Drained, Rest and Recharge

This is more of a second part of an earlier BLOG on Burn-Out though orientated toward avoidance. Better known perhaps as PPR, Planned Preventative Maintenance,  it is a tactic used by large companies to organise thorough checking of equipment and sometimes Administrative functions in a bid to identify and recognise problems before they arise, you will see on Medical equipment, gas and electricity units label that provide a date and signature of 'the last service', much the same as the engineer who comes annually to check your smoke alarm and gas supplies..

For you, Burnout occurs when passionate, committed people become deeply disillusioned with their creativity fro which they have previously derived much  of their identity and meaning.  ,  as much as the gas engineer, a thorough understanding of the mechanics is necessary, in your case, yourself and how your body functions is an absolute must to recognise what your body is telling you to do, hunger means food, thirst means drink and, as your body becomes more drained of creative resources so it will give you all the early warning signs you need.

The underlying cause of Burn Out for the most can be as simple as a complete mental drain of all resources leaving your mind empty of any creative process of consequence, as the things that inspired your passion and enthusiasm are stripped away and tedium creeps in and has usually come at a point where, quite unawares, you have worked yourself literally to the limits of your own capabilities without recognition that your body has been telling you to ''Take a Break''.

Of course I can not tell you how your body will indicate pending doom for every person will reach that point in any number of different ways, for me I see a gradual reduction in the time I am able to work in a single stretch, I see myself in subliminal desperation seeking out other tasks to fill the time between work at the table, this in itself simply adds to the workload and speeds up the decline of capabilities.  Working on line, the artist as marketer really is a great mind drain, flipping from the creative Right brain to the logical Left, continually back and forth, the slow and satisfying world of creativity to the rapid linear functions of On line self promotion, web building, BLOGS, email, teaching and support, galleries, stock supplies and all the social media activities, these eat up your time and your energies and will contribute to your rapid decline as you play out  a real see saw life of ups and downs; I dont have to stop creating completely just to reduce my other activities and slow my creative life down and take stock of my own philosophies and reasons for doing what it is I do.

 I have learned now to recognise earlier rather than later that the time is coming up for ''a service'' and know that I need to take steps before I completely become dysfunctional.

I have recently posted a note on all Social Media that simply states, 

''Advance notice:  All social media related to Studio8 and the Biomorphics Groups will be offline from 14 - 24 MARCH 2017".

It is time for me to start winding down a little, you can and should learn to understand your body communications with you, once achieved the Burn Out will be more of a sizzle while you stoke your own fire, recharge the batteries and get back to basics occasionally.

Sharing

TO SHARE OR NOT TO SHARE

that is the question.

I do not 'teach' in the formal sense of the word yet there is always a need that exists within me to enrich the life of others, I make my contributions via internet art forums and groups where there is always an eager group of artists seeking to find themselves and their place in the vast world of art.

Today, though not for the first time, I come across the question (for some the dilemma) of sharing newly discovered techniques, this one from an artist prompts this BLOG post

''I would like to pose the question to all of you. I have been doing a great deal of work with alcohol inks, which is a medium that a lot of people are largely unfamiliar with. I have developed my own specific techniques with this medium to get specific effects that I use in my body of work. 

Recently I've been getting several inquiries about my process. Part of me is thinking about possibly doing a tutorial video explaining my process, but I'm wondering how you all feel about this. Are some secrets best kept close to the vest, or is it wise to share my ideas with others?''

Art is what we do FOR OURSELVES its purpose however has end users.

Aside that which we do for ourselves a part of being an artist is that there is an end user this answer I pose is not related to selling or Not for Profit end user it is about recognising and acknowledging that which the history of art as well as our peers has GIVEN US to enable our getting to a point of being able to experiment.

     I always consider that sharing is a part of our role as artists toward others who seek to find the artist within themselves, is there any difference between 'sharing' and 'teaching', there is a difference of course but it is pedantics for to me they are one of the same.

     Where would any of us be but for the techniques passed down from generations of artists as far back as the caves of prehistoric man and the ancient egyptians to name but two.

Of course, we are inventors as well as artists and experimentation is, or at least should be, a part of our process, either as a conscious act or in the sense of subliminal learning from our making of art.

To share with another artist our new found technique or material, colour or shape is a great thing to do and, in that process of sharing we pass something on that may add to the progress of another.

