Art@41: ..mid week mumblings!

Art@41: ..mid week mumblings!: OK... so, Sunday has been and gone, lost in thought and desperation as my mojo has taken a leave of absence and I am now at my whits end......

..mid week mumblings!

OK... so, Sunday has been and gone, lost in thought and desperation as my mojo has taken a leave of absence and I am now at my whits end....and all creative types know....stress doesn't always aide inspiration!

I keep being told my art is on the cusp of craft, I'm not too concerned about this it's just that when the word is mention it is linked with a lip curl and almost a condescending shake of the head....maybe I'm being paranoid but when one lecturer starts talking about W.I cakes and likening my work to them?!....

....so now I am painting....that's mainly what they encourage!....

...but I find it so hard to do, I love incorporating mixed media and no matter how hard I try I keep adding different methods to my work....I have decided to minimalise my colour pallet and also purely look at an aspect  found on a pebble....so my journey began from my location, to an object, to a shape and now broken down to one element - a mark! which is fine as that is I suppose where the whole thing started, my scar on my face! 

Ben Nicholson and Susan Hillier have inspired me to try and minimalise my work but in relief, although I haven't used found objects!....I love the simplicity of their work, I now realise tho' to get to that stage takes a lot of thought, elimination and focus.....definitely not an easy process. To successfully simplify something and abstract it from its natural environment is by no means and easy task!

I have taken one mark and carved it out of good old MDF with my new scrolling jigsaw...I am quite happy with the effects so far, just a few more adjustments and the last panel to cut out but....

notice a sneaky snapshot of my new
power tool!

...I even dug out the coping saw!

starting to take shape...

I need to scratch into the surface and paint white

....I start sweating thinking that I will take it in to Uni and they will look at it and shake their heads....I've again used my craft like skills to create another piece of craft....aarrggghhhhh....sleepless fretful nights of different lecturers faces looming into view with Victoria sponges are really not good!

Don't get me wrong,I love what I do...but I worry that my work is not good enough - typical artists trait I know - the mood in the studios is sooooo sombre and almost sad, we are all struggling to produce a body of work that not only represents ourselves and where we are, but also that's good enough to pass our degree....

So life is up and down at the moment....

....happy reading and lets hope we all turn the corner and can see the light at the end of the degree tunnel soonish!....bye

Art@41: Sunday sweet Sunday...

Art@41: Sunday sweet Sunday...: I feel like a Domestic Goddess today... .....A normal Sunday in the Mainprize household is a rare event and one to be cherished! After ...

Sunday sweet Sunday...

I feel like a Domestic Goddess today...

.....A normal Sunday in the Mainprize household is a rare event and one to be cherished!

After weeks of filling in forms, Uni and business plans I have had a day off!

so I thought I'd map out today in an earlier than usual blog!...

sleep in 'til just before 8am....bliss... then a sneak into the studio to try adding some other elements to my new painting - its about 1.5m x 1m and is purely marks taken from a rock, but very close up...

My studios a nit compact and bijou so I have to
be creative when painting horizontally!

this is how it started...acrylic inks on canvas

now with some extra weight...

....it's not finished yet and I'm not sure if I like the grey acrylic paint....but I'll persevere...

....next we, that is me and Hubby took keah our manic pooch for a walk on the beach in Scarborough - Northside ....it was very busy with fellow dog's and their walkers....Keah found an interesting item on the beach... 

....at least there was no body....

a massive fear I have when out walking!

Any way the dog stank of seaweed and was wearing a winter coat of sand so after a lovely shower she is now sporting a shiny, yet rather fluffy look...

showing off her de-stuffed toy!

I even managed to peel away my thread pebbles testers to see if they look anything like the image I had in my head!...I wanted to capture just the thread like marks that you often see on pebbles, and as I have incorporated thread in a lot of my ink pebbles I wanted to display something akin to pebbles in my assemblage boxes...some look ok ....the top one does remind me of a fur ball tho'!!!

Paige has been making a skirt for a school project, her first attempt was a gathered circular short  black, double layered chiffon creation!!!.... after she had finished it and was writing her evaluation....I mentioned that maybe she could have started off making something a little less complicated with more manageable fabric!...I fear it fell on deaf ears, I think she enjoyed making it yesterday, but was glad to get it finished today!

David Chalmers set up

 I was lucky enough to get some help from a photographer called David Chalmers who shared some technical advice on how to take good quality macro photos of my pebbles, He took a load of photos for me and also showed me how effective tubes can be when added to you lenses in magnifying the subject even further. I have ordered some so watch this space!
Kevin had a go with one of his huge lenses and got some pretty good results so really I have no excuse now!
Must be honest, I loved working in the photography studio, so clean and clear...I'm really looking forward to David's solo exhibition this September at Woodend Gallery I got a sneak peek at his ingenious model of the gallery and how he was considering displaying his work and one of his carbon photos, just loved it....

Kevin's first attempt!

Connor would describe these as a snack!

I even managed to small yet productive baking session, much to everyones delight....what was once  a weekend tradition that was devoured within 24 hours....made a brief return...

We even managed to go along to a local gallery - tea room Coast to see a new exhibition. I can't find a website but here's their facebook page!

so, cleaned the conservatory floor, done the washing and some ironing! Sunday tea is cooking nicely and I feel the call of a Bacardi and coke to sip at while enjoying a few hours of well earned rest!

...... lastly.....

I want to share an advert that will be going out from tomorrow, its the new Cancer research advert for Yorkshire, my Dad's photo is amongst one of the many you can see, If it can help raise awareness and much needed funds, even £5....then it's worth it...

happy reading and enjoy....bye

Art@41: ...just a thought!

Art@41: ...just a thought!: sorry for not blogging last week..... ...where does the time go?! I've been busy with lots of different things....home life, uni, the f...

...just a thought!

sorry for not blogging last week.....

...where does the time go?!

I've been busy with lots of different things....home life, uni, the future....no different from any other week but it seems to have taken up lots more time than usual, researching, refining and then re-thinking!

I seem to be feeling a bit more settled with my art....trying to work out a theme that's both interesting visually and intellectually and how best to deliver it....that's taking some planning!....any help would be much appreciated!

Professional studies is now the new buzz word at uni!...although I have actively been exhibiting my work and making plans for the future, I need to remember to write everything down, document what I have been doing and why!

I have become a student ambassador for "a-n magazine" and have found that now also involves giving a talk to all 3 years of our fine art students about what the magazine has to offer and its benefits to us as students!....gulp...... I feel a tongue stuck to the roof of my dry mouth moment coming soon!

My birthday present arrived last week.....to much excitement and whooping....to some it's just a sewing machine to me....it's a creative machine....and it purrrrrs when it's in being used....happy days!

gleaming and new!

Paige made me this lovely little character the other day whilst at Guides....She sits in my studio watching over the chaos and quietly exudes love  and friendship, thanks Paige, I just love her x

 "Humphretta".

gripped by the frenzy of the long over due snow 

we - my hubby and me ( the kids had gone out sledging with their friends!) went to the forestry to enjoy a few hours of quiet beauty....

...thought you might like to see a few of my pics!

how dare someone spoil  the snow!
...however must admit I love the prints!

...great light and shadows 

Hubby leaving his mark!

I just sat looking deep into the forest...

..oh deer!...

Bleak...and yet so beautiful..

it's another busy week ahead, I've managed to change my window display in my empty shop...

This is some of my work from last semester... I'm following the same theme this semester but concentrating solely on the marks found on pebbles....abstracting them and blowing them up to grand scales!

...similar to the piece on the left!

...any way, I'm off now

....back soon....

happy reading, bye