As I post more of the latest work I am reflecting on where next & a new exhibition. It seems to be arranging itself. A new Gallery organied by ‘VAN’ Shropshire & Telford Visual Art Network (A Charity) is now open. It is in a corner of the Market Hall in Shrewsbury and will primarily showcase work by Shropshire artists.
The Gallery is run by artists & those interested in the visual arts. All of them are volunteers. We have been invited to put up the 2011 Art Allotments show there in the new year and run workshops in the adjoining space.
At the same time this projct feels as though either the exhibition will mark the end or, if it continues, it is time for a new approach. So in the next few days we will consider what that is likely to be.
Oh dear the blog has lapsed again and that goes against the very nature of blogging as I understand it. I admire writers who can engage me repeatedly with accounts of their daily creative enthusiasm & struggles all wrapped in expressive language.
I have had a pile of Art allotment envelopes looking at me for several weeks but the spare time I wanted at a time that suited, with the will that I needed seemed to elude me….. until now!
Before I opened anyone else’s envelope I finally opened my envelope, took photos of the contents & began to make my piece/s. Amazingly it was easy. It proved so very easy & so very restorative. Why didn’t I do it sooner I ask myself? I am now creatively inspired, keen to make more collages and ready to open & photograph everyone else’s envelopes.
I am still posting pictures from July as the new envelopes from August are coming back in the post. Reading again the accompanying comments I am struck how it is the importance of immediacy in the project that keeps everyone focused.
Estella related “I decided to go for the first idea that struck me and not get involved with adding to much – just a bit of pen – The temptation is to add paint and consquently make the collage into a more serious Work of Art by obliterating a lot of the elements. Better to be spontaneous in the spirit of the idea!”
Jude was more serious and in her work pasted some thought provoking speech bubbles from two people in conversation.
“Thinking & talking”
How is it affecting me?
Why? and What is it about? and
What is it meaning?
She comments that she wasn’t sure she liked the outcome … Alas something common to us all occuring much too often.
Bev … illustated here, found her idea flowed easily.
“Thanks again for a really great envelope of stuff – what a pure pleasure to do something uncomplicated, fun and stress free!!! My contribution was inspired by colour (again) – the purpley – pink colours immediately evoked lavender, cypresses, holiday in Umbria…
Tomorrow I will open the new batch!!
If the cartoons didn’t trigger a response then the text, or in this case the letter z seems to have been the key. Overall the responses seem to fall into 3 categories. Narrative, text/word or letter inspired or abstract as a response to colour, tone, texture or shape.
The responses of the participating artists have been polarised. “It was really hard, I wasn’t inspired & I took a while to make something. OR “It was great, I did if after a stressful day & it was fun and restorative”
Again the key to every response it not having to chose the materials. Someone else has done that, it is fun, there are no value judgements and it does seem to inspire other ideas and inform other work.
Today when struggling to shape an idea I tipped out a collection of relevant reference materials. There was no help where I needed it but instead something new has appeared. Lying among the scraps & cuttings, a random chance arrangement. I have left it as I write this and will return later & look again.
Far too much time has passed while I have procrastinated about continuing this blog. All was going well then there was an unexpected exhibition opportunity, which took up a few weeks, work and lots of other stuff that needed to be done until suddenly I had all the finished Art work and was going on holiday posting the third set of envelopes as I travelled on my way.
So, having made my excuses I will finally I will put up all the work from last month before this months envelopes start arriving through my letterbox.
