had at the Inception exhibition in the Dalkeith Palace at the Dalkeith Country Park! It was great to meet so many fellow artists, see friends and associates, and make new and renewed connections over art in such a wonderful setting. Congratulations to all involved and thanks to everyone for coming out in support. You can enjoy my complete ‘Echoes and Memory’ series on my website.



For those that may have needed a bit more time to think about a potential purchase, my studio G23 is located at The Out of the Blue Drill Hall in Leith and is open by appointment - please message me through my website to arrange a viewing

You can also find my work at Solo Gallery in the Scottish Borders and Helensburgh Art Hub on the West Coast.

I was delighted to make it to my studio this week as well, here's my Tuesday Video Visit as proof! 

   

In other news, I worked on fine-tuning my membership tiers over on my Ko-fi page. There are lots of lovely perks over there in exchange for your support. Check them out.


Friday, September 10, 2021

Inception opens TODAY!


Inception opens today Friday, September 10th from 10-6pm and will be open again on Saturday, September 11th and Sunday, September 12th from 10-5pm at the incredible Dalkeith Palace. If you haven't bought your tickets yet you still have time to snap some up and make a weekend of it!

I installed my work on Monday and the five paintings fit the space perfectly and the colours harmonised. It was a magical moment. You'll have to come and see it for yourself.

Join us for ‘Inception’ at Dalkeith Palace at the Dalkeith Country Park.

Participating artists:
Frances Bell
Kelly Anne Cairns
Megan Chapman
Christine Clark
Walter Dalkeith
Domenica de Ferranti
Katy Eccles
Ripley
William Foyle
Jonathan Freemantle
Taisir Gibreel
Claire Gillie Thompson
Frippy Jameson
Nancy Macdonald
Hatti Pattisson
Craig Rae Ferguson
Elaine Speirs
Christiana Spens
Gill Walton
Julia Trotter

I’ll have these five works on two walls on the first floor upstairs in what was once the palace nursery and I’ll have five smaller framed pieces available in the pop-up shop on the main floor. Looking forward to meeting all the artists and greeting the patrons! 

Tickets: https://www.dalkeithcountrypark.co.uk/events/inception-art-show/

Lots more exciting news next week! Stay tuned! See you this weekend!

Friday, September 3, 2021

Wherever you go, there you are

September is here. Autumn approaches. 

I can't say that I am exactly ready for it. Time moves so quickly and I am not looking forward to the short, darker and wet days. 

I have to borrow inspiration. I can feel that seasonal new beginning feeling around the edges of things if I close my eyes and try (like making a wish on a birthday cake). Like the best parts of a "back to school" montage from my youth. A time of reinvention. Every autumn I tried to be someone else - I believed it was as easy as changing your hair and makeup while trying to emulate a Benetton or Espirit advertisement from my Seventeen magazine. It never worked and the weird, old soul, new waver/art-punk kid emerged after a few weeks.

Wherever you go, there you are.

I am sort of ready to get clear on what that weird, old soul, new waver/art-punk now squarely middle-aged woman needs right now in her life, in her work and in her community. I am thinking the next 6 months may need to be radical and filled with hard work and deep truths. 

I haven't been painting much lately - mainly because I feel that I have exhausted the home studio capabilities. I am ready to "fuck shit up" with paint and I can't do that in a rented house. Also, I have a perfectly good studio just waiting for me. It's so complicated. The studio costs money, getting to the studio costs money, covid is still out there (public transport). Making art costs money and I have a studio full of completed paintings just waiting to find homes. Art sales have slowed to a stop and it almost feels decadent to paint more things to store, document, and archive. I have been quite down about it. I wrestle with the whole point of this art thing. The market is saturated, everyone's work starts to look the same, and social media can feel like a cornucopia of shite. 

However, regardless of my feelings, opportunities keep showing up and I am prepared for them and this is a good thing. 

Helensburgh Art Hub

Dalkeith Palace

Solo Gallery

And a visit to Bannockburn House as a potential venue for the Abstractionistas collective. Enjoy the latest Tuesday Studio Video Visit if you missed it. 

 

I am honoured to be a Ko-Fi ambassador and feel truly supported by the Ko-fi platform. I will be launching my membership tiers in the coming days with lots of wee treats and rewards for my ko-fi friends when you become a monthly supporter. I am excited to be getting that in order. 

Don't forget I also sell my small works and prints exclusively through my Ko-fi Shop.

I am learning new skills, networking and trying to get clear.

I've been hitting the yoga mat more regularly again and soon, I will be out exploring on more walks (as I do walk more in the autumn and winter here in Scotland to make sure I get the light and nature I need). 

I even have an idea for a future body of work so that is a good sign. 

This is such a weird gig. Being a painter is like putting on ill-fitting clothes, all the seams are wrong and it's been cut strangely but you still love them, even though you can't lift your arms or sit. 

This is my blog, my space, my truth and my feelings and there is nothing to fix. 

Bring on the soup, the cosy jumpers, the long walks, the plans, the dreams, and especially the "fucked up" art. 

Let's get radical.

Thanks for being here.