NEW PROJECT NEW BLOG

Though this Blog has served my purpose well, an overall view of my time and practice since 2008 I find that my current project will require far more regular inclusions than I have been used to, to remedy this I start an additional Blog committed to a single project and to run concurrent with my activities.

The New Blog orientates toward the creation of an illustrated journal of travel along the West Coast of Cumbria, from Maryport in the North to the Shipbuilding Town of Barrow-in-Furness in the South, not an epic journey given my early years but for sure the first time that my travels have been documented fully with photographs, maps, illustrations and hand drawn maps.

This Blog will continue in its present format.

Here is the Link to follow the journey.

https://artisttravelart.blogspot.com/  

HAPPY TRAVELS.

Time

Yesterday, while waiting in a Queue, I was fondling a Ten Pound Note, I have long appreciated even to a point of compulsion the textures of objects, it is something I have to do for my eyes only tell a part of the story; in the top left hand corner of the Note I felt tiny lumps which I frantically tried to scrape off with my fingers, they did not belong and spoilt the otherwise silk like flawless surface, when I looked I realised that they were the Braille dots for the blind, how acute and wonderful our senses are as to be able to read with our fingertips.
One of the models of Tai Chi is to make every movement for a purpose, a beginning a middle and an end, imagine the possibilities if we were to transfer that model to the use of all of our senses.

Sight, Smell, touch, hearing and taste, these are our Primordial pleasure tools yet modernity it seems facilitates the removal of these sensations from our lives, pace of life in 2018 denies us this for appreciation requires time.
Filled with fleeting images, a need for speed in getting from one place to another or in completion of a task, 'Time is Money' is heard often yet at what price; there is so much more that we miss out on .

The loss of sensory Appreciation from our lives can only lead to bad repercussions, a negative prognosis for individuals, communities, the place, or our place of work, the difference between artist, craftsman and labor.

Time should not be governed by pounds and pence, shortcuts should not be taken and patience, should be more than a virtue, beyond that race to the end there is so much more in life that we have yet, or may never, appreciate, perhaps this is why as an artist I do what it is I have to do.

Have an artful day 

Social Media

What a wonderful creation, the Internet, for all of its flaws it is The Global Community and reflecting a true account of the world at large, for sure my life would have been an entirely different one had it been around in my childhood.

I use Social Media not just for a variety of reasons but for the management of my entire life in one form or another, my art, my life my business all packaged and in that order, certainly it is a far cry from my first encounter with the WWW back in 1994 a time when larger images required sometimes more than half an hour to download and print, the content was sparse and questionable, despite the risk of malicious software, financial scams and 'the dark side' the internet is a wonderful thing.

Of the greatest impact to me now is the management of my health and general well-being, growing my knowledge base, growing a greater understanding of mankind, maintaining contact with friends and family and, in finding a relaxation away from my art, this latter is of such importance not only to me but also to the quality of my work, on occasions it denies me time for anything other, abandonment sometimes of the most basic human needs,  food, sleep or personal care, that was until now. 
Until the advent Internet I had never found a positive state of rest the time to recharge my batteries but that has all changed.
How my life may have been had I grown with it I have no idea, there are so many things I would have like to have done or to have understood that, with all of the answers at my fingertips my life without a doubt would have been as if a stranger to me now, my life would have been what the Internet grew. 

Back to the present I still find that the internet affords me personal growth and initiates my day as my wake up call, second only to Tiger-billies needs my day starts with a couple of hours at the screen, reviewing my Home page for the past 24 hours, checking my mail, Facebook 'Good Mornings'  and sorting my Interactive Farmville, though deemed at some point to be The most addictive Game on the Internet, I have managed to avoid addiction.
For me, it is not a game, it is a tool, a creative endeavour and something that evolves on a daily basis it allows the time for me to wake up at my speed rather than of the strict regimen born and raised to adhere to.

When my time at the screen is done all of me is balanced and ready to start the day.

As in Society, The Internet has its dangers and pitfalls but when used as a tool truly is the greatest Library and Knowledge base in existence, every answer, every fact, every thought that a person would have need to question it is there for the asking.
Though I can not alter the past I can choose the future, not in the manner of reinvention but in the way that I can find a superiority over my former self and that is an exciting prospect even at my age.

Polymer Clay 4 Playful Pursuits

 An interesting and Playful week working toward creating my representations from the 8 Pillars of Biomorphism, en route I found a sketch from 2004, another playful period.

 I decided to rework it in Clay, a Happy result especially so when a quick Google image search that is to say a Google algorithm which searches for images related to the characteristics of my Clay image

Google returned to me this result.

If thats not a result I dont know what is.

Moving on I experimented with some other forms, fun to do, absolutely Cathartic in process and simply creativity in its base form.

Have an artful day I'm off back to my clay!

