Workshop, Wonderment, Walking

I've lost my mojo, have you seen it? Got loads of ideas, but when it comes to getting down to it, suddenly they don't seem so exciting.

So I thought this past weekend might do something to wake up the creative spirit.
Saturday, I went on a Lynda Monk workshop. It was full on we worked hard, but we came away with lots of goodies. Not least part of the pleasure of the day was that Lynda had prepared everything we needed, so no hunting around for supplies, and better, no trying to fit stuff back in cupboards when returning home. Lynda provided the best 'kit' I've ever came across, generous with materials, and her knowledge. It was also nice to meet up with friends and new acquaintances for the day, so much what these events are about.
Sunday me and himself went off to London. I'm not a lover of the capital, being a country bumpkin, hate the swarms of people. But we had places/people to see.
First off to the degree show of the Julia Caprara School graduates, and in particular to see and support Chris Spencer. Many congratulations Chris, all that hard work. Do look at her blog to see the journey she's made to get this degree. Some of the other work I really liked, some I simply didn't understand, sigh. But this is what art is about, perhaps it makes you think, assess, look again.
Next and not far away, we went to visit a house. This has been on our wish list for sometime, its only open a few days in the year (again this coming Sunday), so very lucky to coincide with the graduate show. 19 Princelet Street. Although neither of us have any connection to the cultures or people who formed part of the history of this house and the area, we still wanted to see it. Its in a bad state of repair, but for me all the more poignant. I spent a lot of time, just sitting, looking, absorbing and imagining those peoples from the past, which is how I like my history... the ordinary folk, their daily lives, seeing the buildings/streets they might have seen.
As we left, look what we found in the pavement - a drain cover I suppose, but no others in the street like this one.

Speaking the Language of Art.... or not!

Last week I sent off my Art Trail application... the hardest thing on applications is the words... I do so hate the art speak, feel that really isn't me at all, and yet sometimes I feel like I've drifted into it. Its like being in an art class, whilst there, I understand every word, I can juxtapose, sort dichotomies, know my tertiary from my analogous, with the rest of them, but get home and its, "what on earth do these notes I made actually mean". I don't understand half the words I've written down.

Some applications want to know about the work, others, the artist and work, and others have limited numbers of words, 35, 50. It can get to feel like the tie-breaker question in a competition: I buy purry cat food because.......
The words, especially when you have to write them now for work which may not be displayed for 6 months, 8 months, may be longer, work not even made yet, well I'm learning how to write something interesting, relevant and yet at the same time suitably vague!!! (Could also be politician speak.)
Made the mistake early on of saying my work is... then at the exhibition realising actually it isn't. I try really hard not to speak PCT - Pretentious Claptrap - but unfortunately saying "I made it this way cos I wanted to and I like it, and its got red bits cos I ran out of blue" just isn't the done thing, sigh. So alas I find there are times when in order to be in the game you have to speak the language, or else not play at all.
Interesting programme on tv at the moment, BBC2, 5.15pm each evening "Show Me the Monet" - all about artists of varying experience trying to get their work into a selected exhibition - you may find it contains artspeak   :-)

Now, let me see when I have a window in my Filofax so we can set up an interface - see you next time!!!

First - find one's workspace!!!

This is my workspace - not very big as you can see, and this is it in the process of tidying the room up!!!  As if the table isn't big enough things creep onto the windowsill, currently half a quilting ruler, yes I did say half, it slid under the chair leg, I leaned on the chair and snap!  Also on the sill a pencil case, which I keep my rotary cutter in.  I have a couple of designer, Kipling, pencil cases, having decided sometime back that as an artist darhling I ought to have a better pencil case than the kids versions usually bought.  The large mauve one is hiding on the left, and the latest bright pink is on the right, and yes I keep my Kipling monkeys on them.  There's paperwork to be filed but I've managed to keep my newly created schedule of what and when, on the top!  The hidden can is 404 glue spray, which I love, doesn't clog the sewing machine.  The white wallet is full of all sorts, scooped up everything laying around about a week ago and its ended up in here, to be sorted. There's my little A6 sized book where I record everything I've done in the week - here  is more info about it.  The plastic box is another let's scoop it all up.  The green is a rubbing plate (kids version not arty expensive), the rotary cutter is in there, note not in the case on the sill (sigh), there are needles, business cards, cutting knife, pens all sorts to go away.  At the front, baby wipes - can't live without those, use them to wipe over the sewing machine, the table, me!!!  On top a scissor/knife sharpener, had that out last night to sharpen the purple scissors laying there.  I love love love my purple Janome scissors - think they are the Professional range, don't tell him indoors but I've ordered another pair, that will make 3, plus snips, and I have a blue pair which are not the soft handles, which I use for cutting paper.  The little white photo sized wallett is actually full of painted cut out lutradur hearts.  There's an NI letter, cos I'm registered as self employed Artist (cough choke).  And somewhere you might see a cutting mat peeoping through.  The whole table is a bit like the proverbial swan, lots more going on which is not immediately visible.  I've actually come upstairs to try to find some space... but we all know there is a rule, things which come out of the cupboard, do not fit the same space going back  in!!!  Wish me luck, I may be gone some time!!!