A Sale!

How many wondrous days? 

(Sorry about the pink tinge to the paper, I need to sort this out).

I spent today clearing what used to be my studio at home.  I have managed to do half of it.  It got used as a storage area for extra building and decorating materials as well as lots of boxes of household things that needed to be put out of the way while the building work went on.

What with a visit to the dentist to sort out a painful tooth, which was not as bad as I thought it would be although it still cost me an arm and a leg, plus other errands to run, I did not return home until gone five o'clock this afternoon.

Imagine my surprise and pleasure when I discovered on checking emails, that I have sold my drawing, "How many wondrous days?"  I felt elated and, if I'm honest, rather bereft, because it is one of my favourites.  You can tell from this, that selling work is, for me, quite rare!  I have always said that sales are the icing on the cake, not the reason I make the work and it is very nice to have made a sale from this show in York.  (The White Room gallery, Priestley's No.36, Bootham, York, see previous blogs).

This means that I have recovered more than half the framing costs, which is a relief.

I have set aside a lot of my time this summer for a general clear up and organisation of the house, post builders, but I am already rather anxious to get back into the studio; there's nothing like a bit of success to spur me on!

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a-n Artists Talking Blog and a Very Old Drawing

I have been very caught up in domestic issues of late; building work at home is about to resume, family members are sick and a dear friend has been re-hospitalised.  Add to this the glut of apples and pears awaiting conversion to various chutneys and recipes and you will have a good idea of what I'm on about.  

Since my solo show at Easter there has not been much time to make new work and I talk about this in my a-n Artists Talking blog:
http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/previewPost/3904392
If you read it please feel free to leave a comment either here or on the a-n site, it is always nice to receive feedback.

Meanwhile I found this drawing, done in 1970 when I was fifteen!

I had forgotten the monogram I used to use (my maiden name is Walden); nice comment from my teacher, Val Tierney:

I remember the brief was to draw our face, exploring the spatial difference between our features using different qualities of line.  I took it seriously and did this drawing, no mean feat in our house of 5 kids and no where to work;  I think I had to hold the mirror in one hand, hence the low viewpoint and draw with the other.  It caused quite a titter from some of the other class members, who brought in pretty pictures of themselves but I was always an artist and genuinely fascinated by the brief and the outcome!

Underpass Mural in Basingstoke 2003/4

When I was in Basingstoke recently for the opening of SKETCH 2013, I took the time to visit Pallant House Gallery in Chichester (see previous blogs) and on the way back, being on the right side of the town, I took a detour to the underpass in Cliddesden Road, close to the entrance to Queen Mary's College, where I used to work so that I could take some photographs of the mural that students and staff worked on together.  I am pleased to say that the mural has withstood the test of time really well; it has lost some of its finer details due to the constant cleaning by the council to remove the regular graffiti but on the whole, it still looks good.

It's a shame the council forget to keep the plaque clean!

The brief was to use colour and shape relating to the theme of the seasons to produce a design that flowed along the walls of the underpass.  There was a lot of prep work done during three tutor's teaching sessions, this work was then simplified and reduced to the final design. Looking at these photos, it seems that we produced one design that was painted onto both walls but obviously, because the walls were opposite one another the design reversed, keeping the overall effect lively.

The design work was also shown to residents so that their feedback could be taken into consideration.  We used a combination of collage, painting, print making and drawing combined with colour studies to explore the theme.  I seemed to be walking around college with several very long pieces of artwork that constitued the final designs under my arm for weeks running up to the completion of the project, because I was terrified of losing them!

I did take quite a lot of photos at the time, of students painting the underpass, but I have no idea what happened to them.  As we gradually sort out all the stuff that's been in store for years, they may turn up.  I remember it was a specialist paint used that is fairly resistant to graffiti.  I also remember the great fun the students all had producing the final piece.

I Am Access Art!

http://www.accessart.org.uk/i-am-accessart-sue-gough/

Emerging Star mixed media drawing. 2012  Private Collection

No, really, I am!

