Well, I didn't get my arts council funding. The funding levels have been cut by 40% since last year. I HATE THE OLYMPICS!!!
Anyway… spent an hour today working on the photographic ideas. I'm looking at ways of making photographic prints onto different surfaces. I've found this process I really like and today, finally i got some really promising results. I am really grateful for the help from my scientist friend Ken and photographer Paddy. I think there is a possibility that these could really work. I must also get a move on with my drawings. I'm trying to get some books together for the exhibition. It's a real shame about the funding. I had it all lined up with the old printer guy in Abergele and now I don't have time to do another application so I'm fed up!! Especially since so much time was spent putting the application together, meeting to discuss the arts council, putting all the contacts in place. Also it would have been perfect for the exhibitions.
Been getting the work together for the printcentre stand at printfest 08. It's this weekend in Ulverston go up and meet Karen and Jane who are doing the stand, say hello. I think it should be really good, we're showing work by 24 or more printmakers who use the centre. got some good unframed prints for sale and also made some prototype badges for the exhibition. http://www.printfest.org.uk/
Been really busy lately… these are a selection of new things I have in the pipeline. I'm really interested in developing some photographic work but as yet it will need to do just that…develop.
I'm working on a number of things in tandem that evolve around this idea of protection, memory, home, safety. The work is semi biographical and I intend there to be an element of duality. I'm as interested in people's response as to my intention. There are a lot of ideas relating to Fairy Tales and the telling of stories. This is something I have been developing for some time now and I'm hoping that this exhibition in Wrexham will have someting of that magical quality about it. The title of the exhibition hopefully has that feel about it. I do sometimes lie awake listening to my i-pod which has birdsong on it. I do sometimes wake early in the morning and hear a lone blackbird searching for the day to come. It's not normal to hear birds at night unless it is an owl, or a night jar, these don't ordinarily sing happily, they are more associated with an eeriness.
I'm waiting to hear about a funding application to develop a book…should hear any day. I want there to be an element of narrative and past times, mementos.
I've got a solo exhibition coming up in August at Wrexham Arts Centre. I have been working on stuff for the show for the past three years. I'm really interested in exploring themes that have been relevant to me for the past decade. At the same time I'm working on projects at the print centre including our programme of workshops, we have two next week, and an exhibition in Liverpool and two Chinese artists coming over to stay for six weeks as part of a larger cross Wales project, and I want to apply for some funding towards a small project alongside the Wrexham show, and then there's another show in Caernarfon at the end of the year and to say nothing of the print centre touring shows and the postcard and place projects… all this and still it feels as though nobody is interested in an artist from the sticks!
