A Much Needed Break

I'm off to Shambala this weekend, so if you're there, come say hello at the hobbyhorse workshop and race, I need a break!

The Ditch

A day out followed by pickled eggs, paint and a pint.

Breedon on the Hill

A ride out on the big black zed, taking in a bit of history.

Derbyshire Countryside

A short walk was needed today, to clear my head and re-motivate me, so good conversation and hot coffee while the rain soaked us was the remedy to a weekend where my get up and go seems to have lay down and rolled over.

The poor mistreated studio dog was let out and didn't object to getting soaked at all.

Painting

I started a painting last night, and had the thought that maybe I hadn't done any painting at university because I didn't want the enjoyment to be ruined by the criticism it would've received, so did I really play it safe and do something that I wasn't actually passionate about?

Oh the enjoyment of paint!!!

John Piper

Anglesey Walls, Llandona & Penmon, by John Piper

I was reminded of John Piper when visiting the New Walk Museum, they have one of his cottage paintings, and then I found this. I like to think about how he may have met my grandparents while out painting at Penmon or Llandona.

Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire

Harlech Castle, North Wales.

Degree Show Review

There was a degree show review in the art art art magazine, from the Matt Roberts Art in London, heres a link to it.

http://www.artartartgallery.com/newsitefive/files/u1/educationspecial09.pdf

I'm really pleased with the review, but thoroughly disappointed that an image of my work wasn't used. While also being pleased for the other people who's images were used... oh it's so confusing, when I want it all to be about me! But its been a busy day, and I'm tired and hungry. I may just have to run into town to buy some oil paint brushes to start the white canvas which is screaming to have some paint on it.

INVISIBILITY

Having had an experience yesterday where I feelings of being invisible were re awakened, I came to the realisation that it has been an occuring theme in my life, when I've been left feeling unimportant, without a voice, disempowered basically invisible. This could be a new thread for my work. How would I transfer that feeling into a visual medium? When I googled the word, it also came up alongside prejudice.

So a bit of online research:-

in⋅vis⋅i⋅ble

–adjective

1.	not visible; not perceptible by the eye: invisible fluid.

2.	withdrawn from or out of sight; hidden: an invisible seam.

3.	not perceptible or discernible by the mind: invisible differences.

4.	not ordinarily found in financial statements or reflected in statistics or a listing: Goodwill is an invisible asset to a business.

5.	concealed from public knowledge.

–noun

6.	an invisible thing or being.

7.	the invisible, the unseen or spiritual world

Synonyms:
2. veiled, obscure.

Dictionary.com Unabridged

Randomly, I also found this, which felt slightly relevant!
OED Online - Word of the day; Winnow
1. trans. To expose (grain or other substances) to the wind or to a current of air so that the lighter particles (as chaff or other refuse matter) are separated or blown away; to clear of refuse material by this method.

Carsington Reservoir, Derbyshire

A long walk in the countryside, a stop off at the wooden house, a time for reverie at the view, and a disturbing signpost...

Why I need a studio...

Because this was my living room when I did some painting of foxgloves and clouds for designer Kate Unwin, for her english country garden at the special olympics.

Images of the foxgloves in situ on this blog....
http://mantua-maker.blogspot.com/

RUFFORD PARK

A lovely day out to Rufford Park, where we were welcomed by the Apple Man, enjoyed some sculptures and rode on a horse and carriage...

The hand reminds me of Jaume Plensa's sculptures.

INSIDE THE SHED

WooHoo!

Inside my new studio, it even comes complete with its own dog and gardener.

Mellors, come here at once!

The Purple Shed

Advancements were made yesterday, the jungle was attacked before breakfast and great swathes were made into the deepest darkest areas. Light was allowed back in.

The hairy black supervisor barked instructions but refused to make the tea, which was not much help at all.

By 6pm, 12 bags had been ridden away and the lost tribe of pygmies had been evicted and sent down to the local housing office with our sincere apologies.

We made it to our destination...

STREETSTYLE SPORTSTYLE 89-09 Then & Now

The Richard Attenborough Centre

Lancaster Road, Leicester

18th July - 29th August 2009

Open daily except Sundays.

Having read some of the comments about volunteering, I decided to add a post about an exhibition I've been working on. It is a museums led exhibition but not held in a museum, its looking at identity, music and sport through fashion from 1989 and 2009, it celebrates the special olympics returning to Leicester after 20years of being in other venues.

I have been project support/community curator on this project which has involved talking to communities about their memories of 1989, recording these memories and collecting any items of clothing they have decided to loan. Its also had funding from the cultural olympiad as well as renaissance east midlands (I can't list all the funders, too many!) One of the aims of the project has been to target groups which would not normally visit a gallery.

This saturday was the community open day, and a coach full of visitors from Northampton arrived to spend 3 hours in a setting they are not necassarily comfortable with. They had a great time. They had a guided tour of the whole building, interactive parts of the exhibition, a mayors speech, felt making workshop (run by me, amazed that some of the kids didn't know where wool came from), ate their packed lunches and got back on the coach, happy that they had had a fun day out.

If only all experiences to galleries and museums could be so pleasant. If I have felt intimidated in galleries (I'll not mention being followed by a security guard in Newcastle museum & gallery) then I can't begin to imagine how someone daring to venture in for the first time would feel. Perhaps we need to start educating the museum & gallery assistants, invigilators and security staff that these big beautiful building belong to those communities who do not utilise them even thought they are funding them through public money.

I've enjoyed volunteering for this project, I've recieved good training, support and it has definately given me the confidence to applying for a project in Derbyshire (I'll keep you posted about that) I've made good contacts and I've made a whole new group of friends in my fellow volunteers, some of whom I'm going onto develop other ideas with.

Oh, and to finish off a really fun and exhilarating day, an email from Matt Roberts with the draft of the degrees issue of artartart, with a review of my degree show work, that I'm particularly pleased and proud of. Thank you Alan Armstrong, you completed my perfect day.

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