I found the opportunity to become featured on the "I am Access Art" pages of the Access Art web site some months ago; I can't remember exactly where, it could have been on Twitter or one of those opportunities for artists web sites.

Anyway, I sent off all the information they asked for and got on with life, as you do. I was delighted to hear back from them that I had been selected!   It wasn't until many weeks later that I suddenly thought about it again and noted that I had not heard from them about when the pages would be produced and published and I assumed they had changed their minds.  However, not one to be too pushy, I decided just to wait and bide my time.  Which was a good decision because towards the end of the summer schools break, they popped up again, apologising profusely for the delay.  Paula required a little more info and some more images for the exercise I have devised for the second part of the publication, which I duly supplied.  I had thought that the pages would not go live until Monday 16th, but I am happy to say they are up already. Once I have been featured for the alloted time, the pages will be strored in their archive.

I am really pleased that the work looks so good on the site and that the exercise to make a layered drawing is up; I hope that people will have a go.  In my experience of teaching, so many students are afraid of drawing until they realise there are different ways of doing it. So good luck to all the teachers and students that give it a go, I hope you will be as absorbed and delighted in the process as I am when I draw.

It was a pleasure to work with Paula Briggs, who edited my words with skill and sensitivity. I wish the Access Art web site continued success.

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A Sudden Flurry of Admin. Work

Drawing, How Many Wondrous Days, seems apt for this post today!

Having been informed I had been selected to appear as a featured artist on a web site some months ago, I excitedly emailed off all the information they asked of me.  I was a bit disappointed not to hear anything for what is, I think, a couple of months but it is not in my nature to hassle people unduly, so I didn't email and enquire if all was well.  I just philosophically assumed that perhaps, after seeing the work, they thought it was not for them!  (Artists' low self confidence kicking in, you note).

Imagine my delight yesterday morning, when I received an email from them apologising for the delay and asking for some more info., with links to the proof pages as they appear so far for me to look at!  The pages are looking good; only a couple of minor mistakes and I am very much looking forward to having them go live.  Once they do, I will post details so you can see for yourselves.

Meanwhile I have also spent considerable hours filling out an application to be considered for an entry in Chrysalis Arts' Directory.  http://www.chrysalisarts.org.uk/  

Chrysalis Arts' Rick Faulkner came over last Wednesday evening to the Dutch House http://www.dutchhouseyorkshire.com  to give Ryedale ArtWorks http://www.ryedaleartworks.com  a presentation about the work they do.  I have to admit that I had previously been very confused about all the different aspects of their work but now feel I understand the organisation much better.  I am pondering on some ideas that they might be able to help me with. . .

The next application I am going to make (and I have been prevaricating on this one for over eighteen months or longer), is to AXIS.  This is to me, a very important step; serious artists are here; the site gives artists access to wider recognition and I consider it time for me to join their ranks.  I know I don't have as much experience as many of those represented on this site but I know my work is good enough now, particularly since I was accepted for SKETCH 13.  It is remarkable how a little success boosts my confidence and sense of myself as an artist.

Gouache study, no longer extant, because it got painted over, but which I still refer to with thoughts for a large painting. . . .

I Forgot to Show This!

I forgot to mention some weeks back, when my sister and her partner Gary came up to see my exhibition, that Gary, who makes doll's houses and fits out kitchens, Volkswagen camper vans and all sorts of other clever things, made me a wooden relief:

Wooden relief, by Gary White, Llandysul, Wales

It's made with his brand new super clever machine thingy (apparently called a CNC machine), that will carve all sorts of designs and he made it for me!  I love it, it's made from tulip wood, which is a bit soft, hence the slightly fluffy edges.  Gary said it's a first try and he's going to make me one from hard wood to replace this one, but I will always treasure this.  Thanks Gary and Julie, for coming up - why didn't we take any photos of your visit????  We were too busy talking and eating cake!  http://www.dhdkitchens.co.uk/  http://www.dollshousedirect.co.uk/

A couple of nights ago I had my 7000th view on this blog!  I am ridiculously pleased at this figure: I was aiming at a thousand hits by June, to double my hits from a thousand for the whole of last year so I am on target!

