Long time, no Blog.  It has been very wet for working at any pace and some flu, and a poorly ma added to the slow mix.  I'm up and at 'em again with several works in progress in the studio garden. As one stage is drying I can work on another piece and so on.  Cutting I often like to do in blocks because of the dust and debris. That, and mixing, are my least favourite tasks.  The designing, unexpected evolutions in the detail process, and the end bit is the fav by far when the jewels are revealed slowly from their chrusty covering of grout - something every mosaic artist has in common, as well as with dental hygienists. The rest is necessary grunt work.  I have finished a large 90 cm diameter table and embarked on another, which came as a double commission from father and daughter who visited my studio and took their inspiration from the poem table in progress.

The original poem table engraved with Robert Frost's shortest poem: The Secret. 

Alongside the two versions of this, is works in progress for upcoming shows: 

Maureen Michealson in the garden and house, in Hampstead, London...my third year with her, and my first time at the Yew Tree Gallery , Morvah in Cornwall. I exhibited at a pop up gallery in the Pool House at the Quenington Sculpture Trust last year at Fresh Air 2013.  The co curator, Miranda Leonard invited me to another one of her Pop Ups at Yew Tree, and I am delighted to be in great company once again  at both these gorgeous shows. Both venues are worth a visit in their own right. 

I will upload some progress shots soon but you can check out this Flickr page for the latest images which includes finished works or details thereof. Flickr 

Inspirational Places

Once, I hankered after exotic destinations but I love this country and now content with traveling to my favourite spots.  They provide both time to empty myself and soak up numinous sea and landscapes...but mainly seascapes.  

I visit several places along our Southwest coastline, but mostly Cornwall.  St Ives for it's harbour and surrounding beaches, historic tumbling warren of quaint streets and alleys originally built for fishermen's cottages.    The feast of art goes without saying. St.Ives, particularly, is steeped in the modern tradition of art and contemporary works still pay homage to early inspiration and style. I love it for the painting, the fine art and the makers work...and I love that there is little value distinction between the two. 

I also have a gentler but powerful love for Hayle town situated  about 7 miles up the coast on the Hayle Estuary in St Ives Bay. I alternate visits to both spending aimless fertile hours wandering along the tidelines picking up objets trouvés. My creative batteries are on turbo charge and all I have to do is be there.  Try it. Go for a long walk in a favorite place and see how you feel the rest of the day, or night.  If you can't walk very well, go and sit there. I say sit because past experiences in mobility difficulties  made me acutely aware that not everybody can travel on their own two feet, a joy of living I took for granted. I'm pacing now, weening off the 21st century boom and bust mode getting around very well...

waves of gratitude. 

St Ives Harbour looking towards Smeaton's Pier left, and the outlet faces the mouth of Hayle Estuary and the massive sand dunes, or Towens.
There is still a busy fishing industry of small boats with restaurants and Bistros thriving on the fresh catches.  The Harbour Master (in a wee stone office further left of the pier) chalks up the shipping forecasts, and the odd saucy quote. We miss them when he's being proper. 

Weston-super-Mare Jan 2014

I live on, or near the coast too, Weston-super-Mare in North Somerset.  Because we are on the edge of the Bristol channel,  the sea bed is full of silt, which churns around in the tide.  What we lack in clear blue waters and bright sand we gain in a wonderfully rugged coastline and the most stunning sunsets and sunrises. The sun faces the right way! We also have National Trust Land either end of our long coastline: Sand Bay and Brean Down. This is the Causeway spanning Marine Lake and Knightstone Island.  The tiny islands of Flat Holm to the left, and Steep Holm further away on the right.  Cardiff is across the channel and we can see Wales in the distance at pending rain spells. 

A bit more about Hayle: 

Beach glass picking is now very popular but the tide seems to keep churning it up.  I have enough and concentrate more on worn objects or sea worn pieces of slate.  It's true what they say about the special quality of the light, how it bounces  back from the pale shell sea-bed illuminated by the sky giving off a magical luminescence, especially at dusk.   

My first eblogger post - getting the hang of formatting

Welcome to my new Blog page.   

It was high time I moved from my website blog page as it is so difficult to edit.  Here, I can post images and ramble to my hearts content with easier editing tools and faster formatting navigation...that's why.  The draw back is not being able to upload images from my flickr page URLS.  So, I am  just finding my way round the formatting and uploading a few images to be getting on with.  This space will be more about images than words...images are far preferable unless one can paint with words..and I can't. Ultimately it offers an informal look into my creative life and loves, and a bit of my life in general. We can all be celebrities on the internet!

....starting off with a couple of the most recent works with links to more views.

Rosie's Poem Table: click on this text for more views

Hah!  Just fathomed how to add Flickr images directly from the code by going into HTML - a bit fiddly but I'm happy

 

 A stool table surface.
Very sturdy for complementary seating
or large enough for an occasional table.

Below and right: Beverley's table in progress.  Details of the loosely laid glass waiting to be inserted leaving some glass protruding as a subtle sculptural feature.