Juno

charcoal and pastel on scored and cut paper

30cm x 40cm

As promised in yesterday's post, here is the piece that I have most recently finished. I'm continuing to work with the idea of mosaic remains and the de-construction and re-construction of my drawings. It's an interesting process and I am getting quicker at making the pieces, so...I believe It's time to go larger!

My new studio!

  

I've ended up having a much longer break from blogging than I'd planned or expected. You may remember that I moved house? and sorting out the new house has been very time consuming. It had been empty for two years and was in a very poor state so we have been attending to its needs since we moved in! :)...although I have somehow, in between jobs, managed to make a new piece of work which I will post tomorrow!  Today I want to show you my new space. I love my new studio..it's on the second floor of what was once a small brewery. We live in the middle section where there is a three story tower. My studio is on the top floor of that...so I now have a proper ivory tower! (For those who don't know, I used to refer to my last studio as my ivory tower as it was in the attic room). I've seen some glorious sunsets already as I have an east window, a west window and a south window, so plenty of light although my pics don't show that off too well.  

It's great to be posting again!

My best wishes to all! 

Epona - Celtic/Roman Goddess

charcoal on scored and cut paper

30cm x 40cm

It's been over two weeks since my last post as I'm in the throws of moving house and am up to my eyes in packing boxes! But in between juggling time and boxes I've somehow managed to put together another piece for my show! My aim in these recent pieces is to create a series of images that embody the essence of the gods or goddesses but that depicts them in a form that reflects human mortality. This piece portrays Epona. Epona (also known as Rhiannon) was a Celtic goddess whom the Romans adopted as their own. She was the goddess of horses and of fertility.

This might have to be my last post for a while as moving day is next Monday from which time I will be offline and won't be back on until the 12th November :( Will get back to you then :) 

Untitled finished drawing

This is the most successful mosaic drawing that I've made so far. I've experimented with surface texture by using a combination of mosaic pieces and charcoal applied directly onto the paper surface. I'm satisfied and excited by the outcome and can't wait to get on with the next piece which is a good feeling after, if you recall, the disaster of the last one!! 

Preliminary drawing

In my last post which, oh my, I realise now was two weeks back! I showed you a piece that I was experimenting with. Well...in between then and now I have explored all avenues with it. It's been pushed, pulled, chopped up, chopped up again and guess what...it's now been binned!! I don't easily give up on any piece and try to push it through to some sort of conclusion but this time I was definitely beaten...grrrrrr! On the positive side though (and there always is one so they tell me :)) I did learn alot from it...even if it was mostly what doesn't work! The piece above is my next victim. It's another drawing I made earlier. I just thought I'd show you whilst it's in the preliminary stages. I've cut it through the centre as a starting point and will endeavour to work outwards from there...and will needless to say, try not to mess up on this one! It's a slow process so don't expect a progress report too soon, although, I am getting quicker at it...what I really need is a studio assistant to do all the sticking work, hmmm...in my dreams!! 

Work in progress

This piece is my current work in progress. As you can see I still have quite a way to go with it. Now I've overcome some of the initial assemblage issues and devised a method of working, the process is becoming less problematic. I'm using a drawing that I made on a creased and scored surface. The creases and score marks create veins in the paper that become clear when the charcoal is applied and which have an organic appearance. The cutting up and re-constructing process is very much about building the image. I'm experimenting at the moment with different shape and scale pieces. I'm quite excited by this latest piece as it seems to be going in a new direction...we shall have to wait and see!

My finished frames

Today I've been finishing the frames for two of the pieces going into the show 'Borrowed Blue' at Sam scorer Gallery, Lincoln on Monday. I ordered the frame pieces and accessories from Ashcraft Framing and put them together myself. It was simple and straightforward...brilliant!