Coming down from cloud nine

ridiculously bright autumn leaf

After Unbearable Lightness, a body of work created in joy at being free from studies,  I guess it is inevitable that I was going to come back down from cloud nine after quitting my course in book art.


Part of me is still angry inside, and determined to create works of colour and happiness. The other part is still mentally studying and getting hung up on the artist's marks, be it pen or ink on paper, paint on canvas or scratchy textures on my photographs.

I find myself creeping back to conceptual work, which I guess will never leave me now that I have been 'educated'.


For my printmaking course I made some blots of ink with a sponge on paper, with the idea to use these as a stencil.

Then I saw mini worlds in these spots, and wanted to go closer. I could envisage making these into giant prints of imaginary worlds.

I got the idea for these after a screenprinting workshop with David Holah at CityLit in London.

I basically played with paint and a few brushstrokes on my screen. I went for the brightest, happiest colours that I could find, and got quite excited by the overlapping effect of layers of paint. A bit like multiple exposure photography; random and unplanned being the key to having fun.

screenprint

screenprint

I like that the print is just about the way the paint is layered, and the brush strokes making the image rather than being hidden within a picture of something. A bit of abstract art.

It is very hit and miss.





This one is mostly a miss, but has a duck.

Where did he come from?

screenprint with duck

I am seeing creatures in photographs too.

These prints ( below) are mounted on wood, and I see animals in them also.

They are images of sunlight on water; completely random again. A reminder of sunny days.

print on Kozo paper, mounted on board; a sunlight story

stories from the sun

And I almost forgot to mention the Rye Winter Salon exhibition exhibition which I am delighted to be a part of.

works in Rye Winter Salon

Rye Winter Salon exhibition

Amber Rudd, home secretary, came to visit the exhibition and Feast of Delights designer maker fair. She shook my hand, and then carefully avoided looking at any of my work. 

Amber was about as interested in my photos as this dog who had a quiet lie down in my booth.

dog

 The fair kept me out of trouble for a whole weekend, and was a lot of fun. There was cake and a lot of love between fellow artists and makers.

Happily though, I sold some of my new works to some very enthusastic folk.

sold

And some old favourites too.

Kite surfers, camber sands

And when I wasn't selling my wares I popped to the beach to take some measurements....

measuring the beach at Camber Sands

OK, so it wasn't my tape measure, but it really reminded me of happy days in Wales on my school  zoology field trip counting barnacles inside a 1metre square grid.

Next job; to make a calendar for 2018.

OH and I have already double booked ourselves for next year due to a lack of said item.


Here's a sneak preview....

Namibian dunes

But don't tell OH as it is part of his his Christmas present.

As you can see there is absolutely nothing conceptual about it.

Unless you are into geometry in the natural landscape.......

Namibian bush

Vancouver in the fall

acer, English Bay, Vancouver

I am just returned from a trip to vancouver.

Visiting my family who choose to live somewhere that offers so mny opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts.

I spent the week doing very ordinary things, which gave more pleasure than you can imagine. Family beats everything in my book.

It happened to be fall..... and now I feel that this is a much more appropriate name than autumn.

For fall it was.

acer leaves, Stanley park

leaves on Beaver lake

autumn colours at Beaver lake

fallen leaves, Stanley park

The advantage of visiting in autumn is that dawn is long after a jetlaggged person wakes up. Cool pinks and blues on offer.

Dawn, Vancouver

dawn, Vancouver sea wall

Gingko trees had almost finished shedding their leaves.

gingko fall

But it was the variations in shapes and colours that really interested me.

autumn leaves, Stanley park

As the week progressed, the weather turned colder, and snow arrived on the mountains.

A tiny bit landed in the city, and highlighted this spider's web.

Beaver Lake on a cold, grey day

lillies, Beaver lake

autumn colours, Beaver lake

I spent happy hour around Beaver lake in the cold, playing with multiple exposure and then some regular images of the bare and dead trees.

Stark contrast to the colours down below , photographed agaisnt a leaden grey sky.

treetops, Beaver lake

treetops

I made my way back through the forest and out into the city.

last leaves

autumn leaves, Stanley park

I am home now, and back to reality. OH ( my other half) has had a tooth out, so I am feeding him with vegetarian meals on the pretext that it is 'soft' food.

I'll probably get away with it for no more than a couple of days.....

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For more images from Beaver Lake see here