Polymer Clay 3 - The fun contines

These past few weeks have passed quickly with all sorts of childlike fun going on with this medium that each day leaves me frustrated that I have not the time to all that I would like to do never mind to actually attain my minds desires in terms of scale, each playful venture finalises quickly with another new found visual delight and, for sure, childlike is indeed the word that springs to mind as I remember back through the years, a hospital bed, a want-to-be artist creating a string of animals formed from the plasticine delivered to my bedside by my parents, I was around nine or ten years old and recovering from an accident that left me with a fractured pelvis, the first of many injuries that would be the result of chasing adrenaline rush over the coming years
Now, past any and all adventures that would end in bodily injuries I am happy to while away my days in creative pursuits that end only with a smile rather than an X-Ray..........

As much fun as I am having while learning I still have no specific project in mind, it is all to easy to simply 'make stuff' however the end goal being to create sculptural forms that are suitable for showing a less vague direction is needed to justify the cost, Polymer clay arrives in small blocks of 2 or 3 ounces and an ounce doesn't go very far when working in large forms.

My project therefore is to create 8 Sculptural Forms, each in keeping with the 8 Pillars of Biomorphism, each one relating to a specific and different form in the overall Biomorphic Genre, this will also help me to understand each of the Pillars as well as to allow me also to understand the processes of other Practitioners and to experiment away from my own Form.

Have an artful week

andrew

Polymer Clay 2 - 5000 hours.

It is said that it takes around 5000 hours to become an expert at anything..... with around 30 hours under my belt I have a long journey to travel, I have arrived at this point 5 years into my 10 year plan, the next 5 years therefore is all about clocking up the hours.
My first sculpture now in its unfinished state will remain on my shelf as a reminder, not only of my first attempt but also 'how not to do it', though it looks ok up close and personal there are more errors than I have fingers to count, burnt sections of polymer, mismatched colours and bad tile creation, it all started off so well but soon learned that to not make enough of a particular design will lead to dissaster, at least until I am knowledgeable enough to reproduce accurate colour and technique.

Burnt Clay and Uneven surfaces affecting the overall form, though the burn is only ''skin deep'' no amount of sanding will remedy the chunks missing after sticking to the oven floor 

mismatched colour and pattern caused by not making sufficient tiles of a single design

For this first year I will concentrate on textures and design technique and will simply have fun making whatever it is that falls into my mind and will serve as a lesson, only then will I be able to commit fully to great biomorphic forms leaving me a full four years to put together a great body of work.

Polymer Clay 01

After 2 years of video tutorials, websites, on-line info for Polymer Clay techniques, materials and Tools plus a healthy dose of Polymer Clay experts and their published works, the setting up of a dedicated space, only now can I start to experiment and create my own mistakes and errors in a learning curve that, for now, has no apparent ending.

I have been influenced by many clay artists particularly in the Jewelry/Biomorphic realm, my warmest thanks goes to a clay artist Melanie West whose designs have constantly captivated me over those past 2 years

The incredible work of Melanie West

.

I find the material so wonderful to work with at so many levels as time after time I found my boxes ticked of one by one, to now work with confirmation of my imaginings as to its versatility, durability, texture and colour mixing all to which only time and passion will improve my ability to create a hefty chunk of projects that have built up over the years, my ‘imaginary wish list’ if you like comprising  all of the things I would like to do with the clay.

just for fun

My primary draw toward Polymer Clay becomes a reality in progress as my constant search for a suitable finishing veneer for my biomorphic works comes to an end,  even now with my earliest attempts I can see the reality of that which I had hoped in bringing life to my sculptural creations.

I approach Polymer in much the same manner as I have each of the many materials and processes that being to take it as far as I am capable of doing while maintaining a high level of interest and skill and always with hopes that I might have found my grail, in the past there I have always found something along the journey that has prevented my continuing, With a new material for which I have a high regard for polymer clay has already accommodated 2 years plus of interest as I embark now with great optimism.

From the hundreds of tutorials, fact-sheets and miscellaneous snippets of information via social media sources absorbed I have opted to work with FIMO one of the many trade name clays available on the market, overall I find it stable in colour post baking and consistency in working, including the mica clays aswell.

My first project is the furtherance and completion of one of my simplest and favorite  sculptures which has has always failed to reach its optimum and left me in frustration, it has endured several transitions since its conception, for its final coat, I will be focusing on Gold Mica Clay;  the subtle changes in color are quite pronounced when seen in abundance and my goal is to take the mica shift and mica mix techniques and start experimenting, there is no better way to learn.

With fingers crossed

Slowly but surely living in a sleepy part of the county has eaten away at my energies and I need a new charge, that aside I can feel the need to travel and explore growing by the day. I once craved solitude and isolation  but the past 2 years has confirmed that this desire was more in keeping with wanting to escape the ever growing number of tourists that crowded the streets of my locale, now with the romanticism of that solitude well and truly used up it is time to seek out that which brings me the most in terms of energy, inspiration and Peace, The Coast.
.

This comes partly with having a childhood spent in the company of crashing Atlantic waves onto miles of sandy shores and an adult life of travel and exploration, there is little I have found inland to compare, Countryside, desolate places, vibrant places, dangerous places, Cities, Towns and villages, they were all my playground and all wonderful but, without a coastline, they have all proved to have a limited shelf life for me, it doesnt take long to find everything there is to find inland but there is something wonderfully transient, even reverant about the coast, daily, hourly, even by the minute it can change whereas elsewhere seems almost stationary by comparison, this transient nature is a part of me and always has been, where else could a Nomad be static other than in a place that changes constantly, always there is something new with each passing tide change.

