Talking about Natural Dyes - Art + Fashion
STUDIO JOURNAL 9
From 1st May 2022 newsletter.
After much clearing space and decision making, the studio partition wall is down. The space has completely changed dynamics and I no longer ‘walk like an Egyptian’ to get in. Incase you don’t get it, I just quoted a song title - I’m now prompted me to look up the video on Youtube AND share it with you! The Bangles - Walk Like An Egyptian
Below are some photos showing progression of the studio interior wall dismantle.
Plaster board off
Posts and strengthening beam in, white paint next.
With this renewerd space I can start creating work for my solo exhibition at Elysium Gallery, a public gallery space in an old nightclub in Swansea, Wales, so lots of different and interesting spaces to fill. I’ve all sorts of ideas, including a 3-D painting installation, so now in the studio I can stretch out a little more. It’s very exciting.
However, I am in desperate need for a more permanent studio and painting store. Currently my work is stored in a static caravan, it isn’t ideal but it is somewhere seperate to the work space. I regularly empty two dehumidifiers and just recently I encountered a second leak. I’d say that storage is always an issue for artists, the work often takes up half of a studio space. So with this new leak I have lost a further 8 works on paper plus their frames. The previous flood brought damage to many large canvases.
Sharing a less glamorous side to being an artist, here is one of the damaged works, from my Ash Series.
Sooo, away from the Gloom…
I’ve been reading about quantum science and the quantum field for sometime through the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza, he also covers epigenetcs, neuro-science and meditation. It’s so interesting. When I start working on a series I don’t look at anyone else’s work but I read, including artists writings. I’m re-reading books In Praise Of Painting by Ian MacKeever RA, Resistance & Persistence Selected Writings by Sean Scully. I’m thinking I’ll look out my book of Bridget Riley’s writings, she writes with such insight on her own work and of other artists’. The new publication by Pace Gallery, Agnes Martin - The Distillation Of Colour, has arrived today. I am so looking forward to reading it. I’ve also been watching videos on Youtube of Brice Marden talking about his work. There’s such an incredible archive online.
This week I’ve been making composition drawings and working out ideas for paintings for my solo exhibition in 2023. They're part of an Energy Field and Mapping series.
Mapping 1, botanical ink on etching paper, 23x24.5cm
Mapping 3, botanical ink on etching paper, 23x24.5cm
Studio Journal 1
I’ve been making oak gall ink since I discovered it’s possibility in 2010 and last year I started to broaden my palette. These particular works include eucalyptus leaf, avocado skin, ivy berry and oak gall ink. I have chosen these because they rank as the most permanent of natural colours and also because they feature either in my garden, my kitchen or are native wild plants (sustainably picked of course).
I’ve been making oak gall ink since I discovered it’s possibility in 2010 and last year I started to broaden my palette. These particular works include eucalyptus leaf, avocado skin, ivy berry and oak gall ink. I have chosen these because they rank as the most permanent of natural colours and also because they feature either in my garden, my kitchen or are native wild plants (sustainably picked of course).
These works are part of a series of small work on etching paper titled Boundaries. Using ecological botanical inks which I make by hand, I then make the image using monotype and drawing techniques.
I am selling this work from my website as part of the Artist Support Pledge initiative. I'm aiming to post 5 small works every week.
Artist Support Pledge was started by artist Matthew Burrows @matthewburrowsstudio to help support artists through the COVID-19 pandemic.
The concept is simple, post images of your work to sell for no more than £200 each. Anyone can buy the work. Every time the artist generates £1000 of sales, they pledge to buy another artist’s work for £200 using the #artistsupportpledge hashtag.
Head to my purchase page for details on each piece