Looking back at this very ancient drawing made by me aged 4, I realised that back then I did understand Conceptual Art. The drawing shows me as a small bridesmaid at my aunt’s wedding. The poor Bridegroom is nowhere to be seen but the Maid of Honour who I remember as very tall with big black hair and a deep red dress dominates. I was afraid of her and you can see me edging away from the group. My feelings of uneasiness sensing the undercurrents, as her daughter had not been chosen as a bridesmaid, are very evident to me in this drawing.
I’m going to search many other old memories and try to recapture the emotions I felt back then and to inject these into paintings. It doesn’t matter if these feelings are clear to the viewer or not as long as the viewer experiences their own reactions,of some sort,to my image.
Living life backwards,as I do, seems to suit me. Or rather life flows backwards and forwards and each time it gets better. I don’t fear it’s end just hope it continues as long as possible and am always in a hurry to do so many things before I go. Must have retired at least 4 times but now back teaching again to a lively Art Group every Wednesday who thirst for knowledge and stretch my knowledge, enthusiasm and inventiveness – lovely!
Alongside this the MA course is exciting and taxing my brain to the limits. I learn something new every week.
I’m looking at how I use drawing. The painting of a swimmer was ‘drawn out’ from memory of the experience of swimming and not from referring to an actual drawing. This is a method I’m exploring and the second painting is from the sensory experience of watching a ballet class. I’m hoping these two evoke far more than the visual image of what they seek to represent ???
