10th September. Sometimes I forget just how draining involvement in unusual activity can be. I began this with the preamble to Steyning Arts trail in my mind and the preparation necessary for that, and tried to pick it up afterwards … Continue reading Response to the poem The Whales by Harry Gallagher
I’ve been using the same WordPress theme for years and it’s time for a change. Things might be a bit lumpy for a while! Continue reading Moving the furniture
Another instance of ekphrasis via a second commission to produce art work that will sit alongside a poem. As before, and in common with all the other contributors and the editors, this is unpaid. I have no problem with this … Continue reading Response to the poem – Star Roots by Tom Sheehan
Originally posted on Strayfish Arts:
It’s not quite true that I’ve never done it before but, compared with a table in a village hall and a tent in a garden, actual wall space in an actual gallery room was not only a step up but also came as something of a culture shock. There’s a big difference between unstable carboard easels at child grab height or chasing after art work knocked off its stand by a heaving tent flap, and fresh white walls with barely visible hanging devices you’ve no idea how to make use of. Who knew fishing line… Continue reading Idiot’s Checklist For Exhibiting Your Work When You’ve Never Done It Before – by A.N Idiot
It’s not quite true that I’ve never done it before but, compared with a table in a village hall and a tent in a garden, actual wall space in an actual gallery room was not only a step up but also came as something of a culture shock. There’s a big difference between unstable carboard easels at child grab height or chasing after art work knocked off its stand by a heaving tent flap, and fresh white walls with barely visible hanging devices you’ve no idea how to make use of. Who knew fishing line played such a part? Or … Continue reading Idiot’s Checklist For Exhibiting Your Work When You’ve Never Done It Before – by A.N Idiot
Over night, the picture fairies came in and magically hung my paintings on the vacant wall. Where I had nothing to attach them to, the means of attachment appeared; and where dizzying heights would have dizzied me off the ladder, … Continue reading We’re so over skirting boards!
The Rhinoceros beetle; currently common in the UK (Wildlife Trust). Its lifecycle depends on dead wood and so it may reasonably expect to outlive us. This painting is in very dilute watercolour on a mirror tile. The effect is to ‘ghost’ the image and put the viewer prominently in the scene. If we don’t reduce our emissions dramatically and quickly, while it may outlive us, this may not be for long. This weird beast with apparent suckers on its margins is a Comma butterfly and I have given up on mirror tiles! 18th August. My intention was to paint a … Continue reading Positive anthroposcenery #2
As many as there are skirting boards in a room! I was ill-equipped, it turned out, to hang the kinds of paintings I’d taken. I’ll have several yards of transparent thread and a roadie who’s good on ladders next time. … Continue reading How many paintings can a painting propper prop ..?
Sometimes you just have to give paint and water the day off to play together. Left to get on with it, these have made some fine little labels and business cards in earth and sky colours. All very abstract although … Continue reading Strayfish Arts on the trail
I was delighted to see some down-to-earth advice about this from Artquest, and some wonderful examples from The Art League: Good statements: keep it short grab the reader’s interest with the first sentence introduce the author’s personality and enthusiasm give a hint about the why of the artwork use the first person (I, me, mine — this is not a strict rule, but it does seem to help the author write a more straightforward, readable statement) What they don’t do: summarize the resume found elsewhere on the website give a physical description of artwork photographed elsewhere on the website sound generic use “art speak” Artquest, … Continue reading Artist statement – (part 5, project 4, ex 4)
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