I’m getting so tired of reading the same phrases…sense of place; evoking memories;capturing the feel of the place rather than it’s physical representation ; materiality of the medium ….I could go on but I think you’ll get my drift. It’s all so inevitable and makes me think all artists, including myself, are striving for the same things. To transport the viewer into their own emotions about what they are looking at and trying to paint in an original manner rather than a purely representational or, dare I say it, a traditional style.
So, how do artists write about their work without becoming boring and/or pompous? I’ve long had a dislike of what I call ‘artspeak’. The use of invented adjectives to bamboozle the public into thinking I’m an intellectual. But I’m not. I’m someone who is in awe of the beauty and constant astonishment of the world around us, and who loves to paint. I couldn’t say precisely why I love to paint….something about the magic of watching the liquid paint swirling around on a surface and becoming something. The feeling you get when it works out well and the challenge to extricate the problems when it doesn’t. It’s an addiction. You think maybe one more dollop of red will solve it. Or if you scrape back to how it was a minute ago it will improve? It’s a never-ending battle, but one you cannot abandon.
There….not an artspeak word in sight but I think it sort of gives an inkling of what it’s about.
I went to the Summer Exhibition twice this week and revelled in the glorious eclectic mix. I hoped it would give me a clue about how to get selected. But it’s as much a mystery as ever. Here are some of the pieces which I loved and which moved me. Not a single link between them.
A good week. Started with the Symposium of Chinese Art at University of Suffolk….the very first day of the new name and status as Suffolk Uni. Proud to be graduating next year as one of the first cohort.
A stimulating, interesting day too.Then on Tuesday and today (Wednesday) I’ve been painting almost solidly. Started with this one…memories of Cyprus.
Then, as I’d already made an image of Catterline, I decided to go on with the theme of making images from pure memory of places which mean something to me. Suffolk was an obvious next choice.
I wasn’t very happy with this. A bit too calm, figurative and yet with no hint of my feelings about the scene. So I started to think back to the Cornwall Residency. This was fresh in my mind as I’ve just been accepted for another week there next year…looking forward to it already.
I’ve actually reworked this one several times and it’s still not quite there. Needs time to settle so it’s sitting at the back of the studio for now. Next I saw a large painting of rocks which hadn’t worked out so I thought I’d rework it. This was better. I used the lines of the original composition but simplified it and used the colours that seemed to pop into my head as representative of the brilliant sea in sunshine.
So, it’s been a good week and it’s only Wednesday ! I must now try to reflect on all this using proper art language rather than this garbled diary description….that’s the hard bit.
It’s really good having a space at University for the summer. Although I have a studio at home, going to a distant place is more motivating somehow.
First I started to work in oil-paint as have been told I should…conforming to others expectations again – Bad. But I really don’t like oils so now I’m reverting to acrylics, my favourite and also, it occurred to me that I’m about line and mark-making rather than colour and form. So these are my latest offerings. Not finished work but tentative explorations and ideas. These might go somewhere on my next visit to the Summer Studio…..watch this space.
Whilst sorting through old work, I began to think that most of the stuff I did from 2010 till 2013 – my BA study years, was much better and more alive, than my current output on the MA course. Quite worrying. There was somehow more spark and enthusiasm in the older stuff, more of myself. Somewhere along the journey, I seem to have become institutionalised. As I’ve said before, I’m easily swayed by others opinions and too ready to fall into the mode of trying hard to fulfil criteria and to please other people’s expectations. Only last week I was accused of trying too hard. I know it’s far too easy to refer to patterns of behaviour laid down in our childhoods, but it does seem to me that the theory has some truth. I find it extremely difficult to truly follow my own convictions in Art as well as in Life.
Tomorrow I’m starting a life-drawing class. I really like observational drawing and so I’m looking forward to this. Maybe it will be the means to propel me into finding my true direction in Art.
The pictures I’ve added here are a sample of my old work. Any comments?Goodness knows why they’ve appeared twice???? I only added them once – honest. But daren’t delete the doubles or it’ll all go pear-shaped again ….technology?
Well since I last blogged, I still haven’t done much painting. The second Cyprus trip was purely for fun and relaxation but did confirm that it’s a lovely place to go. Will definitely be returning.
On arrival back home had to really quickly get painting to provide work for an exhibition by a fellow MA student’s professional practice module. This was one unexpected result.
I had this image in the back of my mind. I reworked an old painting which I had previously not known how to complete. A memory of the words my brother spoke to me back in 1990 drifted back and became the catalyst for the finished image. I think it may be my ultimate goodbye to Andy.
Anyway it went into the exhibition. I purposely want it to be enigmatic and for the viewer to put their own interpretation on the subject. So the title is part of the mystery. I also gave her two large square impressionistic works based on a visit to Norfolk sand dunes and a reworked version of Neptune Quay in Ipswich.
These four were submitted in a hurry and again lethargy set in but only briefly. The next move was to set up a summer studio space in the Arts Block at Suffolk Uni. A bit deja vu….as it was almost exactly where I had my space during my BA days. My good friend Sarah Bale has grabbed the space next to me and I’m looking forward to spending a lovely creative summer there. I made a start yesterday. Not sure where it’s going but just got stuck in and hope the paint will show me where to go next. Will blog on the results as they happen.
