Monday 29 December 2008

Word for the year 2009

I have been really struggling with choosing my word for 2009. I knew exactly what I wanted my word to represent, but was struggling to find a word that encompassed it all. I wanted a word that would encourage me to focus more on myself and what I want, and that would help me to rengage with my art and get me painting and creating again. I also want to focus on generally feeling healthy and promoting my wellbeing, both physically and emotionally. Its a lot to cover with one word!

Since I discovered I was pregnant, my world has shrunk a little. I have been feeling so sick that my days have been taken up with battling this and eating in order to stave off the nausea. I have also been quite involved in coming to terms with the changes that go along with imminent parenthood (GULP!) So there has been very little time to focus on me. I have also become aware of my desire to not completely lose my identity in becoming a mum. I don't want that to be the only thing that defines me, it is still important for me to be defined as an artist too, and to still fundamentally be ME, even though my priorities will clearly change.

Like I said, a lot to cover with one word!!

But the other night, a flash of inspiration came, and I thank Laura for it. I was telling her my problems with choosing the word and what I was thinking, and she said -

"Why don't you have 'Karen' as your word of the year?"

PERFECT!!! It covers everything! It basically reminds myself to spend lots of time focusing on, pampering, treating, nurturing, and generally looking after myself.

It may seem a bit comedic, perhaps a bit narcissistic, but it does fit, and is serious. And also is not just about me. There is no doubt my thoughts will often be focused on the new little person in my world, but if I remember my word, I am immediately reminded to focus on myself too. After all, how can I look after a new life if I have not properly looked after myself?

Monday 22 December 2008

Film I HAVE to see in 2009

Reflections on the change.

I have been thinking a great deal over the last few days what word I will pick as my word of the year for 2009. I'm not sure yet, but things are beginning to perculate in me. And speaking of things that are perculating in me, its time to make the announcement!













I think that provides some clues as to why my blogging has been somewhat sporadic of late!! My whole world has been filled with the thoughts, feelings, excitement, surrealness, terror and very real physical sensations (Morning sickness is such an understatement!!) that my creative side has gone rather AWOL. (welL, in the sense that I have not being doing much artwise, but I am definately creating in another sense!) I will post towards the year about how "change", my word of the year from 2008 has influenced me, but clearly, my current state of affairs is the most massive change that is possible!

So yes, i'm not sure of the 2009 word yet. But I know what I want for the next year. I want to re-engage with my creative process. I want to feel well and healthy. I want to do the best I can for this little person growing inside me, both while they are in and when they pop out!

So yes! there has been change in bucketloads......

Thursday 11 December 2008

its Christmas!

Its been a funny few months,not much blogging has happened, but there has been a lot filling my little world. Stuff that is not yet ready for public consumption, but soon will be....

But Christmas is apon us....and I'm struggling to feel festive. We have both been hit really hard this week with the flu, so are hoping to be well enough to put a tree up this weekend and begin to get festive. But until then.....here is my little attempt to drag myself into Christmas 2008!

(P.S....just need to point out the fakeness of David's Tash!)
Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Saturday 29 November 2008

Flikr fun from Laura's Blog

I haven't blogged for ages, but this got me inspired to... Thanks Laura

The rules:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into this mosaic maker.

The questions:

1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favourite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite colour?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name




Image hosted @ bighugelabs.com

Sunday 2 November 2008

Post Paintworks musings


















Its over!!

It was a good day, there was a really positive vibe in the morning when all the other artists were bustling around and setting up. However, it was also LOTS of work, and I found it difficult spending all day manning the "stall". Its hard to know whether people want you to talk to them or leave them alone to look, and it was agony when someone was looking at a piece of work and deciding whether to buy it or not. I found it quite hard! But there were also lots of positive comments. I particularly enjoyed meeting some art students who were just starting out and who were keen to know how I create some of the effects and textures in my work. Chatting to them was fun, and made me feel fired up and excited. Its amazing to be told you have inspired someone!

All in all, a good day, but I'm glad I have no artistic commitments now for the forseeable future. I am already beginning to contemplate my next exhibition, but for now, it is such a relief to just be able to create what I want, and not have to worry about displaying or selling.

