From the diary: A (VERY) PRIVATE VIEW
Artists are often photographed in their studios, and many of them look fairly normal in their spaces. Alas, not so for me. Consequently, I have put a moratorium on photographs of me in the studio during the winter. I work in a good-sized studio in a draughty barn. I love this room, with its views […]
THE MYTH AND REALITY OF BEING AN ARTIST
Amongst the questions artists hear on repeat are these: what made you decide to be an artist, do you have a routine, are you disciplined, and who are your influences. ‘Being an artist’ is very different to the daily business of making art and being deeply involved in sustained practice and process. ‘Being an artist’ […]
Reflections on Life Drawing III: Naked or Nude?
While washing my hands in the model’s makeshift “changing room” (really just the toilet), she walked in and started getting dressed. I quickly apologised, saying I’d be out in a moment. Just as she was about to step into her polka-dot knickers, she burst out laughing: “I always find it funny when artists apologise for […]
‘Mark Making’: Art-world Jargon?
I’m with a group of artists looking at a piece of poor-quality artwork that is being critiqued. Someone adds their penn’orth, commenting enthusiastically on the “mark making.” I sigh inwardly – here we go again. This is a classic example of baffling art-speak, used by the sometimes clueless to sound knowledgeable. It’s a phrase I […]
Artistic Influences
Artists are frequently asked about the influences shaping their work. While understanding these influences can enrich the appreciation of an artist’s creations, it may also limit interpretation by anchoring it to specific references. Artistic inspiration is rarely singular; it emerges from a confluence of experiences, ideas, research and impressions. These influences often operate subtly during […]
Camille Claudel: The Unsung Brilliance of A French Sculptor
In the annals of art history, few stories are as compelling and tragic as that of Camille Claudel. A brilliant French sculptor whose talent was largely overlooked during her lifetime, Claudel’s journey is a stark reminder of the challenges faced by women artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As a woman in […]
Reflections on Life Drawing II
Actors are taught that a person’s back view speaks volumes. I believe it’s the same for artists, so can’t understand when drawing students complain about the boredom of getting the back view of the model. But it’s not a simple view to draw. What does the back say about the front of the figure, what […]
Reflections on Life Drawing
Life drawing is a difficult skill to learn. Many artists avoid it and when I was at college in the 90’s it was often considered by students as old fashioned and stuffy. Maybe it was because life drawing requires practice and can feel exposing. It is a process of enquiry, taking years of practice to […]
All That Follows
Grandparents’ stewardship of future generations and mutual appreciation from both generations was a feature of conversations with participants in the Age In The Frame project. This self-designed project on the experience of ageing included recording the views of older people from the ages of 60+ and teenage participants from the ages of 16 -20 and […]
Cork, Matchstick, Paper: Instructions to a Small Boy
The images below are based not only on the views of participants in the Age In The Frame project, but the experience of meeting with them face-to-face, and hearing and recording their often poignant reflections. Old age is about remembering and often re-assessing the past. The participants were frank about their personal experiences and attitudes […]