All I need now is to get going and approach some more galleries to get my work seen by more people.  I'm not so good at this bit, so watch this space. . . 

Two Farewells, far right, sold.  I thought I had taken studio shots of all my drawings and it turns out we didn't - another job to do!

I have sold the drawing, Two Farewells to a friend, who is really excited to own it, which really touched me.  She has generously promised that I can go and see it and that I can borrow it back if I have any exhibitions in the future.  

Winter, packed up, ready for collection.

Marking Time Workshop

The work station, complete with drawing media, examples of mark making by other artists, hand wipes and chocolate!

There were not that many people about, but we had fun!  Jim Moir, aka, Vic Reeves was in the gallery briefly; I was talking to a lovely lady at the time so did not have a chance to say hello or ask him to sign the visitor book.  Never mind, he probably didn't want to be bothered anyway.  It would have been interesting to hear what he thought of the show though, particularly as he paints and exhibits his work as well.

These lovely people were engrossed!

People have been genuinely interested in my work and all the ideas I have incorporated; it has been rewarding chatting to them.  There are some lovely comments in the book so far, (not all of them by my family!)

Interestingly, none of the adults wanted to participate, and no one was interested in drawing onto the canvas; in the end I collaged the work left behind onto it and carefully worked over and around the pieces to produce a piece of work to reflect the day.  I would quite like to paint into it, but it isn't mine - it is hanging in the education room at the museum for now.

Lovely marks, on the floor, before I washed it!

To see the complete set of photos that I took during the workshop go to:

http://www.facebook.com/SueGoughArtist

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Today's Work

It was a real struggle today.  My feet however, were a lot warmer than yesterday, and my £30 Morrison's microwave was brilliant for heating hot milk for my coffee, so I don't know why I struggled so much.  I shall blame it on the low light levels, better get used to that then!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The above photos show the stages of one drawing so far.  I am pondering on the idea of introducing some figuration in the form of reference to landscape, with some colour from the hedgerows that I photographed the other day, but we shall see.

I was browsing the internet when I got home and discovered a fabulous artist called Mary Ellen Doyle, a painter in the USA, who makes the most beautiful watercolours with the addition of litho pencil and gouache.  They are mostly landscape, with some urban scenes, richly coloured with an interesting surface caused by the sticking together of the paper in sections to create the whole work as well as the painterly use of her medium.  The work makes reference to Diebenkorn's painting, but is strongly Mary Ellen's own.  I really recommend them to anyone interested in painting.  The link to her web site is below:

http://medoylepainter.com/home.html

 

www.facebook.com/SueGoughArtist

www.ryedaleartworks.com
 

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Back in the Studio

It is weeks since I have been able to get in to the studio because of the building work at home.  However I made it today.  It took me half the day to find a way back into the work.  I usually have a sketch book at home so that I can put some thoughts down in the evening, but the last months have been pretty hectic and stressful so not good for developing ideas, hence the struggle today.

I did manage to make two small drawings, exploring the theme in a slightly different way, using text  with the tally marks instead of the loops and asemic textual references.  These are small works, and I will continue to make small pieces while I struggle to re-engage with the theme.  There are a couple of unfinished smaller canvases that I'll be able to work on too, which should help me to re-focus.  All of the smaller pieces I make will be mounted up for the show in April; hopefully people will be able to afford to buy these even if they can't afford the larger works!

I used views from the studio window to reference the landscape on top of the textual and tally marks that create a grid beneath.

It is the run up to Christmas now, despite my protest that it shouldn't start until the end of November, so I am hoping to manage 3 days a week in the studio, which will allow me the rest of the week to get the house back into a reasonable state to live in and host the family for the festivities.  I'm really looking forward to having them all up here.

www.facebook.com/SueGoughArtist

www.ryedaleartworks.com

 

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