It's up!...AND I'M FINALLY DONE....almost!

...just the cards to cut and some small prints to get ready for sale and wrap up some originals to sell too.... The ones that didn't make it to frame. So here is the final final show with cup in place and book in place too!...I'm really excited now and one more day of work ( commission) and then I'm on my holiday until Monday. Great stuff! Hope everyone can make it to the show and see it all in the flesh. It's going to be a strong show with lots for everyone! and lots of books to buy.

It's up!

the show is mostly up! I have to take the sketchbooks out to hand them in and add my finished book and cup and saucer at some point....but the majority is done and looking great.. really pleased. Not amazed but will be great when the other bits are added! will feel like a huge achievement! Everyone else's looks great too. so lovely to see it all up and doing its thang!

yet another post!

I've been working on this show, for what seems an eternity. I was getting quite grumpy at the start as I couldn't get on and do anything because I didn't know what it was i was doing or why. Doing the essay has been a huge help and generally reflecting over all the successful marks and choices I have made. Preparing artwork for the show has been a real eye opener and how I did some work in enough time but at the last minute changed it all and created new work, and then deciding to frame the sketchbooks. So I really am working right up to hand in date and hanging tomorrow hopefully! My wall has a stain on it I have to rectify and yet to curate the wall. I'm enjoying doing it all and writing these notes really help to work out what I am doing and why. My worry is getting the shelves put up in time and getting the right ones too. I'm currently hand embellishing all my cards and extra small prints for sale. There will be all the originals that weren't quite right for framing for sale as unframed paintings too, so hopefully something for every pocket.

ceramics and decals...

Today I've been in the studio all day again but I did take a trip down to Bec's studio in Hayle to sort out the ceramic tea cup, with a decal of mine to fire, to put in the show. The pots she made for me were over fired but they are fine for what I need, I just hope I do them justice. Here are some pics in progress. I'm really excited and hope the kiln works ok? we'll see.....I'll know tomorrow evening when they come out of the kiln. It has inspired me to do a small course in ceramics where I can do my own illustrations and create my own one off pots...

Binding!...

...and then there was the book!...I went up to Tom's Studio, Little Egret Press and binded my book. Tom was amazing and so patient, it was great to do and so lovely to have such a lovely product at the end of it.. I could make it a whole lot different and better...as always but i loved doing it and love that I have made my own book!...here's a few bad pics in progress. I have now got to wait for the embossing plate to arrive and hope that it looks ok and then do the deed and drive back to the studio, add all the painted bits then hand in before 5pm! a busy and long day!

Seeing clearly again

...Well after a month of not really feeling very positive about my work and tightening up, I've decided to frame my sketchbooks for the show. They are the marks that are fundamental for my practice, and for any movement forward. I constantly have to revisit the marks I make in them, so thought it essential to have them in the show. I am painting right up to the last minute with work to go up on the walls as I'm not 100% sure about the quality or message I am conveying with what I've done so far. I can do better but not sure I can in the time. So I have to step back and do the best I can and believe that my best work is yet to come, and this is only the start. I have a lifetime to create the work that is in my head! I have made a great start and now I can put the work out in the world slowly, on my terms and in my own time. Very exciting but hope I don't let myself down with a poor show. Less is more I guess! x

Books...

aaaand the final, final book pages for the Royal Beasts! at last! including a link to my big bro's new book, under his own press, Speaking Volumes.

work for the MA show!

I've been in the studio all week doing work for the show. Not amazing but framed up and on the walls I think they'll look ok but possibly a bit twee which is what I'm trying to avoid? These are sketches really but I'm really quite excited now! can't wait for it all to happen. I'm beginning to tighten up again which I need to watch. Especially if I compare this latest one with the first one I did ( without the bear?) It's just a better shape. One thing I am learning is that my first marks are the best!..... these have been touched up since scanning so may look a bit different.... I like these in the frames but because they're tighter they look like they should be more correct, ellipses etc which I don't want to spend time doing. So I think I need to loosen up again so they don't look so 'incorrect'? do them even more quickly. So I need to redo them all! I can maybe put these in as unframed originals... ok orff to work to continue the essay!