Notes on a good start (I think) to the studio year:

Having agonised for about six months, I have resigned from the committee of Ryedale ArtWorks.  I have worked voluntarily for RAW since its inception and feel it is time for me to dedicate more time to my own studio work and that it is time for other members of RAW to step up and take some responsibility for their organisation.  I have happily worked alongside other committee members and aritsts to enable RAW to achieve some pretty good things. I've born the brunt of one quite outrageously rude and unwarranted public attack from a member and some pretty constant and thoughtless remarks along the lines of: it's alright for me because I don't have to earn a living from my work, which have made me feel very dejected for much of these six months, so I feel I've done my bit!  I shall continue my membership of course, because I believe in what RAW has achieved and can continue to achieve for all its members.

I made five versions so I could select the best three.

I've been in the studio for two days this week, making my postcards for The International Postcard Show 2015 and formalising my ideas for the ballot box piece.  I have never made it down to Nottingham's Surface Gallery to see the show, but I really like the idea of an international exchange of work, even if they are only postcard sized. Last year I did not exchange my pieces because I liked them too much to give them away.  They did not sell, and I gave one away to a special person and the others went to Clare Smith, who included them in her zine.  More of that later.  

This year's postcards are in colour!  Exclamation mark indeed, because I love black and white, but decided that maybe folks would prefer something more jolly in January.  I continue with my use of tally marks, layering up the paint and used the heart motif, which along with star motifs have featured in my most recent work along with asemic text.  I have called them Song #1, #2 and #3.  They are now in the post and should arrive in time for the Saturday deadline.

From top: Song #1, Song #2, Song #3

My notes about the ballot box piece are on my a-n blog:

https://www.a-n.co.uk/blogs/a-portrait-of-an-artist-as-a-very-late-starter

I have already hit a technical problem, which is how to cut my Chinese paper roll into a 12.5 cm wide strip. To unroll and cut it would prove problematic; I don't want to crease the paper too much by handling it during the cutting process.  I am wondering if a really good guillotine, such as the ones that printing companies use would be able so cut through the entire paper roll so that I end up with  a roll about the right width.  I shall visit a company I know of next week and ask them!

Meanwhile I am gathering some other information in preparation.  Once I have the paper cut and some screens made, (I will order some from Thermofax Screens http://www.thermofaxscreens.co.uk/ ), I shall be able to start and it is quite exciting!  I intend to use a mixture of printmaking techinques as well as drawing.

Back to the zine; 

Just before Christmas I received my copy of a zine that Clare Smith http://www.studio308ltd.co.uk/  produced as part of a really interesting project,

Stitched Time.  http://www.studio308ltd.co.uk/projects/stitched-time/

Front cover

Clare conceived, instigated and worked collaboratively with other women for several months on this project last year, despite falling ill and directing the hang for the final show from her hospital bed!   I feel privileged to be a small part of it by contributing to the zine and hope to get down to visit the wonderful space that she has been using in Dover some time.

From the foreword, by Clare Smith

The three pictures above show my contribution

Two pictures above show inside back cover

Back cover

Thank you, Clare Smith for this opportunity and good luck with all your other projects this year.

It is interesting to note that the artists I showed with in Wobudong all contributed, which strengthens my belief that blogging and sharing is worthwhile because it is through my blog on a-n, (see link earlier in this post)  that I became involved in that project and as a consequence, broadened my exhibiting experience and artist contacts. 

Link to Wobudong post:   https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7124941679212812075#editor/target=post;postID=3327270501718329137;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=27;src=postname