Evocative Times

Thinking about the relationship of our feelings to our current times, will we all carry some sort of association to the lockdown in the future ?

I was toying with the idea of how evocative my own arts practice is personally, I can relate a drawing or a painting to my mood, attitude, where I was on that particular day and to a moment in time. It could be that after two years or more I can look at an old sketchbook or piece or painting and be instantly transported to a moment in time when I was making that work. Sometimes it can be quite difficult especially if you were going through hard times, but these usually are the most important pieces of art as they prove that time has passed and you got through to become stronger and more resilient. Sometimes they can also give great comfort as you can remember the beautiful times, where every moment that passed when you were observing/drawing,making or painting there was a contentment and happiness in the moment.

So on to the subject of the current pandemic, I hope that you have been able to find something that has been helpful to you in these times of uncertainty. It could be almost anything that resonates within us not only art. For all of us it has been challenging times creatively as well as emotionally, it would be great to hear about how you have been coping and what helps you, and we may be able to share them to help others.

Lightness of Spirit

I was looking through some of my sketchbooks and came across a piece of writing that I had written several years ago and I thought that it is very relevant today, with the pandemic and our feelings of loneliness and separation. It reminds me of the beauty in our surroundings and how art can be channel to bring to the fore our inner feelings and emotions and help to diffuse the stress we are all feeling. So here it is – as I wrote it then and I hope that you enjoy it, the drawings here were in the sketchbook and seem to strengthen the words.

Two kinds – a freedom of spirit a lightness of all that is human. Being without restraint of earthly times or timetables or deadlines who resemble an animal or a child who lives for the moment. The pleasure of the moment, who revels in the happiness of the immediate. Others find contentment in restriction, restraint and order, who can find happiness through planning and direction.

The person who touches life on the surface, never to be fully integrated in society but stands on the outskirts looking in, who creates a distance. Then there are those who cannot live without being inside society involved and connected.

“To float touching the earth and the sky, a fleeting feeling like silk on skin or the wind in you face blowing gently around”.

“Calming and refreshing that summer wind, invigorating, strengthening and giving fresh life happiness and vigour”.

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Beauty in the Everyday

Seven weeks into the lockdown of the Corona virus which has been circulating on our planet, the grief and sadness of people gone too soon is hard to come to terms with and our lives have been changed irreparably. It is because of this that myself and perhaps others have learnt to dwell on shorter spaces of time, we cannot think of the bigger picture because we don’t know it yet. This is what led me to write some more about the beauty in the everyday and how it helps me to cope with the uncertainty we have all around us.

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Because now we all have a little more time, I know that for me it is the smallest things as I spoke about in my last post that really help to create a sense of wellbeing and calm. As the trees and flowers come into leaf they are so vibrant and alive, such a contrast to whats happening in the world and it gives us all hope for the future. It really is inspiring and humbling to have this space in our lives to notice and sense the smallest details, for me as an artist it is a double fold opportunity to observe and record these small things that take my eye. As in my previous post I have been making a point of drawing something every day, it doesn’t matter if it looks good as it is a focus to promote a sensitivity to my surroundings and help me to look and appreciate the beauty all around. Here are a few more of my drawings which I think are hopeful drawings…

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Moments of Stillness

The moments of stillness… In these uncertain times around the globe we are experiencing a never ending torrent of news, information, great sadness and not much hope, the threat on our health and wellbeing is almost at breaking point. This is why I wanted to write something that may help in a very small way to bring you into the moment and appreciate what we have all around us and how it can help to calm the mind and help to relieve anxiety.

It is relatively easy to begin, all you need to do is stop and look around you, try to find something that pleases your eye, it could be your pet, a plant in your garden, your children or something that is precious to you. For me it is the outdoors and nature and I know that by being outside and listening to the birdsong, looking at a tree or landscape, it can immediately calm my mind and put me in a happier place. It is the time you take to stop and look rather than having a busy mind, being open to what is immediately before you and spend as long as you like just being you and letting the experience override anything else that you are doing. It really does help and as we have a little more time on our hands its the perfect time just to have a go.

I have been trying this out for a few weeks now and to help myself further I began to take a small handmade sketchbook out to record anything I felt like each day, it doesn’t have to be perfect its just a way to distract oneself from everything else going on in our lives. It can be another good way to help relieve anxiety and stress and over the days you can build a journal of your drawings!

I have given you a few examples from my sketchbook see what you think. Maybe it could be something you build into your day too!

The Way of Winter

Winter brings its own set of creative inspiration for artists, the raw, wild countryside and weather patterns lend themselves to new perspectives of a familiar landscape. Finding the new in the familiar is a welcome distraction from the winter blues and the harshness of the weather.

The light seems to play a very important role at this time of year, maybe its because we don’t have much of it and we have to compress our outdoor activities into a short space of time that it becomes precious. This maybe why it becomes important in my paintings at this time as I want to capture the effects that are so fleeting, also there always seems more time to paint in winter as we are restricted by the light and become happy to be in creative hibernation.

My own work has been quite prolific over the winter and I have been concentrating on being spontaneous and allowing myself the freedom to follow a process of intuitive mark making and colour mixing, it has been so invigorating and thought provoking and leading to lots of fresh ideas.

What are your thoughts on your creative journey over this winter? I would love to know.

I have chosen these paintings as a reflection of my winter, what are yours?

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Productive Times

With Christmas and the New Year celebrations over its the time to get heads back into work and all the distractions and events that everyday life involves but this time of year is a time of reflection and rejuvenation for the year ahead. For me that has involved so far thinking about where my work is going and what I intend to do for this memorable year 2020 as this is the biggie birthday wise! I have decided that I am going to take more risks with my work and be more adventurous personally!

