Artist’s notes

The only thing to do between the Christmas and New Year festivities and to keep sane is to  start some new work that can be developed once they are all over. So with that in mind I put together some of my video footage taken at the start of the Woods to Where Else project in Kings Wood (Challock).

https://vimeo.com/249118694

Very pleased to have sold a piece of work via Artfinder but very challenged by the issue of packaging it to despatch by post/courier. The packaging seemed to expand at every stage and I was also convinced I had some suitable cardboard at the ready for the final wrap but ended up with a box for a flat print! In the hope that there is a next time, I shall be much better prepared.

On another completely different note, it was very exciting to be in Coventry when the announcement came through that the city had won UK City of Culture. According to some of the feedback my talk went well though I remember very little of what I said. All good practice for January when I am doing another presentation as part of the Woods to Where Else project.

Had a wonderful day in The Kings Wood last week with fellow Woods to Where Else artists. It was such a luxury to participate in a workshop rather than organise, deliver or run one! So we were out in the woods thinking about the body in a space, moving into the woods, meeting, touching, feeling the tree trunks, twigs, leaves, moss, metal structures, roots, and looking up, down, behind. It was cold and wet and muddy but just as we finished the sun came out and almost blinded me, making little dots of blue and pink dance all over the page of my sketchbook (which I actually used).

Then it was back to the Forest Studio for lunch and some experimentation and a one-to-one to discuss ideas for the one-day residency we all get in the Studio.

My paper for Coventry is just about finished and I just need to sort some images so people have something to look at, while I am talking.

I’ve also been reorganising the shared studio space and have moved into the larger space upstairs. It feels a bit greedy but I am loving it. I am probably the only person who can see it is getting tidier/more organised as there is loads of stuff lying around still, including old bits of work – some of which is destined for the paper bin and some of which I may work over the top of.

I can only do so much organising so it is with a sense of relief that I have gone back to making … especially as I have not been having a great time recently, what with very painful knees and family-related tensions with Christmas coming up