     We would all like to be the founder of a new something that will have a positive impact on another human being, in the grander scale, of something that would affect the entire art world and become masters in our own lifetime, Da Vince, Caravaggio, Picasso, the list of such great names is endless but we can not ALL be the next Dali or Einstein, were that the case our value as creators would be as slight as that of a matchbox or an envelope, even without attaining such high stature however we have a role to play, who knows, maybe the next person we share something with will use the information to set them off on a new journey of self discover and escape from whatever it is that ails them, alternatively, it could well be the next Gucci of the future that takes one of our discovered colours and creates an entire range of clothing that will change the nature of street fashion, the truth is that we never know who we are sharing with but at either end of the scale I do feel that we have a duty in some way to share.

     Without sharing we also deprive ourselves perhaps of an opportunity that can help us aswell, by sharing we can reach into the wealth of knowledge and experience of others, I would hazard a guess that, no matter how original your idea might be, there will be someone, somewhere in the world or history who has happened upon your idea, perhaps not in the same format, perhaps with a different process or outcome, the possibilities are endless yet without sharing you can not be shared to from others.

I have written enough for this BLOG so, be happy making art and, BE HAPPY SHARING.

the art of success

There are only two ways to get on in life really and I have tried both. You can either ‘Buy your way in’,  or work your way in" I prefer the latter, working for something is not only a source of great satisfaction it is also, more importantly, that it is only through doing something from start to finish that lessons will be learned along the journey, you cannot simply ‘buy’ experience.

Once learned, these lessons in life will become your foundations for the future, a future which not only is of benefit to your own creative skills but also in the obligation which comes from progress, that of the sharing of constructive information for others, you are not reading my BLOG simply because you like my grammar, that I am woefully inadequate to teach; you are reading in the hope of learning something of benefit to you.

I am not one for giving workshops or any formal teaching role, instead I use Social Media as my form of communication, I am a member of several arts group in Social Media and though I am not a regular contributor occasionally a post will appear and below it a thread of thoughts, resolutions, personal experiences all aimed at providing an answer to whichever dilemma started the thread.

In a recent post, the question came up, ‘’How do I become a Success’’ which prompts this BLOG post.

 In all of the arts, The Philosophy of embodiment is quite simple, ‘’get up and go to work, work all day, stay focussed at your work and to show younger or less experienced artists what it is to be a working artist’’, to make a career out of it, you cannot teach this, if artists want to progress they have to see it in practice and then go away and do the job.  Slow down and be comfortable with what you make and what you do in your practice and be prepared to make what it is you like to make rather than to be distracted into making what it is that other people might want. 

Particularly with sculpture and other hand-made craft type disciplines rather than time based  practices, Working in the studio with a quality of commitment and focus takes time and practice to master, that needs to work, for you, for a sustained period of very many years.

So often I see individuals trying to fit being an artist into their life but it does need to be the other way around and that is to try and juggle your life around being an artist, how can you become 

ASIDE ART MY LIFE IS MY PROJECT

 If a person wishes change for the better steps have to be taken and, no matter how difficult change seems, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel and not just another ass carrying a torch, only retrospect confirms that to me though even now, no matter how good ones life might seem it is relative and there is always more to the journey to experience.

I have spent the great majority of my life unable to see what is, or what may happen in the next few seconds or minutes, on occasion even the immediate future was so short as to seem timeless, a common    used is  ‘’Seeing your past flash before your eyes’’ yet that is merely a generality and the experience is very subjective, a difficult concept to express other than to suggest that there are moments in life when Time, as we know it ceases to exist and life is at the complete Mercy of Fate and circumstance.

I am thankful to know that is not something that I anticipate and the freedom that I have now allows me now to live a little (perhaps : -) ).  The question arises however, does one now live life in abandonment and without consideration of possible dangers, without stresses, worries or concerns, I have lived so much of my life in a state of hypervigilance, my own protective nature of acute Hazard Awareness that to consider living a carefree life has been something that has long been out of my reach and, to be honest, quite a scary consideration knowing not only the existence of a very real and alternative world but also the ease into which one can enter.

In retrospect I see Life as a Tree, or perhaps more geometrically, as a pair of lungs, one branch clean and uninfected as at the time of birth, the other, ravaged by lifes bad experiences or events, when living in one or the other of these opposing lives it does make an alternative life-style, freedom from all ills as quite invisible, even if an awareness of a different kind of life it can be misunderstood, doubted, even feared, however, as the Chinese proverb suggests,  every journey starts with a single step and to escape from that which controls your life negatively positive and difficult steps must be taken towards a better life, to take those steps there has to be some understanding however not only of how to escape but also a consideration of ones self and ones own position.

