A Pause.

(Image by Edward Monkton)

There has been a big pause in this blog. I have been pretty busy in lots of ways, with trips away, an exhibition, and for the latter part of the year, the sale of our flat! There never seemed to be time to write here, I have logged on nearly every week, but could never find the words.

The big gap seems to fit will with the word I have chosen for next year. I was chatting to a good friend about all things art related and what my next plans were. She helped me to see that, whilst it is good to make links with other artists, it is not necessarily up to me to single handledly bring together all the artists in my town, or to make a name for myself, or save the universe, or get sorted ASAP. I think I need some time out to realise what it is I DO want as an artist, what is important to me, and to take my time doing it. My word for this year is PAUSE.

I am going to be moving into a new house, and I want to make time to enjoy making the space mine. I want to paint for the sake of it, to enjoy the process, rather than working madly towards a commission or exhibition deadline. I want to concentrate on seeing friends more, rather than feeling guilty for not having the time to see them.

This year is going to be about taking the pressure off a bit, being a bit aimless, but bloody well enjoying it!

The Evolution of Gully

Gully has taken up residence in Grove Park, my favourite park in Weston! I am thrilled, proud, excited and more than a little worried for his safety....

Here is a little picture post of his journey from The Phillipines to weston-super-mare, via my studio...

Den revisited

Today we bought an amazing thing for Ruby, which I will go into detail about in my other blog. It reminded me so much of This post . Do you think I am weird that I am planning to spend time in this when she has gone to bed, just journalling, thinking and shutting myself off from the world?

Yes. Probably...

I STILL love camping, but it HAS changed a bit...

We have now done two camping trips with Ruby, and I have been musing on the differences.

I was reminded of this post about why I love camping, and have been thinking about it after our recent camping trip to Currypool Campsite with the Weston-super-Mums.

OK, so things have changed in terms of the fact it is NOT as relaxing as it used to be. I can't just rock out of bed in the morning, settle into my chair with a brew and do nothing for a few hours. Ruby still needs lots of attention, and I don't sit down much! However, everything else I said in that post? Well, it still all applies. I love being in the outdoors, and the freedom that gives us all. I was still MORE than able to sit up all night putting the world to rights! Still drank red wine, just had to wait til Ruby was alseep! It was a great weekend, and despite it being harder work, I think having Ruby there made it one of the best camping trips ever.

Gathering the threads.

My world is busy. And yes, that IS what I usually say when I haven't been bothered to blog for a while. But in my defence, there really has been a LOT going on!

The big thing in my world right now is donkey painting. And no, as some people seem to think, that has nothing to do with a new sideline in animal portraiture. Ever heard of "Cow Parades?" Well my little home town is doing its own version. But with donkeys. Naturally. And I have managed to blag painting one of them. I have enjoyed it more than I expected to, and will naturally share the pictures of the donkey when he is finished.

I have begun the sort out of my studio space. I had to, to accommedate the four legged visitor who is currently residing there.

My flat is on the market. We are now playing the waiting game, which I HATE.

I have an exhibition booked for September.

My fabric is nearly finished.

Ruby is CRAWLING and nearly walking. That on its own would keep me busy enough.

Knitting. Ah! Another scarf finished. And now I am knitting little pieces on massive needles, which I intend to use on a canvas somehow.

My brain is not working too good at the moment. Pictures to follow. (not of my brain you understand, but of all the creative things I have mentioned here. I thank you)

My red room

We are soon going to be selling up our flat. (Hopefully) I feel very ambivilent about selling, as I LOVE my flat, but without any kind of outdoors space, it doesn't work with The Rubester.

A few years ago, the original plan was to sell up, move to New Zealand for a few years, maybe permenantly. The inlaws got involved with the DIY. Its a long story, involving a crash in the housing market hence us not selling, but put it this way, there was a lot of heartache, a couple of arguments, and I learnt a lot about why it is NOT A GOOD IDEA to mix DIY with inlaws. The process of doing it up forced me to fall a little bit out of love with the place, but I am still very attached. However, with putting it up to sell again, I must begin the process of letting go, and this post is part of that process for me. So. Here is the story of why I fell in love with the place. Its the story of my red room....

I remember viewing the flat. We swore we would never live in a flat again after spending an unhappy month in the company of the abusive, slightly violent neighbour from hell in our old flat. Then the details of this flat came through. What the hell! I thought, I'm NEVER going to buy it, but it looks pretty, so lets be nosy! We were being shown around, and I liked it, then we were taken into the bedroom. And I fell head over heals in love with the deep red bedroom. I had always wanted a bedroom the EXACT shade this one was painted, but in the wrong room the colour would be massivley oppresive. I fell in love instantly. I never knew this was possible with just a flat! I knew we had to live there..... and the rest is history.




I remember when I lost my battle to keep the room red (Magnolia FUCKING SELLS FLATS apparently, despite my argument that it would make the room more than a little souless), I painted this image at Studio Upstairs one day in response. I Still love it, and may well frame it in the next place I live to remind me of this flat that I loved.


