The last few weeks....

Into the sixth session of a 12 week portraiture course in Norwich with tutor Liz Balkwill,
going back to my roots in developing and improving techniques...here are some sketches charcoal and pastel work being developed at the moment...

 

                                                      

Reflecting on the Iceland trip

Back from our Iceland trip...moments to remember

A trip to Iceland was a tremendous adventure and a stimulating cultural experience. Even from the moment the plane took off we were lucky enough to sit next to Porhildur an Icelandic lady whom we gained lots of helpful tips first hand about the culture,what to look out for and things to do!thanks to Porhildur! The people were very amiable, both interesting and interested so we felt like we hit the ground running when we got to Reykjavik!.

Reykjavik its self is a surprisingly small quaint city, that had a both a buzz and calm atmospheric feel. The people were laid back and friendly. Its vibrant café culture consisted of cosy cafes such as the enegmatic Cafe  Babalou. And bar's ( such as The big Lebowski... yes the samename as the film) Resteraunt's such as Glo's Vegetarian cuisine, with its tasty soups of varying types.

Reykjavik felt a safe and chilled out place to explore, particularly enhanced by its quirky buildings and cosy houses that were colourfully painted in reds, greens, blues...all shades and colours!.

A trip out into the amazing wilds was accompanied by a great tour guide with lots of interesting stories about Icelandic culture- it's history, volcano eruptions too!, (not Bardarbunga) Hot thermal springs and huge waterfalls... interesting facts, such as in Iceland they grow... bananas...well I didn't know that.. The word Geysir is an actual place where the main hot springs put on a show of fantastical eruptions bubbling up form the ground.Geysir is now a known name, given to all hot spring eruptions.
The strong Icelandic horse is the only breed of  horse. No other breeds are permitted. Once  a horse leaves this island. Legally its nolonger permitted back, this keeps the horses free from any external diseases.

The land scape is awe inspiring. It is vast, wild, and desolate: Yet at the same time is hauntingly beautiful, this was a trip to remember.

On out coach trip we stopped off  at places of natrual beauty.Although it was a 6 hour trip it was worth every moment...As you will see in the photos. We  even passed over the place where the north america and eurasia plates meet - where the ground has dramatically sunk due to the plates shifting. The guide gave us a fascinating talk on this. We actualy saw this! One thing I came away with is an impression of how connected to nature that Icelandic people seem to be, because of the rawness, its ruggedness and the unpredictability of volcanoes eruptions... being what the people live with it made me aware of how disconnected one can be from the natrual elements of nature in say Europe...If you have seen the film,  Oblivion, the scenery gives you some idea of the depiction of Icelands ruggedness... Oblivion was filmed in Iceland.

Iceland has become my favorite island in the sea! The people, culture and natural world made this a great experience. Now I hope to create some art work in the future...I would love to go back one day.

The same evening we went on a Northern Lights hunt tour, alas although there were yells of delight from the tourists at the first sighting of the lights, they were hidden by low clouds which in one sense brought me back to reality... thankfully somethings man can't control in nature or get all s/ he wishes!

 I have come home with so many questions too! things to research and find out about...even things that seem a bit trivial like  becoming aware that the only birds I saw were starlings ,are there sparrows and blackbirds in Iceland? ( I am a bird fan thanks to my dad when I was a kid ) and there seemed to be a lot of images of crows in shops any way enough rambling here's some photos....

NORTHERN LIGHTS ON THE HORIZON !!

Up and coming northern lights.... 

Soon flying out to Reykjavik hoping to catch a glimmer of the  Northern lights and other natural phenomenon's ! and to bring back some photo images for the blog...having said that 300 miles away from Reykjavik the Bardarbunga Volcano continues to erupt !! so will have my camera at the ready! be back next weekend ttfn.

 

Aurora Borealis   by: Nellie Seelye Evans (????-1929)

There is a flower of climate rare That never bloomed for me, I searched the wood, I searched the moor, I robbed the emerald sea. Alone upon an icy coast, By Arctic's hem it grows, Its beauty is intoxicant To those who brave the snows. But when the Bear shines clear and high I dream of Polar night. Wherein this wondrous flower blooms In sheaves of rainbow light.