In life there are those who are born into it, raised, live and die, regardless of circumstances, an alternative life in reality is generally not perceived and life is lived, some go through life in constant struggle while others live in ignorance that struggle is ‘’for others’’, I have even known people who truly believe that Soap Operas such as Eastenders or Coronation Street, rather than to be a reflection of ‘real life’ are in fact as fictitious as Gullivers Travels or Star Trek, seriously these people do exist, neither seeing or acknowledging  the reality and existence of poverty and suffering on their doorsteps.

Those that seek serious change however are those who KNOW that a better life is possible and are willing to actively seek out whatever it is they need to do to bring that change, my search for change has been going on for more than a decade and only now am I am able to really feel the difference change and adaptation has made in my own life 

Artist Guide 04 - Pricing

Nothing I make is intended for sale at the time of creation and only becomes so in the fullness of time. 

Pricing is one of the hardest tasks for so many artists in their creative process, numbers and money is a ‘right brained’ process after all, or is it! 

Pricing works is and always has been a bit of a breeze for my works have a value  related not only to the emotional input during creation but also long afterwards, a sentimental value if you like.  I like to live with my work after creation, either hung on the wall or placed around my studio and home as if in a gallery setting, they bring me joy, happiness, contemplation, consideration of attributes and let downs, it is only when I have tired of any one piece that I consider it to have any monetary value, a value which is based entirely on the length of time I have enjoyed it, moreso,  how much I would accept to part with it; time on construction, creation, size or complexity really plays no part at all in my considerations.

As I come toward a show or a point of sale everything does become very relaxing as I finalise my prices, some rise and some fall though each with a value that is related, not only to the emotional value but also in relation to other works of similarity; by the time I get to the point of providing a price I know in my heart of hearts that it is realistic, honest and true value for money with hope only that the buyer will gain as much from their purchase as I lose in its loss.

You have to be realistic when it comes to pricing not only of the intrinsic value of the work but also what you have given your art over the span of your lifetime and career, what have you sacrificed to bring a piece of work to the material world .

Commissions work is an entirely different concept and is usually based upon so many different variables that it would be far too much to consider in a single blog post, the subject matter, the materials, the work, the time, the complexity and even the person is a consideration, only good consultation with the client will bring a mutually acceptable agreement.

As a matter of experience abilities increase and tasks become easier, works are produced more fluidly and maturity to a point where the making of art does become easier, it is for this reason that you must reflect upon what has gone before more than simply what effort has gone into a single piece.

Happy Creating and enjoy your works.

Artist Guide 03 - Burn-out

There are two things that I hear most about in this creative world, the first is ''How do I price my work'' and the second is ''I just cant function at the moment'', along with the latter and particularly with fledgling creatives comes the worry that ''I have lost it [The ability to create]
I will cover pricing in the next blog post so for this one it is that dreaded period of 'BURN-OUT'

It is inconceivable that for most the ability to maintain a constant 24/7 focus on work is simply not possible, perhaps for short bursts and usually at the time when the joy of creativity is at its peak we can, or have, the belief in that moment, when everything comes together, when life is balanced and harmonious and everything flows, energy and immagination in a veritable flurry of creative discovery, the higher one goes however the greater the drop when it all suddenly falls apart.
Out of the blue and seemingly All of a sudden, this creative streak has gone, the mind is tired, immagination is dried up, a blank piece of paper either stays blank or hits the pile of scribbled-on paper in the bin, unfinished macquettes sit on the work top and tools lie untouched, in essence the creatives depression sets in and everything simply does not work.
I can tell you now that THIS IS NOT A PERMANENT STATE!  Nor has it appeared out of the blue moreso at the end of a series of steps unnoticed. so, how do we deal with this loss of our lifes sustinence.
Accepting that we are in a place where nothing is going to work is the first step, instead we should view this as a period of R & R, of Rest and Recovery, walk away, do nothing connected with art or whatever it is that you are unable to do, we have not lost our ability for the rest of our lives though it may seem so at the moment, the ability to create is a natural human condition and resides within all of us throughout our lives and will never leave us, when we find ourselves in this place of inability to create take stock of how this has happened for there will be markers that you can use in the future to identify this road map to burn-out.
For this reason alone we should have another interest aside art, something else to turn to, even if it is not a hobby, after all our work as creatives is just that, work, and all workers need a break at sometime even the most prolific of  'holics'.

