Tuesday, 23 June 2015

Balancing Act



It is very cold and grey today and looks rather like my print February, above.  What has happened to Summer?

North Yorkshire Open Studios has passed by in a whir as usual.  Thank you to all the visitors who came for the last weekend; it was so interesting to hear your thoughts about my work and to observe you as you listened to mine.  Our conversations and contact is really appreciated and treasured.

I spent the week after Open Studios catching up in our newly developing garden as a winding down process.  The weekend just gone was lost unfortunately, due to a family emergency.  I am now back in the studio as a priority although my work for Frack Free Ryedale  frackfreeryedale.orgcontinues apace and all this is balanced with the garden and family of course.

I have several open submissions that I am interested in and the deadlines for these are looming, so the need to make some new work is urgent.  I was in the studio all day yesterday, preparing boards for something a little experimental, more of which later.  This morning I had some admin for FFR but in just a short while I shall be heading back out to the studio to continue prepping the boards.  

I like the preparation time before any actual painting commences; it seems to me a meditative period, sanding the boards, brushing them free of dust,  building up the layers of gesso, more sanding.  All of this time allows for freer thoughts about my intentions for the piece to emerge, as they did yesterday and I am feeling really optimistic about this next body of work.  I am becoming very interested in the way the layers of thoughts become part of the preparation time, become part of the work; the whole process is a layering of physical and mental exertion that I find completely enthralling and exhausting.

In the week between Open Studios, I took some time off to visit The Tetley and attend a talk about the current exhibition, Painting in Time.  http://thetetley.org/painting-in-time/  Three of the artists were present, one via Skype, along with three "interviewers".  The talk was interesting and inspiring; I relished listening to a conversation about art, its process and thinking behind it.   The whole thing was inspiring and I am hoping to be able to attend more in the future.  I wrote notes during the talk as I knew I'd forget what was said if I didn't and I will blog more fully about the talk in my An blog:  A Portrait of an Artist as a Very Late Starter,  as soon as I have time.

Right, off to the studio, more anon.  Thank you for reading this, please feel free to place comments below, I will always respond.





Study, Seasons/Time.





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Thursday, 11 June 2015

Weekend Two NYOS 15



Summer



Gearing up for the second weekend of Open Studios, the weather, after a glorious week, is set to change for the worse with heavy rain forecast on Saturday but that won't put me off!

It just means the studio door will have to be closed and we shan't be able to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Never mind!  I'll have home made cake, tea and coffee available to tempt visitors as well as lots of works on my walls and in the browser, plus the prints of the works entitled Laminar Flow.

Jenny Pepper Felt maker's studio will also be open, so there's lots to
see http://www.jennypepper.com/

I 'm looking forward to welcoming visitors to my studio and talking to them about my work.  




March, my birthday month!








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Tuesday, 9 June 2015

June

From the suite of prints available during North Yorkshire Open Studios, here is June:



There are twelve prints available, one for each month of the year, £85 each, a very limited edition only.


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Monday, 8 June 2015

NYOS 15 Weekend number one




Putting out the publicity leaflets for other artists in the vicinity, just before the event began.


Saturday 6th June, day one.  The wind was blowing a gale, quickly knocking our big parasol over, so we folded it away and braved the wind and sunshine outside when we could!

Thank you to all the lovely visitors who made the effort to visit.  Your interest in my work and the lovely conversations are very much appreciated and make all the effort worth while.

The total number of visitors on Saturday was 52 - a big increase on last year!  Fewer came on Sunday; a total of 21 and just as valued. All in all it was a most enjoyable weekend, the sale of a small piece on paper, the icing on the proverbial cake! 
















Drawing materials for visiting children















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Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Time is short!




It's nearly upon us!  This coming weekend, June 6/7th and the following one, June 13/14th, 10.30am - 5.30pm North Yorkshire Open Studios takes place.  My studio at Stonegrave will be open and I am going to show a wide variety of work.

The prints of my series, Laminar Flow (seasons), are ready and mounted and I have just four of the original paintings to put back into their frames, ready for hanging on the wall. The other two walls will show a smaller series of works that I made last year and a couple of larger drawings.  There will be pieces in my browser, other works stacked up for you to look at and a slide show of how the Laminar Flow series developed.

The prints are a very limited edition, with two complete sets of twelve, so you will need to be quick if you want any!

Here's a taster:


Laminar Flow (March) 30 x 40 cm plus mount. Archive ink on art paper.





Laminar Flow (June) 30 x 40 cm plus mount.  Archive ink on art paper.





Laminar Flow (September) 30 x 40 cm plus mount.  Archive ink on paper.




Laminar Flow (December) 30 x 40 cm plus mount.  Archive ink on paper


Some of the smaller works:



Connect, mixed media on board,25.5 x 25.5 cm, framed.  




Song, mixed media on board, 25.5 x 25.5 cm, framed.




Rhythms, mixed media on board, 25.5 x 25.5 cm, framed.



All are welcome, including children; I have a pot of crayons and some paper for them to make their own drawings, so bring along your family and friends, chat to me about my work and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and home made biscuits.  Have a good browse and who knows, you might go home with a lovely new piece of art for your walls or a gift for a special friend!

I look forward to seeing you.

Sue