Last time I blogged was February. Shocking. It was so grey. I was so low in spirits. Terrifying thoughts of how short a time I have left. The bleak prospect of watching someone I loved slipping inexorably down. Inevitably following him into the abyss. It seemed unkind to desert him for more than a few minutes to pursue my personal needs or even to think about painting.
But that was then. Miraculously things have improved. The dreadful Covid isolation has eased. We have had a visit from his daughters from Australia. Their long-distance support turned briefly into two weeks of a physical presence with such love, kindness, practicality giving me sheer relief and delegation of my erstwhile total responsibility. With their encouragement I am achieving a slight shift in my attitude to our situation. Gradually enabling me to come to terms with putting things into compartments and switching off one stream of thought at a time. So I’m now beginning to see that I really can devote energy and attention to art again.
This is the start of the proposed new work.
Interestingly, though not seeking to further my art practise, it seems to have taken on a life of it’s own. Things have a way of happening under their own volition when you stop trying. An invitation to stage a solo exhibition in a beautiful venue simply popped up. It was a dream opportunity. The Gallery owner hung the work, organised the Private View and invigilated the whole show. Then the crowning glory was selling my largest painting for £1000.
Next came another exhibition shared with Amy Drayson at Carousel Gallery in Framlingham. This proved less of a financial success but was enjoyable nevertheless. Amy and I are now preparing for an exhibition at Woodbridge and are optimistic that this might be better.
I feel energised to produce more work and have started a new series using oil paint instead of acrylic. Somehow I have lurched from the depths of despair into a more positive frame of mind. I’m currently firming up ideas to revisit previous themes after scanning through sketchbooks. Until now I’ve danced around too many topics and genres. It’s time to concentrate and dig deeper. In my next blog more details of the progression will emerge.
It’s 2 am and I can’t sleep. So much art in progress and I can’t stop thinking/planning in my head/deciding what to exhibit and where. I have 3 upcoming exhibitions. I’ve just finished reworking a couple of Australian memory paintings and enjoyed basking in the remembered sunshine particularly as it’s been so grey and cold lately.
Here are two more outback paintings.
Planning to paint the Hellebores next which have just started blooming furiously in the garden. So much to do and so little time left.
Tomorrow I shall swim with Jo and Kate as Kate has popped home from Edinburgh for a few days. Precious time with my grand daughter should inspire and energise I hope.
I suddenly decided to try oil paint again after many years of enjoying Acrylics. Not sure what prompted this but am already so glad I did. The buttery texture of the oily colours is great. Here’s my first experiment.
Reworking an old subject over a base layer of blue acrylic. I sold a version of this at Art Fair East and I enjoyed remembering the sensation of swimming in a Welsh lake.
Next I retrieved one of a series of underwater oil paintings which I made for my MA degree show back in 2015. The pale green base suggested memories of swimming in the shallow water at Wells next the Sea. I love the colours of underwater flesh turning blue so just did feet from memory.
Felt reasonably happy with this so next, after a visit to Gallery East where I saw paintings by Kate Giles I felt inspired to rework a landscape which I started loosely in acrylics after a walk in the all too rare sunshine recently. After so many grey winter days the sun briefly caught some yellow leaves still clinging onto the trees near the Water Meadows. Thinking about Kate’s broad, loose brushstrokes I mixed some green and gold oil colours. It’s not there yet but I’m hopeful it might work.
Spurred on by seeing my friend, Amy starting a blog, I’m coming back yet again.
My new garden studio lies unused. Cocooned until the warmth of the sun allows me to linger more than the odd few minutes when I poke my head in to test the temperature. It’s been sunny lately leading me to hope that it’s possible to paint. But each time I think about trying the cold paralyses me and I return to the warmth of the house.
A rapid sketch on a freezing walk is the only brief piece of art I have accomplished lately. See above. One day soon I’ll start again properly.
Wow….. months since I blogged. So much and Nothing has happened.
Covid lockdowns – In common with many artist friends, I felt a sense of paralysis. Unable to move forward…. stuck ……waiting for inspiration….for things to get better.
Husbands illness – thankfully partly resolved – pacemaker fitted – gradual recovery.
Lost my Sudbury studio…moved into the dining room at home….but this just didn’t work. My working space is important and has a big impact on how I feel about art. It sounds like an excuse but to me it feels real and necessary to have a space where I feel comfortable. I’m sure I’m not alone in this?
Gained beautiful new garden studio – see photo below…. Now feeling quite optimistic there’s hope on the horizon for a further step forward.
Discovered I enjoy long walks across the flooded Water Meadows (
in my posh new French boots.)
This inspired new work of course and following on from the Newlyn Art School online course which I bought in desperation after months of artists block, I seem to have struck out again on efforts towards abstraction.
So now it’s onwards and upwards….. I hope ???