Just creating.....

Thursday 23 October 2008

Paintworks Autumn art market

..... is almost upon me! wow! So much to do this weekend.....

Needing a break

The last few weeks have been manic, what with Waz departing, the art market to prepare for, my bosses bombshell that she is leaving..... so much change, and not much of it the kind you can anticipate. We are both tired, and in real need of a holiday. Not sure when that will happen, as we have to get through a funeral first and the arrival back in the country of Dave's parents, so it may not happen this year. But as least we have something to look forward to......

We have booked a fantastic place down in South Hams in devon for our 4th Wedding anniversary in February. Here is the bumpf about it....

The property:
... a mile from Aveton Gifford, two very special places to stay within what was once a small family estate: an exceptionally well converted barn and a remarkable Grade II listed former music room. 300 yards down a tree-lined track off a lane, they flank a large pretty enclosed suntrap courtyard with fountain, flowers and flowering shrubs, shared with the friendly owners. Just outside the courtyard is a lawned walled garden (also enclosed) with camellias, fig and walnut trees, leading to another garden and 6 grassy acres with big trees to sit under. Spring water.

The Music Room is magnificent: detached, huge and incredibly romantic, once home to concerts and recitals, brilliantly converted. Three steps up to entrance into open-plan living/dining/kitchen with vaulted stucco ceiling, four massive arched windows with stained glass border running the length of the room (46' x 19') generating light and colour, polished wooden floor (rugs), large open fireplace, comfy sofa, home cinema, books, CD player, MP3/iPod; smart, discreet, fitted kitchen area (dishwasher, microwave); door to bathroom (suite with 5’ moulded bath plus bath-shower). The bedroom is the stage (up 3 steps), with 5' four-poster bed, all stunningly presented and lit.


And here are the pictures.....



















I can't wait!

TAFKA "Waz"


















One of my favourite stories of Dave's grandad (Who i never called anything other than "waz")......

We were at a family meal. I hadn't been with Dave very long, so I was on best behaviour and a little nervous. Waz saw a friend, and proceeded to introduce him to everyone round the table. When it came to me, Waz paused. I wasn't sure how he was going to introduce me, but i certainly wasn't expecting this....

"And this is Karen, Dave's......hows yer father!" I mean, if there was any ambiguity, he could have just said friend!

He was also one of the only men on earth who could get away with calling me a "georgeous bit of fluff".

We will miss you Waz, you were a fine gentleman!

Sunday 19 October 2008

Observing the observation















One of the most difficult things about hanging my work on the wall is being around people when they are looking it and commenting on what they see. Often I think that I will try and linger near people who are looking at the work so that I can eavesdrop on what they are saying in response to the piece of artwork, but I am never usually brave enough. Its great to hear positive comments, but the negatives can be really difficult to hear. OK, the more hangings and exhibitions I do the better I get at not taking negative criticism to heart, but sometimes i still am amazed at how cutting people can be. The work is public property as soon as it gets on a wall, and some people feel absolutely no need to censor their opinions!! This year with "99,000" I felt much braver at hearing peoples responses to it. The piece itself was quite playful and not at all personal unlike much of my work, so I was much less likely to be affected negatively. Some people did not get it and were looking for the deeper meaning, some people commented on the drawing itself and lots of people saw the humour in it, which was exactly the response I wanted.

But it is always interesting to see how people respond. Some people walked straight past it, others lingered infront of it for ages (perhaps looking for the hidden meaning whaich was not there!) others engaged in conversations with their companions about the work. Part of me would love to know what they were saying, the other half is not brave enough. Perhaps I will get more brave the more exhibitions I do. Perhaps not! But I KNOW I will always find it interesting to observe other people as they observe a little part of me I have placed on the wall.....

Post Exhibition Musings

Its been a long time since the exhibition, and I have been meaning to blog, but sometimes life gets in the way. I think I need to blog a bit more about what has been happening, but all I do know is that my thoughts are being brought back to "change" on a regular basis at the moment....

