Residency - Page 9 of 33 - a-n The Artists Information Company

Last week marked the 3rd and final week of my residency at Access Space that saw me utilise candle making to respond to the news of the day. Being the final week, it saw a shift of focus from working […]

As I take a week off from being on site, I’ve been wondering what has been achieved so far this year. Here are some thoughts and a few images from the past three weeks. At the start, I filled a […]

It is the end of the third week and some archaeologists are leaving, which means making sure I draw and interview people before they go. Drawing portraits is a perfect way to have a sound recorder running to hear my sitter’s stories and views on the […]

My relationship with the artefacts found on the dig. I need to be clear about this.  I am putting the thing into the context in which it was found.  That means not only drawing a stone in the hole in […]

It seems that for everyone the best laid plans are perpetually disrupted. This morning, one of the archaeologists told me that each night she makes plans for the next day, which dissolve almost as soon she arrives on site. In […]

A deeper sense of involvement on site today. Not that I don’t already feel immersed in the dig. The archaeologists are increasingly showing me what is going on – from sharing a find to explaining the process. Some things are […]

Yesterday was the first Open Day on the Ness of Brodgar site. We had over 200 visitors in the Art Hut, which meant going out to draw in the trenches was difficult. So I began a repeat of my ‘play’ with […]

I’ ve been busy interviewing a resident of one the seven houses now comprising Kearsney Court, which was completed around 1900 as a residence for Edward Percy Barlow, the owner of Wiggins Teape, a paper manufacture. (Barlow is mentioned in Watermark, a Dover Arts […]

A first oil painting on site. One of the benefits of spending a whole afternoon on one piece of work is listening to, and learning about, the ongoing the progress of the excavation – interspersed of course with discussions on […]

It’s week 2 of Scents of our Time at Access Space and, thankfully, I’ve finally managed to get a bit of visual material (almost) completed: Designed in a manner that apes news graphics, this painting continues a precedent set with […]

Lunchtime on the grass.  This week there are a lot more people working on site, with another group coming next week. Down by the waterside, Trench Y continues to prove interesting. A change in the earth colour and texture suggests […]

After days of sunshine last week, the weather has become more typical of the Orkney I know. It may be cold and grey but the colours and the clouds sitting on top of the hills are a gift to paint and draw. […]

  There is progress in Trench Y, down by the water’s edge, where they are looking for the outer wall of the settlement. A test pit revealed what they were hoping for so this has been enlarged.  Obviously it’s early […]

In response to a comment by a-n blogs on Twitter: Do Artists in Residence need a plan? I have decided the answer is no. The whole point of being an Artist in Residence is to interact with the host context […]

Two trenches are uncovering new ground. Trench J has been extended and today they are starting to find bits of pottery. The other is a completely new trench by the loch edge. This is a colour sketch that will be […]

People are asking what my plan is this year. Presumably because it is my third season there is an assumption that there is a clear route, which is far from the case. If I have a plan, it is simply […]

The second day of preparations for excavation, uncovering Trenches T and J. The tyres are removed using a long line or people to roll them to where they will be stacked. The tarpaulin is pulled from the trench and laid […]

The first drawing of the day. The first actions for the archaeologists is uncovering the site by removing all the car tyres that have been holding the tarpaulins down. This is followed by bailing out very unpleasant water. Finally the […]

This week sees the beginning of my residency at Access Space where I will create candles in situ in response to the news stories of the day. I will be present this Wednesday (4th July) although I expect much of […]

Preparing to go back to Orkney for my third Artist’s Residency on the Ness of Brodgar. After three days on the road, journey’s end with the ferry to Stromness. Sailing past The Old Man of Hoy, with a strong wind despite the […]

Studio-Intensive Day 9 Well, last day of my plan. It has been a headlong, packed week that is intended to project my development forward. Forwards and upwards. Would have liked more feedback and input but, the nature of things is […]