copenhagen III

The area between the airport and the city centre, although only 20 minutes by metro was, on my last trip in 2001, an unknown part of town however, had I thought to venture there I would have found little more than vacant plots and building site, now however the area has been dedicated to the provision of space, space for the people, space for the sky, and space for the buildings, it is the buildings that are spectacle being in themselves massive sculptures that sit quietly in their own space.

Space is so important to the visual, when arranging ornaments or hanging an exhibition each object has its own space, above, beside, below and infront, each space is specified by the very power of the object, of course, where hanging an exhibition to its fullest impact it is only they with an intimate knowledge of each piece of work that can assess its rightful place for maximum impact; this has been achieved most beautifully in 'downtown Orestad (there is a line through the O like the phonetic number zero).
The entire area was designed by a team of architects, each employing their own vision though working closely with others in the team to create an area of sculptured buildings that, in relation to the sky can seem quite small though perfectly formed and in balance both with the backdrop of blue, or grey! sky and its neighbouring building, close up however people are absolutely dominated by the buildings unique feeling of hugeness!

I have not met with this before, arriving from a small town surrounded and dominated by hills and small grey buildings this space was all the more apparent, in most cities around the world I have found, the contemporary squeezed in and around older and more ancient buildings with only the slightest concern to the aesthetics of relationships, in many cases entire areas have been demolished to construct a new business park though on this occasion the space has usually been maximised for profit squeezing the highest number of buildings into the smallest amount of space leaving the occupant workers and residents little more than a shadowed life with only the tiniest glimpse of sky, quite stifling in my opinion, in Orestad this could not be further from this claustrophobic existance in itself quite depressing even.
My first large piece from my Copenhagen influence has to represent this and, for the first time in a while and far from frustratingly, came to me at 4 am in sufficient magnitude to waken me and prompt the unrolling of canvas and the printing out of images, even this Blog was completed at 0448, it is quite exhilerating to have this energy of work again while being absent since my return in my ponderances.

Popular posts from this blog

A Quiet Return It’s been a few years since anything new appeared on this blog. No dramatic exit, no crisis, no grand story — just life unfolding in its own quiet way while I wandered off into a long stretch of creative exploration. I didn’t spend that time chasing expectations or trying to produce anything impressive. In fact, it was the opposite. I let myself make things without pressure, without anticipation, and without any need for an audience. It was a good kind of absence — the sort that gives you space to breathe and rediscover what you enjoy. Along the way, painting slipped out of my hands. Not abandoned in frustration, just… released. It had carried me through many chapters, but eventually it felt like a language I’d said enough in. So I turned to sculpture, almost by accident, and found myself on a long, meandering tour through every material within reach. Papier‑mâché came first — messy, forgiving, and strangely liberating.Foam followed, stubborn but full of possibility.Cardboard had its moment too, proving far more architectural than I expected. Each material taught me something different about form, weight, and patience. And then, gradually, I settled into polymer clay. It felt right — structured but flexible, expressive without demanding perfection. It opened a new path, and with it came another journey: exploring genre, tone, and character in ways paint never quite allowed. So yes, I’ve been away. But not idle.Just quietly occupied in the kind of creative work that doesn’t need announcing. Now the blog returns — not as a relaunch, not as a promise, but simply as a continuation. A place to share what I’ve been shaping, learning, and enjoying along the way. If you’ve found your way back here too, welcome. Let’s see where this next chapter leads.

  A Quiet Return It’s been a few years since anything new appeared on this blog. No dramatic exit, no crisis, no grand story — just life unfolding in its own quiet way while I wandered off into a long stretch of creative exploration. I didn’t spend that time chasing expectations or trying to produce anything impressive. In fact, it was the opposite. I let myself make things without pressure, without anticipation, and without any need for an audience. It was a good kind of absence — the sort that gives you space to breathe and rediscover what you enjoy. Along the way, painting slipped out of my hands. Not abandoned in frustration, just… released. It had carried me through many chapters, but eventually it felt like a language I’d said enough in. So I turned to sculpture, almost by accident, and found myself on a long, meandering tour through every material within reach. Papier‑mâché came first — messy, forgiving, and strangely liberating. Foam followed, stubborn but full of possibili...
Read more

Polymer Clay 01

Image
While searching through the archives I uncovered this snippet from 2016/17. The occasion near my discovery of polymer clay. After two years of watching tutorials, trawling websites, reading fact sheets, gathering tools and materials, and generally soaking up everything I could find about polymer clay, I've finally reached the point where I have a dedicated workspace set up. Which means the real learning can begin. Up until now it's all been preparation. Now I get to make my own mistakes, discover my own solutions, and work my way along a learning curve that, at the moment, doesn't seem to have an end. Over those two years I've come across some incredible artists, particularly those working in jewellery and biomorphic design. One artist who has consistently kept me inspired is Melanie West. Her work has captivated me from the beginning and continues to do so. The incredible work of Melanie West One of the things that immediately drew me to polyme...
Read more

grounding

Image
since 10 March I have been in my own little world, pondering and pottering while the world and its mother, passed me by. I have little need at this moment in time to move at the same pace as everyone else, and, while youngsters on their bikes, supported with stabilisers, and by animals with far less purpose than even I at the moment, I have reorganised my life, sorted out the wheat from the chaff as it were and broken my workload down to a point where I am able to move forward, both as a person and as an artist. My current fixed projects are as varied as they are separated by simple geography, the Glass House restoration and the Film company, Dog Tag Media both based in Scotland and my Autumn Show here in Kendal. My recent contact with Melvyn Bragg is now at an end though not without my realising that there really was no connection between us sufficient as to reap the full benefits of being in contact with such a genuine person, the lack of contact simply of my own making and borne of ...
Read more