But on to the exhibition. It was a great show, and poignant as it will be the last one I will be taking part in as a studio volunteer. I spent pretty much the whole weekend just hanging out at the studio taking it in, drinking tea and eating cake, chatting and absorbing the exhibition. I think this years show was the best yet, and I look forward to seeing how artists at the studio grow and develop over the next few years. It has been the be st three years of my life at the studio, and I will miss it greatly.





Thursday 2 October 2008

The hanging

Today I have been spending the day helping with the hanging of the Open Studio Exhibition.

The show looks AMAZING.

As ever, I am filled with pride to be part of such a fantastic place, but this years hanging was tinged with sadness due to it being my last ever before I leave. I think it is going to be an emotional weekend, and I can't WAIT to get photos up of it!

Tuesday 23 September 2008

Reflecting on the change...

The other day at the Bristol studio I was thinking about how things are changing for me. And then I was reminded that my word for this year is change. I suppose I haven't thought about the word too much, and I certainly haven't blogged much about it, but my sudden realisation was that it was perhaps a HIGHLY appropriate word to sum up what is happening for me, and what has been happpening for me this year.

In places, this year has been quite difficult. Nothing bad has happened, its just that our plans for a massive life changing event have gone off the boil somewhat. Our original plan at the beginning of the year was to sell up and move to New Zealand, with not much more of a plan that "see what life throws at us". So in earnest, we set about completely doing up the flat. This was quite a difficult process in so many ways. And then once it was done? Well, a housing market crash has ensured that ABSOLUTELY NOTHING has happened with the flat, and it looks pretty likely that nothing will! The year has been difficult in places, because we had such a clear plan, and then the fact that we couldn't follow through with it left me restless and felt difficult. Like we were standing on the spot. Add to that the biggest creative block I have EVER experienced, and its not been easy.

But now, I'm beginning to think things have worked out exactly as they should have. At times, I began to doubt our plans. I kind of felt like we were moving away to find a better life, but all the signs here were pointing at how good we have it. My studio space in Weston has taken off, I am much more involved in exhibiting, I am COMPLETELY over my creative block and have more ideas than ever, Dave working from home means we have a good work life balance, and my job is going really well too. The kind of job an artist needs to support them is one that does not demand too much, pays reasonably well and is not too consuming. And that is what i have, and my art fits round it well. Also, we have so many friends and family here. I kept asking myself what we were going away to gain, and I couldn't always answer.

But back to the Bristol Studio. I reached a decision which has been brewing for a while. I have decided to leave the studio. It will be a huge wrench, its been a massive part of my life for over three years, but it is time to move on. It feels right to dedicate more of my time to my exploration in my own studio at the Quarry. I have loved volunteering and the studio will always be part of me, but its time to focus my energies on myself.

So big change is happening, despite our original plan for big change not happening! I feel I am on the brink of a new creative era in lots of different ways. I guess I have gained lots of confidence from being part of Studio Upstairs, and now I feel ready to go it alone, confident in the knowledge I can do it.

There are other undercurrents of change that are perculating, it feels like a creative time in many ways, and my mind is turned towards the future.

I know the changes that are coming may be painful, potentially difficult and probably challenging, but the change feels important.

The worst thing I could ever feel creatively is stale.

CHANGE ensures things stay fresh!

And on that note, its quite a busy month for me!

This weekend coming I am taking part in the Windmill Hill Arts Trail in a group exhibition with Studio Upstairs, and then the weekend after that is is the Studio Upstairs Open Exhibition weekend!

















Its all go!!

New Work





















Not sure if this work will be going into the art market, its a little "out there" and maybe not too commercial! But I like them! They have come out of my experiments with collecting words and phrases from magazines and newspapers, and then creating paintings, collages and drawings based around them. There are two others, but I can't post photos of them yet as they have been submitted for the Windmill Hill Arts Trail.

They are a bit of a departure for me, a bit of a change..... and speaking of change , I think its time to reflect on my "word of the year"...

Paintworks Autumn Market

I'm spending a lot of my creative time and energy on getting ready for the Paintworks Art Market. Today was mounting some prints of my paintings.