Look around you, how is your life outside of art, is your studio a mess, how is your family, your friends, take time out for a 'meet and greet' fellow creatives, go visit them or even if only on-line do some networking, take a walk or three, relax and put your feet up and languish in what it is that you have created, no matter what you find to do enjoy it and make the most of this rest period that comes at the end of any intense period of creativity.

It matters not how long this R & R period is for your body and mind will lead you and allow you to return when you are wholly ready, I can assure you that when you do return it will be in one of two ways and usually related the very same way that you found yourself dysfunctional, either slowly leading you back into it with achievable goals and passive ideas or, as the result of a sincere decision based reasoning, learn about yourself and how you function in this return to work, over time, (in much the same way that you learn to understand the steps that lead to a period of  R & R) you will learn your cues for your return to work, these cues are specific to you and your lifestyle and rarely change if they do it will be in response to your positive change as a growing creative.

Once the modes of your personal transition are learned you will find that in the long term your creative life, your general health and well-being will all become far more enjoyable as you seamlessly slide from work to rest and back again, this can be a time for evaluation, a change in direction or discipline even  either way, when you do return I guarentee it will be with a fresh outlook and renewed energy both of which can only grow and enhance you as an artist and your creative practice.

next month I will be addressing the creatives dilemma that is 'Pricing Works', until then,  have a wonderful and artful creative time.

Andrew is a full time artist and founder member of the Biomorphism Arts Movement, with more than 5 decades of creative life there are few disciplines that he has not engaged with to some level of success, 17 of these years have been fully dedicated to his creative practice and currently he works as a sculptor. 

Artist Guide 02 ..... Flexibility

I am fortunate to have lived a life of change, inconvenient and seemingly uneccessary though some were the lesson for me was to go with the flow and to find my own path in that forward motion.
Now, as an artist, the lessons learned are the rockbed and foundations of my working practice.
It is said that people are in our lives for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime and I equate to this in my take on art and creativity, there must be a reason to create there must be a Season to work in and all must lead toward a lifetimes work.  Emphasis for me is on the Season, a project, a research period, an inspiring thought or purpose, a period of physical work, these all have shut off periods, a shelf life if you wish.
During this seasonal time work and experience grow and with it the elements of imagination and ability and not  until the end near is it that the next step can be seen, the next step can be either to continue along this path and expand to another level or, which is often the case, to take what is learned and move in a different direction, it has been this constant ebb and flow of change which has brought me a particular style which embraces all that I have learned and been added to, a collaborative mission of past and present.
Both as people and as artists we grow when change takes place, the trick is understanding the implications and knock on effects, the hurdles that may come and the things we have to put into place to combat difficulties and hurdles that lie ahead, Newton was more philosopher than scientist when he penned his theories of motion and stated that for everything there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Work will always show the way forward, it is not something that we have to consider in great detail we are just responsible for making that change happen, it can be as dramatic as a studio refit to accomodate sculpture and 3D work from that of a painting studio or, as slight as finding a particular colour shape or form that you react to and feel that need to progress further, if it feels good keep it, be flexible to change and ever move forward!

Artist Guide 01 ......Get Scary!

01 - Commit to Something Scary

---

A lot has happened in my life over the past few months, but I'm used to being busy so on the surface my day-to-day activities didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. 

But, I had noticed changes. I'd been spending fewer hours working each day, fewer days each week.

Initially, I attributed the shift in my work schedule to trying to live a more balanced life. But, after some honest analysis, I realized that many of the things on my "to do" list where things that required me to go outside my comfort zone. 

There were phone calls and follow ups that I was putting off. I needed to contact and get in touch with some people I didn't know well, and speak with others who work in areas of the art world I'm less familiar with.

Furthermore, many of the "to dos" I'd been avoiding revolved around making decisions and commitments about events or activities that will take place 6 or 10 months even years from now.

As crazy as it sounds, I found I was avoiding, worrying about, or putting off the things I should be doing because I was afraid, or unsure if I would be up to the task.

What a waste of energy! Fortunately it's a problem with an easy solution - commitment followed by action. 

Are there things in your art practice you could be doing to move your business forward? Well, here's the easy solution, rest assured, if you do nothing, it is guaranteed that nothing will happen and your dreams will simply remain as dreams.

Just do it. Commit to something big, something new or even scary, something you might not be ready for, and get ready and bear in mind the words of Herman Melville, (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891) was an American novelist, short story writer, and poet of the American Renaissance period. “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation”

It doesn't matter what the commitment is but boils down to one thing, to take a step outside of your comfort zone:

• to approach 3 new galleries over the next month,
• to book a stand at an art fair or open your studio an extra weekend this year,
• to start a blog or newsletter,
• to start  a new series of work, or focus on a new style or technique,
• to teach a new class, give a talk or write an article

It doesn't matter what you commit to, just that you commit - and take action toward making it happen.