But it it time to move on....

Commission Update..... TANTALISINGLY nearly there!

There has been lots rumbling in my world which has led me away from all things creative, but I am back on track, and trying to get my commission finished. Here is the latest design for the fabric.

It still needs tweaking, I need to make the linking sections out of wire rather than draw them on freehand in photoshop, I need to re-photograph all the pictures and wire work on a much better camera and make the image PERFECT, but it nearly there. I sent the emails off to Laura , and the feedback I receieved was extremely positive, so I am really pleased. And relieved, as I want it finished now! The buzz of doing new work has now worn off. And I am looking forward to being paid in handbags.... nice!

Getting my knit on....

One of my 52 challenges this year was to knit a scarf....

I can now tick that one off the list!!


















I was round at Camillas house as it was her turn to host the evening knitting group when I finished it, and there was an actual ripple of applause from those assembled when I announced the completion of my first ever knitting project!

The buzz I got from finishing my first ever project was bigger than I expected, and I am not totally hooked (as it were...) So much so that I am half way through another scarf.... this time more complex. And photos to follow.

OOOOOOO! Get me!

Studio SPACE

Phew!

I've just been so busy lately there has been no time to post here. Some of my busy-ness has been art related, but most not. On Mothers day, one of my treats was for Ruby to hang out with her daddy for most of the afternoon so I could put in some uninterrupted time up at my studio. It was MUCH needed. I have been up there quite a lot recently what with the commission, but its been ages since I have done anything for myself. This time, I was completely concentrating on my own stuff, and it felt really liberating. A new painting came out which I really like, plus, as I was up there on my own, I was dancing a round like a lunatic to my Ipod with nobody to see. And, as I was leaving, I took this photo, which doesn't quite do justice to how beautiful the evening was. I really have the best located studio ever, and feel very lucky.

Tagged Too....

I have been tagged by Camilla!

This is what it means to play the game...

1. open your first photo folder in your computer library.
2. scroll to the 10th photo
3. post the photo and the story behind it
4. tag 5 or more people to continue the thread














When I was in my final year at university, my housemate at the time collered me one morning before lectures and told me that she wanted me to pop into town with her before we went in. To get a pregnancy test kit.....

The rest of this tale belongs to her and is a little private so is not my story to tell. Needless to say, it was a very emotionally charged experience living with a pregnant woman for most of the duration of her pregnancy, and bonded me to her like cement. It was such a special/scary/stressful/life altering time for her, and I experienced it upclose and personal.

The photo shows my man with my housemates daughters. The taller girl is the little person who I began to get to know as I felt her kicking my housemates ever expending belly! I was the first person on earth to know of her existance other than my housemate when she confided in me. I felt extremely privilledged.

I love the photo, as it shows that little person all grown up. The photo makes me feel rather old! It also makes me smile, as it reminds me of how both little girls took a real shine to my man on that day. I sat back and watched as he entertained them and let them bash around on his beloved piano with only the most imperceptible of twitches. It made me realise that my man was pretty good with kids. And it sparked me thinking about whether it was time to start thinking about bringing our own kids into the world.

And LOOK what happened from that train of thought....

Wow! Deep!

And now a confession. That photo was the tenth from the second photo album in my computer library. But the first album only had 9 photos. I toyed with the idea of using the 9th photo



















but I am afraid I was very drunk when it was taken, and I have absolutley no idea who the afro-wigged man is.....

Also, I haven't tagged anyone else as all the people I would have tagged have already been got!

Repeating myself

The background Laura has chosen to go with is this one.


















The shape she has chosen to go with is this one.














Now to get the background manipulated so that it can be repeated and printed onto fabric.

SIGH! My photoshop skills are really not that crash hot!

Commission in Progress

I have been a bit hampered recently by being ill, but I am now ready to send off the first images for my commission.

I have been asked to create some work with a view to printing the designs onto fabric. Its a really hard thing to do. Making the work was fairly easy. Thinking about how the work will then be translated onto fabric is proving to be much harder.

Anyways, here is a sneak peak of what I have been up to.

By Naoko Ito

Oh no!

Randomly came across an artist called Barbara Gilhooly today who is doing really similar work to the stuff I am doing for my commission....only hers is so much better than mine! Dammit! It is so hard to think of stuff that hasn't been done before.....

Really like some of her stuff though.....




I even like her paintings.



Cow.

(If you have randomly stumbled across this post Barbara, OF COURSE you are not a cow. I'm just really rather jelous of your work. Its a compliment!)

52 Challenges

Along with my word for the year, I set myself 52 challenges to complete. Some easy, some hard. I might post about them in another entry.

One of my challenges is to once and for all learn how to park my car anywhere I need to. I think I am a good driver. Rubbish parker though. I look to this man for inspiration.



(From http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09A5zgHXA8E)

Spooky stuff. Wow!

