A Portrait of an Artist as a Very Late Starter

I have done it!  After agonising over my role on the committee of Ryedale ArtWorks for six months or so, I have finally resigned.  I need more time to myself in the studio, plus; fighting fracking up here is getting more serious.  I can’t have more than one other thing in my life that demands my attention and it is time for some other artist members of RAW to step up and take responsibility for their organisation.  I have worked for four years on their behalf so it is time for a break.  I feel hugely relieved now that I have taken this step.

After spending the morning demonstrating in the cold at the entrance of Third Energy’s private road in Knapton, I simply could not face the freezing studio so have been doing some more research for my ballot box in the warm.  I have a lot to do in quite a short time, so I’ll keep you posted!

It was 4c today up here; I didn’t get to the studio until about 11.30 by the time I had found my extra scarf, painty fleece, hat etc.

There was evidence of mice when I finally got inside having battled with the swollen wooden door; the damp is such a pain and I fret constantly about having paper out there in my plans chest.  I have kept the best stuff in the plastic bags it comes in, which is just as well because the drawers are all so swollen I can’t shut them properly and dust and dirt creates a film over everything.  As for mice, we have them as home at well, and it is very difficult to get rid of them, I hate the damage they do.  Talk about the artist in her frozen garret!

3 tasks today: postcards for Surface Gallery, getting to grips with the ballot box, working on a piece on paper that I left pinned to the wall before Christmas.

I tend to have several things on the go at once when I am working; everything relates to everything else and I like the way one set of work can inform another.  Plus, it stops me wasting time, waiting for something to dry; I just move across to another piece.

It was just as well I had three things to work on today as it was so damp my thickly applied acrylic on the postcards simply refused to dry for the entire session!  I sloshed some white emulsion mixed with acrylic matt medium and water over the paper piece on the wall and then applied some white acrylic drippily on top a bit later; I’ll continue to draw and slosh paint onto this until I achieve the kind of surface/meaning I look for.  I have no idea what this will look like at the end and I am lately toying with using oil bars to draw into the works with.  In fact, I have been toying with the idea of switching to using oils for a bit, so that I can incorporate drawing with oil bars and applying more washy paint on top, building layers, but not sure I can afford to buy oil paints as well as the acrylics I am running out of. . .

Whilst sloshing the thin paint onto paper the ballot box was in my peripheral vision.  I tried not to panic.

A quick lunch of reheated soup from last night using my bargain microwave.  I am so glad to be able to heat food up out there!  After a warm by my calor heater, I approached the ballot box with my camera. . . . .

I took lots of photos.  The posting slot is much narrower than I had envisaged, even though I have always voted, I couldn’t remember how big the opening is.  In fact, a roll of toilet tissue fits perfectly, bringing to mind an interesting metaphor of shit.  We are rooted in the mud/shit, yet aspire to the stars.  The old dualism that I have been fascinated with since uni is always there, T J Clark’s essay The Mud and the Sheen brought sharply back into focus.

The box is black and apparently they were always given a new coat of paint before each election.  My painter brain instinctively loving this association of layers.

• Black Box
• White Paper
• Black words
• Black Marks

• Don’t keep us locked down
• Don’t keep us silent
• Don’t stop us contributing
• Don’t ignore our wishes
• Don’t ignore us
• Don’t ignore the facts
• Don’t deny the joy

I quite like the way the narrow strip of loo paper I used to try out the idea catches the light.  I intend to use Chinese paper because of its translucent quality and strength.  Using narrower paper will mean a smaller area to cover and therefor less work in that sense.  How long to make the roll?  How to loop/suspend the work?

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Shall I produce an accompanying artists’ book with notes about my thought processes if I have time?  I like this idea.  I need to decide which format book to make.  More research.  Shall I produce it in a very limited edition for sale?  Again, I like this.

• Stream of consciousness
• Words, thoughts
• Counting – tally marks
• Repetition
• Quotes; Suffrage, George Orwell, others

How to cut my roll of Chinese paper to size accurately?  Would it be possible to cut the roll through without tearing the edges?  If so, how?  Would a print company’s guillotine be able to do this?

More research required.

Christmas has been wonderful with all the family staying up here in Yorkshire. It has been a lovely opportunity to get to know our new grandson properly.  We are planning regular visits to London to keep the relationship strong.

Meanwhile, on with the business of being a “returning” artist.  I have an upcoming exhibition with a group of artists and students in the spring, based on democracy.  Each artist has a de-commissioned balltot box to work with as a starting point.  I have until early Feb. to get to a point where it can be photographed, so I shall be in the studio for the next few weeks.