I'm excited! There is lots I need to do, but its coming together.....



Wednesday 17 September 2008

Homemade



















Today I received my last birthday present from my husband. You know how sometimes men get it really wrong when buying presents? Dave has an uncanny knack of getting it really right.

He noticed I had commented on Facebook on a photo of a bag made by my American friend Laura, who I met many moons ago whilst being a summer camp counsellor in my year out from Uni. There then ensued a flurry of emails secretly back and forth between the two of them. She designed and made a bag especially for me, and I had no idea!! I absolutely ADORE it! The thing with my new bag is that it is not perfect, but the slight imperfections in the sewing just add to it in my opinion. It was made with love, there is not another one exactly like it in the world, and this makes it really, really special!

And it set me thinking about all things homemade. After checking Laura's stuff out on Etsy , I began to browse through lots of other things, like clothes, jewellery, art...... And it set me thinking about how I really would like to do more in terms of buying things from crafts people, things that are homemade, one offs, quirky, but most of all, NOT mass produced. There are lots of reasons this feels important, but a main one is my increasing dissatisfaction with the consumer culture we live in, where we are constantly being coerced into buying more and more and more stuff. I am aware I will always be affected by this mentality ( and I can't help but LOVE shopping for all things pretty!) but I am going to make a concious effort and decision to buy more things second hand or handmade. After all, I am an artist, so I should be doing whatever I can to support the cause of those who share my passion!

Monday 15 September 2008

Sunday 14 September 2008

Back to reality

Wow, I haven't done a post in AGES! How neglectful of me!

Well, I'm writing this the day after my 31st birthday. (Feels like yesterday I was writing that post for my 30th!) It was a great day, I went to a masked ball for the Weston Operatics Centenery celebrations last night. Always fab to put on a pretty dress, georgeous heels and then dance to live music while quffing vast quantities of free wine on ones birthday! I actually made the mask I am wearing, I don't think the pic here does it justice so will take some more photos of it, but I was really pleased with it and really enjoyed making it.




















It was a cracking night!

As for the exhibition which the previous post mentioned? Well, I could say lots, but lets just say that I learnt A LOT. I believed before I did this that any chance of getting my paintings on a wall was a good opportunity. Now I have learnt that in future I need to be much more selective, and only take on exhibitions if they are going to be good for me. This one left me with a lot of pieces to pick up!

Its been a busy few weeks, and I have been taking a breather today before launching back into it all tomorrow. I don't know what the year ahead holds, but I know I need to focus it on creativity and studio time, which is going to mean less time spent on the internet I think. I have a few opportunites coming up, including the Paintworks Autumn Art Market, which I am really looking forward to, but will require lots of work over the coming month to prepare for it. So, my aim is to hit that full pelt, and then spend the rest of the year "chilling out" a bit in creative terms, reading, walking, only doing things that interest me, exploring and being experimental. And probably a bit hermit like, as the winter months draw in. I also now have my EBay shop thanks to my wonderful husband, who works as hard at my art career as he does at his own!

Its amazing how quickly the year has gone.

I don't know what next year holds, but I think I want to focus much more energy on exhibiting. It feels important. But, like I said, only on my terms this time, and definately not with strange, aggressive, drunken dada-ists!!

Thursday 21 August 2008

More than I bargained for.....

I'm involved in an exhibition.

Its taking place this Sunday.

I'm feeling really anxious about it.

I kind of wish I had never got involved in the first place.

The words "flakey" and "space cadet" do not get get close to describing the guy organising it.

But it could be OK. I might sell something.

I need to put a positive head on.

After all, it has been a learning experience no matter what!

And what this whole thing has done is make me thirsty to exhibit again. I am finally out of my creative block. that was a scary time! I have ideas coming thick and fast. I am painting like a demon. I'm doing some work like I have never done before. It feels like I'm onto something! And I must post someof this new work soon, but for now, if you are reading this, wish me luck and good karma for Sunday, I think I will need it! Right, back to it.......

Monday 11 August 2008

Day Trip take three

Have never been to The Bristol Balloon Fiesta, so this year we went....

It was an amazing sight.....