The first entry in my next blog reads ‘Thai Curry cooked by Una. Delicious, food tastes better on an island after a day of outdoor activity.’
[Food will be an important part of the project since not only will it sustain us but also the evening meal will be a point of communication for everyone at a particular point in the day. We all fall into the routine of eating at 8pm seated around the table (and around the edges of the room since space is not plentiful in the cottage) when the day’s activities are shared and discussed.]
Next blog entry – written 22nd June , 2.50pm
I have just spent the morning drawing and painting. Every piece I did was unsuccessful, weak and poorly observed. I am pleased that I walked to the far side of the island where my embarrassment is hidden from the other artists. If I think rationally, it is many years since I have painted and drawn in this way, in response to the landscape. My drawings are usually referenced by the action of drawing together with the physical limitations my body imposes. Equally my drawings are usually big (approx 1.5 x 5+metres) and I am now trying to contain marks in an A5 sketchbook and a pad of A3 cartridge paper.
I am cheered up by the weather. It is fine today, a slight coastal breeze and plenty of sun. There are oystercatchers flying overhead – one female setting up a piercing cry since her nest is close to where I am passing by. The sea is as blue as the paint in my palette.
Later in the evening
I have found that I am not the only one to be experiencing dissatisfaction with their work. At the end of the day, others are voicing similar experiences so I have decided that I will read, walk, learn and listen rather than attempting to make work. After all there is no requirement to produce an outcome from this experience.