Not a lot of words

My new year so far has been full and quite creative, I want to post, but I am tired and feeling a little overwhelmed and just ever so slightly grumpy. So, in the place of words, here are some pictures. In no particular order, and with no intended meanings, although can you tell what my new obsession is?

Guerilla....................
Link

Terror.................................
(I lost the link to this one, so apologies to whomever images it is, it was just too delicious not to share)

Child cruelty............................


Link

Knitting take two.....

I have recently got back into knitting, after a bit of a false start a couple of years ago

This time it has rather grabbed me by the.....er...... purls?

It helps enormously that I have joined a knitting group, which has totally fired up my knitting motor.....

I am not sure as of yet what kind of a knitter I am going to be. I find it kind of therapeutic really, and quite enjoy the monotony of the repetition. I am told this WILL get boring. I am not sure I will truely get into patterns though, as my brain is already turning to thoughts of knitting with all sorts of strange materials and combining knitting somehow with my artwork. Saying that, I LOVE hats and would really like to learn to make some!

So time will tell where this will lead, but already it feels more than just another soon to be forgotten about dabble.....

I am currently knitting an enormous scarf on massive needles with big fat wool. Talking about it here is making me miss it, so back I go......

Reclaiming the space

For the past 6 months, Ruby has been sharing our room, but tonight, for the first time, she is sleeping in her own room. MY bedroom is no longer RUBY's room, and its made me realise just how much I have missed it. I don't have to creep into bed to avoid waking her up, and have been able to potter around in the room enjoying making it mine again. I have reclaimed the space.

It was this act of reclaiming the space that has cemented my choice for my word of the year for 2010. Yep, my word for 2010 is going to be.....

SPACE

This word has lots of meanings in terms of my focus for next year. Firstly, its about the space I live in. Having Ruby has made me want to create a home for her which she loves, and that is a creative, calm, inspiring, homely and happy place. I look around my flat, and it is not quite how I want it, so this year I am going to be thinking a lot about the environment I live in. Its going to be about doing all those tasks around the home that I never seem to make time for, like recycling/ebay-ing/charity shopping all those old clothes that fester in my wardrobe, sorting out the stuff under my bed (GULP!), surrounding myself with artwork and things to look at that inspire me, and generally making my home a nicer place for me and my family to live.

Secondly, I'm going to be focusing on my studio space. I found out this week that one of the girls who recently moved into my space no longer wants it, so I am now going to be having a much bigger space to work in. As I mentioned in a previous post, my studio space has never really worked for me. Therefore, I am going to spend time this coming year working out how best I can use the space and then turning it into the kind of environment that DOES work for me and that makes me want to hang out up there more often. I know if I can get the space right, then my work and ideas will take flight and flourish.

Thirdly, it leads on from my word of the year last year, which was KAREN! I wanted to make sure I didn't lose sight of myself in the process of becoming a mama, and I want to continue to make space for myself. Space to think, space to paint, space to be entirely on my own at times, and space to connect with what is important to me.

I have spent the last few weeks pondering what my word would be, and I really feel like the word SPACE fits perfectly with where my head is at.

I am REALLY excited about what next year holds.

Textiles, textiles,textiles....

Three times for emphasis....

Its funny the way the universe conspires to bring things to fruition.....

A while back, I wrote a post about how I wanted to incorporate more textiles into my artwork. I end up trying to create texture using paint, so why not throw in the real thing, and all that?! And then in the last week, two things occur that bring these thought back to the front of my brain.

The first thing is finding out about a new "Stitch and Bitch" group that is starting up at 'Loves' cafe bar in Weston. Now, I'm rubbish at knitting, but its an opportunity to meet with other creative people in my home town, and drink tea. Whats not to like?! And anyways, I am thinking of trying a bit of sewing/general mucking about with embroidery and textiles instead. I would like to learn to knit, but as I also need to Bring Ms Ruby with me to this group, it might be better to work on something that doesn't require tons of concentration.... mind you, I'm not really sure there is ANYTHING I will be able to do one handed if Rubester is not in the mood to rock and roll about on the floor..... hmmmm, except perhaps drink tea and eat toast?

SO! My brain has been ticking all weekend on all things knitting/textile/material/embroidery related, and then I find a message in my inbox from Laura Crouch Collins, an old friend of mine who lives in America, and makes the most amazing bags, one of which I am lucky enough to own....



Anyways..... she is interested in working with me to design some fabric for her Spring/Summer collection of bags for 2010! I am THRILLED at this prospect, especially as she will be paying me in handbags if the project comes off. WOOOOO!

Now I am really buzzing on all things textile, to the point where I am having trouble sleeping due to all the ideas flying round my head. (SIGH! This side effect of having a creative brain just doesn't mix with having a baba that likes to get up LOTS of times in the night for midnight feasts.....)

Here are a few images that excite me....



Made by Lupin Kind of remind me of some of my paintings, and I LOVE all the colours....



From 'Love Stitching Art'

And is it sad that this photo makes my heart beat a little faster? (And yes, I did end up buying some felt.....)