Until such a time as I find a suitable place and have the opportunity to move it is a case of packing everything up and living a simple and, creatively speaking, a generally unproductive life. 

There are many small coastal villages along the entire length of the west of Cumbria and recently I visited one such place in search of a new studio .My first visit, with fingers crossed, was a village called Flimby and what a joy it was to wander and sit in the amazing Flora Habitat that dominates the dunes, to watch the waves, the tidal flow and the many creatures that live there, it is said that Time flies when you are enjoying yourself, I sat and wandered for 3 hours which went in a flash but the peace and tranquility that I found lasted far far longer.

En route The cab driver had informed me that living in Flimby was like living 500 years in the past, I had no problems with perhaps a slight exaggeration, a talent of which most Taxi Drivers seem to possess though I could tell on my arrival from where he was coming from, with only 2 shops, a railway station and a school, it sounded good to me and I was not disappointed, it was perfect for me, the available property less that 2 minutes from the sea and views across the Firth to Scotland, even the property was perfect, a veritable 'blank canvas'

Fortunate that I am to live within a Housing Association System of 'bidding for properties' I can only sit now with fingers crossed that I fit the criteria and find my way to the front of the queue by the closing date.

For the full Foto album follow the link below

 ( https://goo.gl/1HAC6P )   

The art of Success - Part 1

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 

The art of success - PART 2 YOU ARE YOUR OWN BOSS

It is currently 3am as I write this BLOG, it matters not for 3am is just a number, I am awake and there is work to be done.  For me, success is,,, it is a daily appraisal and by the end of each day I have to satisfy myself above no other that my day has been creatively fulfilled, I went to bed unsatisfied with my days work and now seek to rectify.
Success is not just a goal, it is a journey, so what constitutes good guidelines, the basic building blocks for this journey, getting up to work in the middle of the night is just a small part of committment.

1.     ambition
        Ambition in the context of this BLOG is that YOU must have a strong desire to do or to achieve something, each and every day, not only creatively but also for yourself, find a balance between you and your art and do something, one thing each day, try it for a year and that is one major block of professional and personal work; but you have to want to want to do it.

2.     motivation
        This is 'Self Motivation' I am talking about here is that you are your own boss;  Once you move away from the Goal setting of College or University setting, once you find that there are no commissions to complete, when there is only you, your creativity and lifes distractions when you get up, if you dont do it nobody can do it for you, it doesnt have to be something brilliant or profound but you have to do something; that is not just for today but for every day regardless of circumstances, you have to make yourself do whatever it is to get the ball rolling.

3.     attitude
        By attitude I dont just mean just toward your work I also mean in your daily practice of life, attitude toward your self and toward other people, the world is full of cynics and the stories of misery and of Doom and Gloom, not just in the Media but etched on the faces of people as we walk our path, As artists we are the people who can be most affected, of course there are those who flourish in the dark places of the world but for the most our art can be taken from us and replaced by depressions and an inability to create. Our attitude is our shield, it is our own positive mental attitude toward all things that will keep us afloat and creating.

4.   environment
      Though I find importance in all of these pointers, 'environment' for me is one of the most important, not just the environment that we work for that is entirely personal, for me organised and tidy, for others it can be untidy and seemingly disorganised, it is also how we live, eat but more importantly, the people that we surround ourselves with, these can affect your entire personal life as well as your creative one which, of course, are entirely entwined, surround yourself with positive people, those who want to grow and give, surround yourself with those who see the value in you as a person and in what you are doing, avoid those with a negative attitude for they will surely undermine your creative existence leaving you frustrated and dissatisfied even with your own work and personal life, worst still, abandonment of your own beliefs.

5.   expectancy
      Expect to create a masterpiece each time you start work, Expect also to Fail, Expect that what you complete by the end of the day will be the best that you can manage under whatever circumstances surround you, how do you do this, simply believe that you can.  Expect the best of yourself each and every day, perhaps not so important as some of the other pointers though nonetheless, another arrow in your quiver towards reaching the goal that you expect to be at the end of your journey.

6.   focus and effort
      I combine these last two for they are so closely linked as to have the same expectancy from you.  every moment of your work should be with focus on the task in hand, whether it is the laying down of paint or glaze or building a 10,000 part installation.  What you put in to your work you will get out of it, that is the crux of all that we as artists are seeking to achieve and can only be made real through absolute focus and effort.  Tiredness, fatigue, interruption even lifes more pressing issues, these are but a few of the things that can break your focus and only effort brings it back, make that effort and push the distractions from your mind, they can be resolved later at a time, if you cant, take a break, we all deserve that for ourselves occasionally;  is there more, of course, a ton of stuff you can do but just as is the speed of the future, it and you, can only get there one day at a time.

We are our own boss and you had best get used to kicking your own butt out of bed or away from whatever or whoever it is that is preventing you from creating, that 'thing' or that person may not be there when it or they have long coerced you into giving up making art, if you want art to be your future then it must also be your beginnings.  Happy Creating.

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

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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.