Saturday 23 January 2016

music











I have been in the studio a lot. I have a mouse problem, attracted by my mini kitchen I have in there. Which Ironically doesn't serve as a kitchen as it isn't plumbed in and the fridge is just full of different sauces the boys I share the barn with use on the sausages they cook on the grill. So I have got rid of it, pulled it out all myself, filling the holes with bricks, a total bodge job. It is very exciting thinking how I will arrange my furniture how I can best utilise the space etc. 
While I am in there I listen to a lot of stories and music:

- Hannah Cohen - Child bride. (fav song don't say)

- the soundtrack to the theory of everything

- Savasana - Wha! ( 100% yoga music, be ready) 

- Jimmy - Moriaty ( just that song) 

- What are you looking at by Will Gompertz








Etruscan gold acorn

this week











- coverting a Cecile Daladier ceramic vase. This woman is a huge inspiration to me. She is very prolific with her work also.

- visting a sea of snowdrops at Painswick Rococo gardens. I wouldn't recomended going miles out of your way for it as its not their best year because of the funny year. But I am particularly inspired by their form for my new work so I made the journey.

- read this full moon post by desiree pais, words hit home for me and also it has been something I have been trying to find the words for myself. 
"with courage, I am now on a mission not for self-improvement but for self-acceptance. To leave the fear behind, the control behind, the doubt behind, the rigidness behind, letting go of everything that keeps me small and in the way of experiencing happiness in this beautiful thing called Human Life. "

- obsessed with the fountain supplements, taking this to keep me well while I am so busy, with commissions and sorting my studio.








Sergej Jensen


content










'The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you.'
Lost in translation.

I have written this blog post several times trying to figure out how to phrase things. But I still don't know how to, I think its this big shift I am going through. I am continually clearing things out of my life physically and mentally. It is like finding something you want under a big pile of junk. I feel that is what I am doing with myself. I did this with my artwork cleared what niggled me and I winded up to where I am now. This natural style which just flows through my hand. I am not looking at whats trendy, what is selling, just working off the mind and imagination. It is a beautiful space to be in and long may it last and grow.







Briton Rivière, Una and Lion, nineteenth century.

Saturday 16 January 2016

bowie









When I heard about the death of David Bowie, I must of cried for the whole morning. I didn't quite understand why I was crying because it was a person I never met. However I always thought of him when things didn't go right, if I was told my style was too different. 
I developed a mantra in my head 'be like Bowie'. 

Elizabeth Gilbert summed up what I want to say:
'For the last 18 months (we learn only today) David Bowie has known that he was dying. He kept that information private, while spending his final months doing what he'd done his whole life — making outrageously original, beautiful, complicated art. He made a gorgeous album. He created a show, playing right now in New York. And then he released this, his final video, just a few days before he died — on his 69th birthday. 
"Look up here," he sings, "I'm in heaven." 
Can you imagine, to be making art like this (fearless art that both comforts and challenges) right up to the moment of your death? How do you do that? How do you BE that? To work with your death so imaginatively, in order to perfectly time out the last beats of your life? What a magnificent creature of creation, right to the end. 
I am sad today, but mostly I am overwhelmed by awe. This is what it means to be a great artist. 
From the beginning, this was a man who showed us how to do life differently than anyone had ever done it before, and now look how he has done death. 
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Inspiration, to me, is THIS.
Goodbye to the master, and onward for the rest of us.'








Alexander Calder

Thursday 14 January 2016

this week











-on the drive to London I spotted this incredible building, just sitting empty. Its called the Hoover building. I think it is such a crime that beauty, skill and vision should just sit helpless. 

- I finally got round to watching the film Youth. I am in awe of this film. Like a good book you read too quickly and have to go back and read it again to soak in all the brilliant anecdotes it has to offer. This film is visually stunning. It has also inspired a trip I shall take to Switzerland this year to go paint their wildflowers.

- buying sweet peas from Eagle Sweet peas. I first spotted these people at Chelsea flower show. They produce the most gorgeous specimens. 

- slowly making my way through this documentary about painting Winter. It has Grayson Perry talking about art so I was hooked immediately.

- part of the programme looked at when the Thames froze over 200 years ago, and a winter wonderland market popped up for 10 weeks across it. That is really turning lemons into lemonade.

- nature feels as well: 'Heartbreaking pictures show mother kangaroo reaching for joey one last time before dying in male companion's arms'.








unkown

botany show









It hasn't been long since I vowed I wouldn't do another show for at least year. Yesterday I ate my words as I drove 150 paintings of mine up to the shop Botany in London. They contacted me last week and said they would love to put on a show of my work. 
It looks like it will run for 8 weeks, and they are curating it to fit around their shop, but in blocks like I had at my first show. Getting contacted by people who are equally as passionate to work with, is such a buzz. 








jacqueline hassink

Tuesday 5 January 2016

FORZA!











I write this post late at night as a reminder to myself more than anything. 
I kept thinking why am I so tired? and it struck me today it is because I fight so many other peoples battles as well as my own. I'll help that person! I will make sure they feel better about themselves! 
I let out a long sigh of relief as I have said to myself, you don't need to. Life goes on without you. Changing my habits to ask myself how I feel in the morning, how was my day? 
Is it selfish? no it it is self care. Learn to say no, learn to put yourself first. Squash the feelings of guilt  and I believe self acceptance is on the other side.
I give it a month. One month to really focus totally on myself, and not others. 
Happiness? better sleep? adventure?
Lets see what happens. 








a silver fox

this week











At the moment I have this overwhelming desire to get painting again. Been having wonderful ideas of what I want to do next with my work. This isn't the case yet though, I am still sorting through my work, unclipping all the frames and filing the pictures away. 

-evenings trying to zone out been watching War and Peace on the BBC. My mother loved the book and wanted to name her children after the characters. My father said no. 

-booked to go see Matt Haig at Toppings booksellers in Bath. reasons to stay alive, as I am curious and I want to know his answer. 

-listening to Elizabeth Gilberts new book 'Big Magic' as recommended to me by someone who bought my work.

-each week I have been uploading 10 pieces of work from my 500 flowers show on to my etsy site. 

-this is the type of art I would like in my room. Katherine Wolkoff deer bed. She followed deers and where they had been sleeping and made a series of photographs of them. Subtle and calm. As I can't afford the photo It is my computer screensaver. 










Nobuyoshi Araki