Twixt Twa

I posted 2 images this morning, taken through the windows of where I live, one looking coastwards, a matter of 4 miles to the West and one Eastward toward the Western Edge of the Lower Fells, the contrast was not so much one of landscape but of the sky.  To the West of me illuminated gunmetal blue indicative of a seasonal thunder and lightening storm and to the East, blue and clear sky through the broken cloud painted by the sun, there is but 8 miles between the two and here I sit, equidistant between the two or, as is the local dialect, 'twixt twa'.

This has not always been the case for me, I have always been a warm weather person and often escaped the English winters for sunnier climate, my argument and basis for a life of exploration and discovery, Spain, Tenerife, Saudi Arabia, India, Greece et al how, I wonder, did I ever find retirement living in this sometimes cold and unforgiving environment.
Should I choose to ponder this question I would for sure spend too much time searching for some credible answer and time is too valuable to idle away on questions that are simply not relevant, life is like that, a series of ideas, dreams, plans and decisions all requiring questions and answers.
Though Life is good at the moment to remain so requires constant housekeeping and questions of health, finances and of work, without which there can be no progress, time, energy and, for the best result, a whole brained attitude is needed, finances aside even composition is a left brained activity.
I have now abandoned wax and the Polycaprolactone, I asked and expected much from these materials and though both were interesting in their own right it is a case of horses for courses and despite the fun of experimentation both proved to be unsuitable for the kind of work that I needed it to do, nothing was wasted and much learned.
The studio continues to evolve in preparation for the Polymer Clay work as does the Biomorphics Group which continues to grow, in 3 weeks I launch the contributors Galleries, 300+ albums of biomorphic art in a variety of medium and design from artists around the globe, these are my immediate plans for the future, until then I return to Chicken Wire, T-bags and polish, my tried and tested work of which it is always good to return to between changes of practice and direction, not unlike the weather I sit in the middle, 'twixt twa' and simply enjoy what is.





Comments

Post a Comment

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