• Write down your decision and tell others about it.
• Schedule time in your diary to research galleries, fairs or events, then chose one and apply.
• Register a Blog and start familiarizing yourself with the format,
• Layout a newsletter or start writing content,
• Outline a workshop or topic you are interested in speaking or writing about.

You don't need to know all the details, or even what the end result will look like, just commit and get started.

Everything else will take care of itself.

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.

walk for walks sake

''Can I have a return ticket please'', ''Where to Sir?''.... ''Um, back to here !" we have heard it before but, sometimes a journey can be for no other reason than simply to go out of the door to seek out the long route home, as an artist and sculptor my trips out are all important to keep the shape of nature in my mind for not only is it my influence and teacher it also keeps me grounded. Today was one of those days, too long indoors but today the sun was shining and thewind had dropped, short sleeves, camera in hand and an empty mind ready to be topped-up again. A more colorful day than others, now, with all the wild flowers in bloom, it was the undergrowth that was inspiring, more lush than my last venture off the beaten track it has flourished, within two weeks the undergrowth and hedgerows no longer resembled dividing borders moreso a thick and impenetrable wall of bushes that defied any attempt to get through, certainly not without a machette. 

It was not just the plant life that was thriving, mouse, rabbit, rat and squirrel were all out and about enjoying the shady areas, while I was more than willing to sit and watch I just forgot about my camera preferring instead to simply enjoy the moment, I did find some geese, cows, horses and sheep that were all more than willing to just stand, or sit, while I took their portrait instead. Throughout the entire walk the birdsong around me was as vibrant and as varied as any dawn chorus and how glad I was for the absence of people and noisy children to scare it all away, it truly was a pleasant and real time.

Social Media Links and creative update

It is more than one and a half years since I last used this blog, where does the time go, R & D, work, social Media, studio relocation, the host of reasons is wasted words, it is all retrospective and long gone, fortunately the BLOG remains in the void of webspace, the livevideofeed from the studio is currently inactive following the closure of the service provider.

A recent virus caused my to visit all of my social media changing passwords as I go, surprisingly I found online sites that although previously of importance had not been visited for a long while, first stop was this BLOG will be reactivated, my facebook is becoming so over-used as to be counterproductive as far as being a personal record and as a source of  reference, this BLOG will fill the gap and make the facebook page more productive..

Now having a larger online presence than realised it seems a good time to revamp and clarify where and what is happening for me.

Facebook Personal Page - generally my own personal page for contact with friends and close family, nonetheless other pages link this to visitors from other pages, a little inconvenient but such is the way with facebook algorithm.

Facebook  Arts Page -  It is here where I post my arts related stuff, more than my own practice I post regularly videos and images about the process of creation, particularly art forms I am not familiar with or find interesting.

Facebook  Biomorphics Art - As the founder I manage this group with several admins, it serves as a resource for biomorphic arts and artisans, not only to bring artists of this limited form together as a cohesive group but also as a constant source of inspiration.

Twitter - Twitter was set up in 2008 to provide links from all of my social media links, it is not so necessary now as these have been thinned out somewhat, it remains active for those still using Twitter.

U-Tube - This resource I have totally underused, in 2011 a combination of my own inexperience and U-Tube changing its format caused me to lose track of a lot of footage, for this reason I stopped using it, now both I and U-Tube have settled and not unlike this BLOG, it can be reinstated, this link will be live once I have finished sorting the page out.

Website = studio8live.co.uk  was discontinued in April 2016, currently a new website is being built and will be published when completed.

creative update  -  3 years ago I abandoned paint having reached a point where I was no longer able to achieve what I wanted, it was a huge pleasure in life which turned into hard work with no foreseeable future or aim, I turned the clock back a little and returned to sculpture, along with the change came a host of knowledge and information that I had accumulated over the years and I truly did not know what I knew until I freed my head from paint..
I have used this past three years in pursuit of my own style in the biomorphic form and though interesting and forward moving I found that I struggled for a long time in dissatisfaction, mostly with the final veneer, the part that is visible, the foundations and inner workings are important only to me and the life-span of the work but nonetheless have been published in photographic form over the years.
I came close to a final veneer with the discovery of Polycaprolactone, a low heat melting plastic although it delivered it was only to a specific point which was well below what I was looking for, the search continues.
Currently I am focussing on Polymer Clay, a plasticised compound that can be fired at a much lower temperature than traditional clays, after much research and multiple viewings of U=Tube video tutorials it would seem at the moment that this material could prove more than adequate for my sculptures.
I set out now to create a space dedicated to the practice and trial of Polymer Clay in particular, the art of caning to create tiles to skin my sculptures.