More poems by Nellie Seelye Evans

Read more at http://www.blackcatpoems.com/e/aurora_borealis.html#VuXawHVmZSoPAFJp.99

LOOKING AHEAD and TAKING STOCK

 

Over the last week

I have been simultaneously looking ahead and taking stock of the art work that I have produced over the last few years, it's valuable to see a pattern emerging from the work, most of which is based around my tendancey to respond to situations, particularly socio-political issues, or a story that in someway catches my attention - that I have felt a connection with, which has then stimulated me to create work. One of those moments emerged after researching the story of Chico Mendes; a courageous Brazilian man who stood up for the rights of Brazilian rubber plant workers in the 1960s - 70s ( this can be read on a previous blog) the paintings medium is acrylic

Chico Mendes and the Brazil nut Tree

The image also has the famous Brazil nut tree; a symbol of Brazil.
The tree is classed as protected so when deforestation occurs it is illegal to cut or burn it down, ironically it does eventually die because of the destruction to the eco system around it... The tree cannot grow in many other places because it needs a certain type of bee and orchid for it to pollinate Brazil nut's are incredibly nutritious containing selenium which aides wellbeing... This image came into being through this story. the intension of painting it blue was done as a symbolic reference point and an act in recognition of the chaos caused by deforestation, also as a poignant reminder of the cause and effects upon the rain forest by man.


Another piece of work created was in response to the plight/reaction of the indigenous peoples facing imminent displacement from their ancestral home, where they have lived for generations. The image shows a family group taken from a photo image and worked in charcoal the use of charcoal being significant as it is made from burnt /charred wood.

The last image in acrylic and mixed media was created in response to researched images of the devastation created by fires used in deforestation.The image shows the smouldering remains and aftermath of fire.

These works were informed by my work and collaboration with the World Land Trust in 2013, I hope to show other work developed in the next blog.                  

Inspirations...a Day in the life of..."everyone's an artist".

Inspirations.... a day in the life of one of those everyone's an artist.... persons !

Me 1/9/14

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller



I know we can all have,  one of those particularly 'crapola' days...when the sun glasses go on, not necessarily because it's sunny outside but because it's a little rainy on the inside,! all we want to do is hide away.
Anyhow I faced the elements today going down to the shops with the sun glasses securely ON.. .to face the elements, the crowds, hoping no one could detect that all wasn't sunshine n roses ha!.
I like to get along with folk as we all do, and consider myself as a listeny sort normally... but today,... after a few knocks recently which had left me raggled - not a nice place...But I am able to tell this tale because some amazing inspiring things happened on my journey to the shops...As per usual one sees people and the 'heys', 'hi's', 'fine', kick in then, I saw Jo (pseudo name) who was recovering from major illness...we smiled, hey hi and we gave each other a high Five, " oh I've got cold hands today!...I said, yet as he passed he said yes but a warm heart... his words were a soothing balm to my 'ragged' soul, the timely kindness of another's words of which I'm sure we've all experienced at some point, I carried on shopping then realised my favourite band  were playing over the tannoy U2 the song,

Me at U2 concert 2010

"Where the streets have no name",  I felt was someone was watching over me... lifting me... then I had a chat with the checkout lady about how
incredibly inspiring I found U2, and reminisced on my trip to Croke Park in Dublin in 2010, WOW it had been AMAZING!... also because U2s inspiration back then it led me on into studying over the last few years for my degree... which has been an incredible Journey! this opened up the story and the lady went on to tell me, about her daughter who also loved U2 but missed seeing them last time they toured...by the end of the conversation we were both COMMITED to getting hold of U2 tickets when they next tour...(So come on U2 guys tickets please... we need a tour !!
So yes I am now back home writing this blog and U2 are on in the back ground... If your not feeling particularly on top at the moment be kind to you.

“Most of us, swimming against the tides of trouble the world knows nothing about, need only a bit of praise or encouragement – and we will make the goal. “ – Jerome Fleishman

Read more: http://www.keepinspiring.me/encouraging-quotes/#ixzz3fBtAt6Qy
   

 Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_inspirational.html#6Fc7VcOiZx8aVYfd.99
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/h/helenkelle101301.html#MuVmQaTmDliYxjuH.99

Got inspired to do photoshop  on some images I took from 2012 student march London

Questions

Today I have been reflecting.... asking questions about the new pathway and journey that is now unfolding before me, after the last 5 years of studying, which  included three years of an Arts and Humanities Fine Art degree at UCS.

