Thursday Thoughts...

“Before I start carving the idea must be almost complete. I say ‘almost' because the really important thing seems to be the sculptor's ability to let his intuition guide him over the gap between conception and realisation without compromising the integrity of the original idea.” 

Barbara Hepworth

One of my first responses to this quote by the amazing Barbara Hepworth, is to stumble a bit on her use of "his" when referring to a sculptor's intuition. It may be that somebody has simply transcribed it this way; but because she herself was such a stunning sculptor, I would hate to think that she thought that only men were the worthy sculptors.

To go then to her thoughts on the process... I like how she has the notion of something almost complete in her mind before she begins; and yet leaves herself open to those moments along the way that allow her to respond. To intuition, to the work itself, to whatever it is that might guide her a little bit this way or that, off the main path.

This feels like a very real description the creative process to me.

I think it is also important that she returns to the idea that this diversion or alteration helps to be a link between the thinking and the doing; but that it also doesn't compromise the integrity of the original idea. She wants to make sure that the work still reflects her intention and understandings and that any deviation does not detract from that; rather it enhances it.

Sometimes we can get waylaid and diverted on such a scale that we end up nowhere near where we thought we were headed. Sometimes that's good; sometimes not. Sometimes we need to go back and work our way through the original idea again.

Oval Form with Strings and Colour (1966)

My first viewing of a Hepworth - The Met in New York, 2012.

Kilian Capitals

 I have long loved the look of this lettering style, and before we came away I discovered a short online course about them. So, I signed up and during our first week here have managed to sit down and watch the lessons and do a bit of practice. Such fun!

The view from my 'studio' desk.

I did lots of practice of individual letter from groups and letters.  It is funny how after years of writing, your hand wants to do certain things when forming a letter, and yet this style forces you to do different signs and go in different directions. I had to catch myself quite a bit and slow down and focus on doing what felt a bit unnatural.

One of the things I like most is how he knits and weaves letters; and allows them to cross over into other letters alongside, above and below.

Lots of notes to self!

I then began practising layouts for a phrase Peace is Every Step. For the life of me, I couldn't remember to not make the second bowl of the S equal to the first one - it should stop well before, making the letter quite top heavy.

The advice is to do the layout in pencil first, to work out your ligatures and spacing and placement; and then go on to do the proper lettering. I think in time you could probably commit in one fell swoop - but in these early days it is good to have the opportunity to rub out and try again as the planning of the letter placement takes a bit.

I think I like the last one best - where I have made EVERY a bit bigger, but need to move the E to the left to balance things out a bit.

And then I distracted myself with this pile of scraps I found I had left here last time.

Clearly they had bookmarks written all over them! Just waiting for me to transform them.

So I had a play around which gave me inordinate pleasure, and made four bookmarks!

I will get back to some more quotes and layouts and practice, but this was fun to do.

Arrival...

 We have landed safely at the cottage and are settling into our rhythms and routines. Spring is being tempestuous and still hasn't settled into a reliable sense of warmth or steadiness, but we are enjoying the moments in all weathers.

Here is a compilation of our first week - some of the things we love and enjoy.

As we drove North.

The cottage.

The daffodils - one (or more) of every sort that is flowering at the moment.

The first of the lambs are arriving...

Hanging with our friends...

A drive along past Ben Hope.

And as ever, the light, the light! 

Morning walk sun showers...

'tis good to be back...

Thursday Thoughts...

“I meet a lot of readers who first encountered my work in school. And I can only assume there is another group who would run away very fast if they saw me coming, for exactly the same reason. Reading is individual, and not all tastes are alike.” 

Margaret Atwood

I love how frank Ms Atwood is here -  she understands humans and school students and how we all experience the world and books differently.

I was older than school age when I first read her work; and it was challenging enough for me then!  I imagine if I met it in high school, I would probably have struggled with it a bit more; although at the same time I daresay it may have engaged me more than my bête noir of high school English lessons - Tess of the D'Urbevilles.

She speaks the truth when she says reading is individual and not all tastes are alike. It used to concern me a bit on those occasions when a person who's reading tastes I considered to be aligned to my own would reject a book I had suggested/recommended; give up half way; or simply not enjoy it or see the point.

Now I have much greater understanding of what we each bring to a book; from our expectations, to our experiences, to the mood we are in and what we need to make us feel good at the moment. I have recently read a lot more books that I would consider on the lighter side of the spectrum. They have let me not get bogged down in further darkness beyond the darkness of the real world. They aren't fluffy; but they aren't deep or dark either. They are solid stories where somebody has followed an idea and populated it with some interesting characters and taken me along for the ride. And most of the time, I am grateful.

Passing them along to others I have been met with more 'rejections' than usual, which I think is explained by my need right now for softness, and ease as I read...

Nidus i

 The original unbound book work about nests was this one using rusted papers, and stitching. Like the grey one which followed, but which I blogged about previously, it is an unbound book work, where I invite the reader or viewer to co-create poetry about nests, from the pages I have deliberately left unbound.