Plans for this year are simple really;

• Develop my work in the studio.
• Select and enter any suitable exhibiting opportunities that come up.
• Don’t get side tracked.
• Fight the constant doubt.
• Stay in contact with the interesting artists I have met in the last few years.
• Keep the entries in this blog regular, using it as a place to reflect on my practice and hopefully connect with other artists here because it is such a wonderful, supportive and interesting community.
• Fight the constant doubt.  (I know, I’ve put it twice, but it looms so!)

 

I have no idea why I didn’t publish this when I wrote it in September, but here it is:

Life has been hectic; we’ve not had much chance to enjoy our new garden, we became grandparents at the beginning of July!  An artist friend described the experience of becoming a grandmother as “almost feral” when I was telling her how surprised I was at my emotional reaction to having a grandson and I have to say that I know exactly what she means.  Add to this a trip to Glastonbury Abbey to see Robert Plant and his band, (amazing), a big party at ours to celebrate my husband’s birthday, a family wedding and a trip to Florence; there has not been any time for studio work all summer.

I sold this drawing!  Whoop!  I don’t sell very often – can you tell?  Sold from the show “Drawings”, in York.  (See previous post).  I put it in at the last minute; it’s one of my favourites and I was surprised at the wrench I felt when I had to leave it behind to be posted to the new owners.  I need to sell more work so I’ll have to get used to it.  The cheque, however, is useful and already spent!

I used the cash to pay for my space at Islington Contemporary Art and Design Fair this October.  I was surprised and delighted to be contacted by Candid Arts a few weeks ago and invited to submit some work after they had seen some of it on line.  This kind of thing does not happen to me so I figured I needed to overcome my fear of driving into central London and go for it.  I am trepidatious and excited.  I will take some extra time when in London, stay with my daughter and catch up on some more exhibitions.

 

Memories.  Acrylic and mixed media on board. Sue Gough

So nice to be using the new improved site.  I’ve been frantically busy for the past few months; once I’d recovered from the infection, that took me six weeks, I then had preparation for North Yorkshire Open Studios to manage and the event itself to get through.  My first attempt at this was pretty successful; I sold three small pieces on paper and received lots of insightful and appreciative comments about my work from visitors.

When Open Studios was over I was straight into finishing off some small works on board for the show in York.  It opened on 2nd July and looks great.  I am proud to be showing my work alongside Sally Taylor and Lyn Wait as part of the series of exhibitions of Ryedale ArtWorks artists in collaboration with The White Room Gallery, Priestley’s No.36, Bootham, York.  We have already generated some interest from One and Other Magazine, so I await the results of that with a little trepidation, if I’m honest.

Here’s the press release that I wrote in response to a very last minute request:

Drawings

The White Room Gallery at Priestleys at Nº 36, Bootham, York

Artists: Sue Gough, Sally Taylor, Lyn Wait

Opens 2nd July through to 30th July.
Meet the Artists Saturday 12th July 2pm – 5pm

This exhibition features three artists for whom drawing is an integral part of their practice. Sue Gough explores ideas about the human condition with references to asemic text and textile construction, which communicate meaning in ways that are non-verbal. The tally motifs and lists provide structure and reflect on the repetition of daily living. www.suegough.blogspot.co.uk

Sally Taylor’s work explores the imminence of the hand-drawn mark with urgency and energy. Her Heads investigate facets of human communication. Sally’s contribution to contemporary drawing practice has been acknowledged through selection of work for the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011, 2009, 2004. She was included in the 54th Venice Bienale, WW Gallery, London and Drawing Paper #6. www.sallytaylor.net

Lyn Wait’s is interested in how, through physical presence, she might affect perceptions and perceived notions of landscapes and heritage. Lyn has used film, photography, singing, costume and participation to act out scenarios around specific rural sites. The drawings are from the series “Imaginary Interventions in the Countryside”. www.lynwait.net

All three artists are members of Ryedale ArtWorks, an artist led community dedicated to raising the profile of artists, makers and galleries from Ryedale and the region. www.ryedaleartworks.com

 

Information about Sally and Lyn was simply lifted from the Ryedale ArtWorks Directory, as I had to write it in a real hurry; Lyn is experiencing difficulties with her emails and it was difficult to contact her quickly and Sally is on holiday!

Once this show is over, I am sending some older work over to the visitor’s centre at Danby, North York Moors National Park, then I have nothing planned for the rest of the year apart from making some prints in the studio that I’ve been planning for ages.

On the home front: this stage of our eco refurbishment is finished and we have finally been able to have the hard landscaping in the garden started and a new area of “lawn” has been marked out and raked over, for the weed seeds to grow before we kill them off and lay proper turf.  It is such a relief not to be living in a building site and I feel like life’s equilibrium is being restored.  Is it wrong to be ridiculously and utterly excited at the thought of having a garden again?  I don’t care, cos I am.  I had not realised how the whole project has completely consumed me and left little energy left for my work.  The very fact of having some order restored at home is giving me more energy to think creatively and plan future work.