The course consisted of three main aspects  the deep experimentation of mediums such as paint, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and drawing,  these have enabled and allowed me to understand the importance of the multiplicity of mediums and their value as tools, or more so as vehicle's through which to express or communicate a message or an idea visually, on a given 
subject or project undertaken.

Connected with the above was the contextualising of artists studied - whom have both inspired and influenced my own development  along with the academic side - the on going grasping of  historical and contemporary art theory which was instrumental in enabling my thought processes to develop for the discipline and articulation of essay writing.

The personal development gained from all three areas  means I am now in the process of cultivating all I have learnt into this new chapter that is about to begin... as I said in my previous blog, a process of distilling has now begun as a time of reflection and questions...

Questions such as;

 What direction shall my work take ?
 What is my favoured medium? 
 How do I find a way forward ?
 Do I want my work to be commercial?(in other words just as commodity) or is there a deeper reason - a message behind the work?
 What kind of artist am I?
 AND  Am I really an artist?? after all what is an artist?!! Ahh yes now then there's good starting point, well I suppose I could start by answering the last question first, after this story....

A few years ago I was in a gallery and out of the blue a man asked me "what are you"?  slightly taken back by the question at the time my immediate thought was, I am a person yet simultaneously I was aware this would not have been the kind of answer he was after...we got talking, but I never did answer his question..."what  are you" ? !

For some reason the impact of that question and my reaction ( or invisible internal response)  has stayed with me. At the essence of my being I am a person and from that trait - as a person I experience, respond to and have a desire to understand and communicate with the world around me.

As for identifying myself as an artist my first thought - response is remembering Joseph Beuys view that, 'everyone is an artist'... So in a nutshell what is an artist?

Thesaurus definition; Artist is a creator, maker, craftsman, Artistic is creative, cultured. original, sensitive, expressive... so this probably does include the whole human race ! CREATIVE seems to be the key - we all have an ability to create.

As a person I respond to quotes (as you will notice peppered throughout my blog) I find them inspirational, I hope they become in someway an inspiration to others too.
Communication via words, poetry, quotes, songs, text, etc is so essential to understanding the world and can enable other forms of art to be explored and communicated, sometimes they are the key to unlocking creativity in others... so thank you poets, writers, and musicians!
I have experienced this sense of unlocking, happening in my own work, particularly now technical skills and  researching have become a factor in enabling me to communicate visually my response to a given situation.
My natural inclination in communicating lies in the visual arts. By working with varied mediums in order to express my response to a given situation.

In his book Relational Aesthetics, Nicholas Bourriaud says, "the artist dwells in the circumstances the present offers him... he catches the world on the move... he is a tenant of culture." This quote resonates, as the artist does respond visually to the world around him, it's what S/he knows, and what is perceived in each new generation. It's experiences that motivate, stimulate, and therefore create an emergence into visual expression.

Artist Robert Henri says "The object isn't to make art, it's that wonderful state which makes art inevitable. "

This speaks to me as ones response to the world... the way that art expresses and communicates ( a point) through a variety of mediums I use, such as photography-photoshop, sculpture, mixed media, exploration of materials, drawing, paint, printmaking... I am in no hurry, I know for me that it's a life long journey and I am comfortable with, after all to quote Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." It's the journey that counts as without it there would be no end result.

       

HELLO HELLO!!

HELLO FOLKS !!
hey first I need to apologise for my lack of keeping in touch on my blog to be honest I have felt a little exhausted since nearing the end of my course and subsequently afterwards....I know its been a while and am so happy that people have still visited this site thankyou

At the moment I have been through a time of reflection and  distilling..... of grasping all I that  have been learning on my course over the last few years... it has been an amazing journey of all sorts of  struggle.. growth.. understanding.. grappling with the developing of ideas to do with fine art what it communicates/conveys what art theory is about and the exploring and using of an array of mediums to convey a message or an idea etc .... today I came across this quote and found it helpful and it inspired me to reconnect with my blog it is concerning the human condition...our human condition
here it is

 Vedantam puts it beautifully:

Good people are not those who lack flaws, the brave are not those who feel no fear, and the generous are not those who never feel selfish. Extraordinary people are not extraordinary because they are invulnerable to unconscious biases. They are extraordinary because they choose to do something about it.

found on brain pickings.....

The Hidden Brain: How Ocean Currents Explain Our Unconscious Social Biases

by Maria Popova


heres a little art from UCS 2014 degree show some work.. some ideas that emerged from the project.