My work has been evolving over the past couple of months in a very fluid way without much deliberation but much enjoyment in the process, I have struggled with this concept for a long time and not allowed myself the freedom to just be happy in the process, its really exhilarating and liberating to allow myself to have more freedom with my art and would really recommend it!

I am planning some adventures for 2020 and will update you as soon as my plans are more completed 🙂

Picture This

A Journey into the Landscape

Where to begin, try thinking of a time when you wanted to be alone with your thoughts and how life’s distractions always seems to get in the way and that is how this journey came about. To get back in touch with nature and the intangible threads that keep me sane, that keep me wanting to be in the landscape time and time again.

For a long time now the landscape has played a very big part in my life, it is where I can find peace, tranquility and space, it fills the voids of loneliness that one feels in cities, it is my ‘home’. There has always been a need to feel connected to the land in some way and it has evolved that way by making art, this may be paint, site specific installation, film or photography. So I began with a seed of a thought after a traumatic event in my life to plan a journey into the unknown, well that is as I have never been to the West Coast of Scotland before and use the adventure as a chance to create and feel part of something along the way. So my seed is turning into a reality slowly but surely and hopefully something exciting will be created.

My need to feel connected to nature in some way is very important, to feel part of it and the next process will be to plan how this will happen……..

First Steps

Not being an intrepid explorer on this scale many ideas ebb and flow through my mind, don’t think for one minute that this sort of thing can be planned in an evening. The first most important thing to think about is state of mind when travelling alone as it could easily turn into a very lonely and daunting trip if you let your thoughts wander and drift about how you feel. For me I want to go and create art and I know that I will have to keep to a certain set of guidelines for myself and not allow my thoughts drift into negativity. I have chosen to go on this trip and on this trip I will go, a pilgrimage into the unknown and oneself.

It is also very important to allow time to be creative and to be aware and mindful of the environment though a mindset that allows outside influences to flow around me and over me. To take what is important and use it to influence and direct my creative mind.
Much time has been spent researching different combinations of travel destinations and the logistics of it all, this has led to a turnaround in my thinking and made me realise that It needs to fulfil my needs and not to be a slave to destination bagging!

So this trip will be just the beginning of a much greater adventure.

Preparation

Well its already started I suppose, booked one ferry and three bed and breakfast places and this is where the difficulty started. Its very hard to try and match each place up with the next destination when you are trying to get from island to island, so now just one island is my main destination with little expeditions to others along the way. But thats enough of that because I want this to be about the creative journey and how it informs my presence and sets the pace of the adventure, !

My mind has started to think about the materials I will need whilst on this trip which in itself is a pleasant activity, thinking about all those lovely art materials that are available. Not that I haven’t got loads already but this is opportunity!!  It has made me think about doing some large scale pieces which then makes its own agenda, like how do I work on it? Do I take an easel? Do I work on the floor? Blimey a lot of ‘what ifs’ already!

Three weeks to go till my trip and my mind and pocket are feeling full and empty retrospectively, purchases being made on a daily basis from stoves to dog harnesses and outdoor camping chairs. But in reality my mind is entering a new phase of what sort of creative impact this trip will make? This is a big criteria to think about as I want to be spontaneous but at the same time have some sort of agenda or otherwise I would be unable to know what to take with me. So where do we go from here? Is it going to be large or small, continous or separate for each location, film or sound? All these thoughts will slowly develop I hope over the final few weeks and allow for time to make sure that I have the materials and equipment I need. I can see some sort of installation or site specific work that is definitely connected to nature and the surrounding environment whilst being portable and can be used elsewhere.

Well two days before my trip! As usual after all the thought that goes into creativity and sort of planning the itinerary it has come to pass that my car will be loaded to the roof with art materials ‘just in case’ but hey ho it doesn’t matter really. I can only seem to work in the moment and the needs of that moment then map out the direction of the art making. The location plays a very important role and almost speaks to me as to what it requires, so I am going to follow this and see where it takes me!

Skye

Its been quite a while since I posted here, so I thought the opportunity to share my recent travels to the Isle of Skye might be as good a reason as any. I have been working in my studio for the last few months but not being inspired by much then taking this trip has really switched on my creative and inspirational energies, establishing a new path to develop my work. I can’t wait to get really started on a new series of work!

I have recently been working on some small paintings in my sketchbooks, some were from a previous trip to Mull and one to the Quiraings on Skye.

 

 

Lets Talk Studio

Having a studio or area is a great asset to any artist even if its only for storage of work and materials, but the best thing is having a place to call your own. It can professionally improve & define attitudes towards art making as a serious endeavour as well as helping  ones own confidence and conviction to making art.

My shed is my domain where I can truly be myself creatively and this gives a great sense of liberation and freedom to create with all the things you need around you. It would be great to see others art spaces/ studio’s and how they are used!

 

Defining Landscape

Something that has crossed my mind recently is the classification of landscape within art and painting, where is the line between what can be classed as a landscape painting and where does it enter the realms of abstraction? Because of this and the way that I like to work it is always a topic that is in the forefront of my mind and revolves around this dilemma. Bringing a piece of work into the realms of  realism and then to reduce it back to a series of marks or colour seems to be an ongoing process at the moment. Why do we need to make these decisions anyway?

Although it can work the opposite way round by reducing marks and specifically making  choices to represent a personal reflection of the landscape too.

Whats your ideas around this subject? It would be great to hear your views!