I am in the very early stages of planning a bigger exhibition than I have ever attempted before. With the mentoring and support of Meadow Arts I am embarking on setting up The Leap Open, an exhibition of work by artists within 10 years of graduating or 5 years of completing their Masters’ degree. The aim of the exhibition is to highlight the work of artists taking the long leap from college to mid-career and boosting their exposure and inclusion in the art world conversation and exchange.
The title of my blog is just so fitting! Wood for the trees – I am really getting the feeling of being in a forest of opportunity and I have to choose just a few to take up. I am a child in a sweetshop in the art world. I keenly remember back in about 2002 reading a-n print magazine and so wanting to belong to that world. I call it this world now, finding myself somewhere within it. Now I’m here I have to prevent myself from overload, to ensure I can really make the most of each project I am involved with.
I have just taken down my work from The Young Open in Hereford with 13 other artists in St Peters church as part of the h. Art week. As one of the organisers I have been experiencing the work involved in the whole thing. With all the organising of this and an exhibition ‘PaperFields’ coming up in October (see publicity material attached, designed by Daisy Rickards) I have had to make do with only a few days or hours for my own practice each week recently. It feels greedy, but I know I need at least 2 whole days of making to be at my best. The other thing I have been lacking is a visit to exhibitions outside of my locality. I’m hoping I can fit in a trip to Tate Britain next week to see the Late Turner – Painting Set Free exhibition as well as take in other gems at the Britain to re-charge me!
My current work has involved pitching intuitive painting against text on a surface. I am finding my work most interesting when there is a lot of uncertainty in it. I often pick up work I’ve done in the past year and re-visit it and with my new approach something often clicks and something exciting happens. When I just have to do something – this is the only way I can describe it – I’m often working with words and yet beyond them.
I’ll be printing at The Print Shed within the week – starting with Intaglio engraving – I am really looking forward to it; I haven’t done a great deal of printing before, mostly lino print, but I am itching to get going now I have an idea of what’s possible. Cy Twombly’s aquatints (Untitled II, 1967. Etching, open bite, and aquatint) really caught my eye during research last year.