A Busy Year

Time flies, so they say, when your having fun.  Another year has passed and I have been busy both in my personal and professional life, the household has increased by one, the family has increased by one, the cat has increased in size and the sculptures have grown.

In addition to all of this I have taken over the role of 'arts facilitator' for The Josefina de Vasconcellos Arts Care Trust, a charity that strives to bring art as a means of change to the lives of individuals seeking change.  Since taking on the role there have been exhibitions by 1 emerging artist and 4 others each on a monthly turnaround, the Josefina Gallery is now booked up until February with only three more to go before the end of the year group show

There are for sure a lot of happy faces as a result notwithstanding a great collection of work and effort from all those artist contributing.
this has all been a huge learning curve for me, the arrangement the organising and the PR side have been on a much grander scale than I have managed before, I am always easier able to promote others than myself and this has been apparent in my output.
From the perspective of my own work it has been a balancing act between interests and necessities outside of work and the responsibility to my own practice, slow but sure wins the race but.... even if sculpture work does take a little longer I should have hoped to have completed a little more than I have.
In saying that, where I have lacked in quantity I have more than made up in quality, bringing all of the lessons over the past two years together I have the foundations now to continue with 5 large pieces over the coming 12 Months.

 With 2015 a matter of weeks away I have a trip to Bristol to visit my sister, estranged for 40 years, this is my second trip and one that I am looking forward to as much as the first, the biggest surprise for me however was the changes in the landscape.
The last time I travelled the West Coast Line via Birmingham and Wolverhampton it was a very different journey, there were no burned and bombed out buildings on this trip and the cities were a far cry from my memory, as was Bristol, the changes were just too great for me to even quantify in words I was, in essence, in a city that was as different as if I had never been there before, how things change when you take a few decades out of your life!!!

searching for the unknown

It is of the utmost difficulty, if not an impossibility, to find something when you dont know what it is you are looking for, at one would think so however it is not so impossible to find.
My last BLOG post was in 0ctober 2012 and in retrospect it is not so far away yet so much has occurred during that time that full disclosure would leave me with no other option than to publish my entire journal entries for the past 15 months, an awesome task which I am not even willing to consider so I shall just leave you, the reader, to trawl my facebook Timeline or page (dont forget to like the page when you visit to get regular updates ) should you have any desire to know, as for anyone ofcourse there is much that has happened that is not for the public domain unless you are so world reknowned that your entire life is open to public opinion, fortunately I am far from that so you will have to suffice with that which I have published.
That is not particularly because of secrets, embarrassment or any other negative issue in my life simply because the mundane day to day stuff that happens around our lives is the same for everyone as each of us battles our way through lifes journey, however, back to the good stuff, the search for the unknown.

So says Jimmy Buffett ( American singer–songwriter, author, actor, and businessman)  ''Searching is half the fun:  life is much more manageable when thought of as a scavenger hunt as opposed to a surprise party''.

In August 2012 the end of my my random search ceased  as far as work as I had come to know it was concerned, it was time to stop chasing the unknown though this only came about as I watched someone launch herself into such creative spirit as to turn her life upside down, she had no teaching, no knowledge, no understanding yet instinctively she laid down paint in a way that I had struggled to understand for most of the past 15 years, whereas I would struggle for hours upon hours and achieve little more than a token gesture she would just walk up to a large canvas, lose herself for half an hour then walk away from a masterpiece, this was my signal to stop, I could not achieve that which I found most beautiful in art, the spontaneous abandonment to innermost feelings, regardless of the properties of paint, uncaring that dust and dirt would fall into the tin of paint or on to the canvas, ignorance that one line or block of colour was just the right shape, tone and colour, hell, complete ignorance toward which would be the next colour to stick her brush into, I did not have that in me, restricted by convention, filled with the rights and wrongs of creativity, moulded by institutionalised order, completely tied up and unable to get free, it was time to change; paints were given away, canvases, preparations sticks brushes and anything to do with paint slowly dissappeared toward more capable hands, hands that did not care whether a tub of paint cost 5p or £30 it was all treated the same.