Once again they can be re-arranged into 5 haiku poems; they can become single line or triple line poetry; or they can be combined into one lengthy poem.

I used a full stitching line to indicate the 7 syllable pages, just in case folk really wanted to do the haiku poems and enjoyed a shortcut kind of thing.

I had really wanted to gather together a collection of things that were linked or connected to nest making and, the notion of the divided box with that special little extra compartment to hold them came into being.

I have submitted this book to an exhibition in New Zealand. It would be wonderful if it were selected and could go on show there...

Nidus, for Narratives

 Before we left, we delivered our books for the Artists' Book exhibition Narratives, which is being held in Maleny whilst we are away (again). I am so sorry we will miss it, as it always brings forth some delightful and thoughtful books.

I changed my mind about which book to enter as I went along and in the end I submitted the second unbound book work on nests I had been preparing called Nidus  (Latin for Nest). The soft grey one.

In part because as I was working out what to include in the additional compartment of the box, Barry asked me to consider my sterling silver nest. The one I had created under Lindsey's supervision back here.

As soon as he said it, I knew he was right. I simply had to let go of the nest, and work out how best to include it. I didn't really have any other real plans for it, but I was attached to it!

But more on that later...

I have long been fascinated by 'the unbound book' (see here and here and here and here for examples).

Nearly all of my unbound book works have been about re-arranging. About a non-linear narrative and about the involvement of the reader/viewer. And so it is with these books. What begins as 15 single pages, can become so much more, and so many more things.

Initially drafted as 5 separate haiku poems (5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables) these words and poems now range free. They can be re-arranged into 5 haiku poems; they can become single line or triple line poetry; they can be combined into one lengthy poem.

A typical haiku: 5,7,5 syllables

Not a haiku, but a rather lovely gathering of thoughts nonetheless...

Another variation.

 

And some more...

It is entirely up to the reader or viewer to determine the form. As the colophon notes:

Nidus (Latin). Nest.

An unbound book work, co-creating poetry, meaning and nests.

I used the simple stitched lines to help folk, who might desire it, determine which were the five and which were the seven syllable lines.

I felt that this book (and its sibling) are both worthy and valued. I wanted to present them beautifully and I blogged about my personal inability to create what they needed in the moment here.

And so I commissioned some Perspex boxes; each with a little bit on the side to support and extend and celebrate the book. This is where the silver nest comes into its own.

Stitched with invisible (!) thread onto a piece of the embossed grey paper, and snuggled into the display compartment.

I really love the softness of this work and I hope folk enjoy exploring it as well.

Thursday Thoughts...

“today … may i be me …. being & becoming.” 

E.E.Cummings

Whenever I come across quotes by E.E. Cummings I think - oh I really should read more of their work!

I love the simplicity of this, together with its deep and thoughtful message.

This one feels to me as if it is almost a request to the Universe, to allow us to the best us we can be today. What a beautiful way to start each day - seeking a commitment from yourself to be the best you can be - both as you are and as you may become.

Being and becoming. The present and the future. I think we often struggle with simply being; being present; being enough; being happy in this moment, in this place.  So may I simply be me.

And I like the use of becoming - it has that hint of hope; of growth, of change but in a positive way as if there is still time for us to become the best we can be.

On reflection, I have clearly determined that being me = being the best me; and that works for me here.

Tree trunk, Battery Point 2014.

I wonder why this feels like me being and becoming my best me?

Up, up and away!

 Well, today is the day we head back to Scotland. It feels like an age since we have been there, and nine months really is quite a while!

We knew we would not be able to get back sooner because we had the BIG job when we returned last June, of sorting out and closing down the studio.

Whilst I am glad we gave ourselves the time to do that steadily, I am also glad that it is done and we can be free to head back to the cottage and our friends and our life over there.

With any luck, it won't be quite this cold when we get there... photos taken by a friend in January this year.

But whichever way things go, we will be happy to be there.

This trip is a trip of painting and patching - we are thinking about it as a maintenance trip rather than a trip to relax into art and visits and wandering, so there may be fewer blog posts of interest!

We have closed the online shops whilst we are away as it is too hard to manage postage and deliveries in our absence. But we will be back on track as soon as we return to Maleny.

The second book of silences (2)

Once again, the light is hard to get right here at home and the book looks duller here than it does in real life. In real life there is a softness, not a heaviness.

 And we begin again from the middle - where the silent pages rest quietly.

This spread gives such contrasting silences, with much to ponder.

More silent pages, slowing us down, making us feel and listen to the silence.

And yet more silences.

And yes, much gratitude once again.

I like how the soft Japanese paper almost muffles the book at the ending.

And further evidence of the lighting issues - here is one packaged looked light and bright and beautiful!

So, the books of silences are complete. I have enjoyed having a self-initiated, not-for-profit, community collaborative project to pursue for the past year or more.  It has been a gentle thing to be doing; it has tested my brain and made me practice a lot of things which now feel less daunting each time I do them. I will take a break from this sort of project for a bit now, and turn my mind back to making some jewellery; and a couple of ideas and works I have had burbling away in the back of my brain.