Visualising the Invisible

I was lucky enough to be included in a local exhibition with the theme ’emergence’. The word for me conjured up ideas of growth from childhood into womanhood – a current theme within my practice.

The work I produced for this open call came from using the elemental energy of fumage, the concept of light and shadows, the idea of emerging from the darkness of a difficult childhood space, and the rebirth of my youthful wonder as I start to reclaim myself in adulthood.

When I was selected my initial thought was to buy a standard low-cost frame from a local home store and make the work fit. However, after sitting with the work for a while and giving this more consideration I began to think about the narrative I was giving to the work and myself as a professional artist by doing so.

By choosing the easiest option in framing am I not saying that my work does not deserve my care and attention now the initial energy of inspiration has been executed? Is this not a direct metaphor for my own lack of confidence as an artist and the feeling of being an amateur in the professional world? An artist who is not quite invested in her own vision?

Framing and presenting the finished art is a secondary work all of its own. Choosing sizes, space, colours within a framework adds its own layer and story to the image. It changes the viewer’s experience and as such deserves equal regard to the initial concept.

I am new to this idea and still figuring out the best way to present things, I suspect it is an infinite learning curve, however, I took some time and spent a little more on the framing for this exhibition and am pleased with the results – although not yet brave enough to add a higher price label to the work, that I will leave for another day.

In another foray into print-making techniques this weekend I attempted copperplate etching in my kitchen. The grand idea was an Arthur Rackham-esque quality print to use for an open call submission.

Having attended a wonderful workshop at the Bury Print Studio and made (what I thought were) diligent notes I assumed success and duly set about sketching ideas.

Suffice it to say the process was nowhere near as simple when unguided by a practiced hand and despite several attempts, I ended the day with an ink-covered kitchen and a few rather unsatisfactory prints.

Initially, I was very disheartened and disappointed in my lack of skill, the prints were stuffed into a corner along with the equipment and I convinced myself I had no future as a printmaker (good old ‘all or nothing’ ADHD brain!). However, returning to the prints a day later I was able to see them anew and somehow in all the strange marks and splodges I could now sense an atmosphere I had dismissed before. All these ‘errors’ carried their own story and added animation and narrative to the background of the print.

The outlines of the figurative elements were very faint but readable enough for me to go over by hand and instead of dismissing these unscripted results, I was able to appreciated them. The finished effect was ethereal and atmospheric.

The whole experience was a metaphorical reminder to reconsider my own human ‘flaws’ in a new light.

The piece has been duly entered into the open call it was originally conceived for. Now all that’s left to do is cross my fingers and plan more experimenting with print.