This left me with nothing for a very long time, aside paint I had not considered any other art form as a serious contender for my time, other than watching and helping when asked of by this new and exciting painter, my life was aimless for a very long period of time yet my mind remained active and creative constantly looking around rather than searching, I watched this painter develop in her own time at her own speed, reckless by all account, yet there was something there that I was lacking and took some time to discover; over the course of the next year I watched as paintings piled up 10, 50, 100, 200, 600 prolific is not a word that describes her output adequately, each one totally different from the previous but from number 1 to number 800 every one had the same energy, passion, urgency, and style, it was a lightbulb moment as I realised that my entire problem was not the lack of ability to create but moreso the range of choices that I was battling with, every style of paintwork I had endeavoured to master, from cave painting to impressionism, pointilism to cubism, from Picasso to Gaugan, Rembrandt from Turner to Goya, Mondrian, Scully, Rothko, Pollock and a host of others, there and back again several times over and over again for years, all without any personal satisfaction, only frustrations, ''The definition of insanity, quotes from Einstein, is doing the same task over and over again and expecting a different result'', I love aphorisms, is that what I was doing, was I insane?

''Do what you can with what you have where you are'', another aphorism rang in my head, Theodore Roosevelt, after giving everything away I had little left in the studio, even after investing elsewhere there was little cash to start again, all I had was a roll of chicken wire, from and for what I had not a clue but, there it was, papers, papers and, more papers, chicken wire, paper mache, I remembered enjoying brief forays there when 3D popped in and out of my life, I had nothing to lose and nothing to use.

That is where I am at the moment, wire mesh bricks after wire mesh brick, shape after shape, moulding, bending twisting pulling and pushing, covering but, most of all enjoying every moment with continuity and direction with Peace and time filled positively.

catch-up, caught up

It has been around four months since the last Blog Post for no other reason than a hectic period of transition between paintwork and sculpture work, a transition that has brought an entirely more satisfying outcome than I received ever through Paint.
Change is so necessary whatever the pursuit, passtime or even, sometimes, employment and life style.  The world around us will continue to grow no matter what, it is an unstoppable force and probably the main cause of social discontent, if we ourselves do not evolve with the world it is then that we find ourselves alienated within and highly charged and fast paced technological world.
Last year a new Arts Cooperative opened, within a week they had in excess of 100 members, within 3 months they had three exhibitions, artists sales and an art trail, last month they celebrated their first anniversary through a very successful first year, The Kendal Arts Community, (KAC) you can find them on facebook.
Over that same year I put away my paints, brushes, easels and all of the bits and bobs that went with paint, I changed the studio around incorporating a dirty and a clean side, I went back through all of my sketchbooks over the past 3 years for information and drawings that I had done in relaxing abandonment to my inner and higher self, within these I found the starting points for my new direction with regard to equipment, designs, ideas and materials, always being a great advocate of the humble sketch book this transition cements my ideals.
There is little else over the past few months, a trip to the hospital for two extractions, registration to a dentist in preparation for the new teeth, the arrival of a sick mother cat and her 3 kittens of which only mother and the single female remains in the studio, great company but a complete pain in the neck when it comes to work but, they are learning that its a waste of time seeking attention during work.
On the occasions that I activate the web-cam the visitor rate has reached its 12,000 total with a bonus featured day from the host company that brought in 450 visitors in a single day, I have resigned myself to shopping on line for clothes being unable to find anything to wear locally and my utility bills have been reduced by £10 a month, information that arrived in the same letter that told me that all power bills will be going up in November..... what can I say.
The Castle Poppy Bid project has moved into the funding stage, a brief meeting with the Arts Council Representative put me in the direction of a Research and Development Grant as the first stage and will help to officially confirm my own research over the past two years.

To end heres a few photographs taken over the past few months, take care and dont forget, you can get more regular updates on my facebook page  

Timely Change

Since my last BLOG the plans to take a solitudinal sabatical continue, with the choice made to visit the Shetland Islands made it is beginning to now more resemble an expedition rather than a brief visit, one thing I do know is that there is much work to be done before I can make such a selfish trip.
Instead, to fill the void, I have made a change in my work output, moving from 2D and Paint to 3D and sculpture; paint has taken me on an intensive journey spanning the last 13 years though at the end I have little more than a mediocre collection of works that have little importance other than as a record of my journey.

Like a duck to water 3D work has proved instantly to be more pleasurable than paint work, paint was always work, the catalyst for this material was while searching for something to make a 3D model of a castle walls, working in this new way however I found that my hands were constantly occupied, my eyes and my imagination were being used more while my brain takes a well earned break as I mellow into the process of creating a solid object, molding, crafting and building.

small mesh chicken wire makes a great
and malleable armature, the shadows also
give good indication of the finished shape

Part of the delay in turning to this discipline has been to find a material that I can enjoy without the burden of interfering with plumbing or structural load baring on the floor of a first floor studio, I have long searched for a material that not only fits in with both my physical abilities and to my environment, it is unlikely that the neighbours would survive the long term 'chip, chip, chop and chip' as I whittle away stone or wood without eventually banging on my door to cease!

' The Shin-hugger ' in progress

I have worked in chicken wire before to create larger works and have no reason to discount this as a suitable armature for my work, it is flexible, malleable easy to shape and grow, either with the addition of more wire or to shrink and mold either by cutting pieces out or by compressing, what has eluded me for some time has been a material to lay over the netting.

components drying before assembley

I am quite taken with the idea of returning products derived from wood, such as paper and wood fibre and turning it back into its natural state, to compete with the beauty of  the individual tree would be quite difficult in this process as there is no grain, no evidence of how long the tree was developing before contemporary man decided to remove it for better use than as wind-breaks to protect underlying eco-systems or as a simply beautiful structure, it is a challenge for me to find that hidden beauty and magic that does justice to 

the humble tree

' Last Button '

' The Shin-hugger '

I have chosen a paper mulch curtesy of a new paper shredder and copious amounts of PVA glue, I have also experimented in covering this paper mache with a wood veneer, formed from dampened cat litter which dries to a beautifully smooth wood pulp.  Through this process I have found I can create a beautifully smooth paste when dried and mixed with PVA or specialist wood glues that would leavin a surface when dried that can be sanded and smoothed as if it were wood;  I have an inate love of the curve, it is a complicated structure and best managed with a keen eye, on the product vial its shadow to produce beautiful curving surfaces that, with experience I will be able to perfect and improve upon.

Thats it for now, have a nice week, with awakened passion there will, I am sure be more to come.  best wishes from  andrew

choices and decisions

My last Blog showed me at a point in life where I had to deal with the all consuming need to escape, to get somewhere to reawaken my creative spirit that has, over some months been battered with 'real life' issues all of which are by association rather than of my own responsibility.

I need a break though the time is not right for me to just 'up sticks and leave', the castle project is at the stage where I have to see this part through before a break can be taken, this does however allow time to plan an expedition of importance, being one who observes life as a series of signs and subliminal information I am given two choices, the first Alexandria in Egypt and secondly The Shetland Islands, both of which have borne significant relevance at very specific times throughout the past 15 years.

What a choice, between somewhere that offers long warm relaxing evenings and filled with visual and cultural delights, or somewhere, out in the far reaches of the North Sea, of uninhabited windswept and unforgiving islands that offer the ultimate in solitude though not without a daily life that would be filled not only with work in relation to survival but also with some element of suffering where my general and physical health is concerned !

solitude

I have spent much time in happy solitude throughout life, either through that of my own choosing or by circumstance, it is that choice that currently occupies me and directs my thoughts at this moment in time.

In times of old it was an easily remedied solution, pack up house, leave job and throw a dart at a map on the wall and post the keys through the letter box, my only choice being whether it were a national or international map that would determine my destination, without concern for time or responsibilities mode of transport was never an issue knowing that there will always be something travelling in that direction be it truck, car, boat or camel.

Times has moved on as have I leaving me now with the dilemma of how to pacify this state of mind without packing up and moving on, in order.

Times of solitude by choice has always brought me great peace of mind, the time to dwell to ponder, meditate and take stock of what and who is in my life and the forces that act upon me through others, there is little worse than dogma when wanting to take control of ones own life; research throws some interesting light upon the subject suggesting that extended periods of solitude can lead to depressive type illnesses though I notice also that for the most these models have been gleaned from the study of rats, monkeys and prisoners; of the three none were subjected to this clinical study of their circumstance where choice had anything to do with it; my own experience is that a reclusive lifestyle can enhance the circumstance of a person suffering from depressive type illnesses though only for a limited time before detrimental effects become apparent.

I can remember some occasions when to share my own company was an absolute impossibility there are more occasions however when I could, and did, go for months without any contact with anyone yet, rather than to sink into depression I found a freedom that is otherwise impossible to find in normal day to day life;


"Mans inability to sit quietly in a room by himself contributes to all of the major problems in society" Mahatma Ghandi. 
I am not sure if this is true, word by word, it has clouded in my mind and changes each time I consider it, the intent however remains the same.