Tom Eckersley

Barnett Freedman

Dora Batty

Maurice Beck

Edward McKnight Kauffer

Herbert Matter

John Piper

Theyre Lee-Elliott

Raymond McGrath

Oliver Cox

Serge Chermayeff

Blair Hughes Stanton

Clifford & Rosemary Ellis

Paul Nash

Graham Sutherland

https://www.dlwp.com/exhibition/new-line-works-jobbing-printing-collection/

image from google search

ad reinhardt ‘black & white’

‘black on grey’

david smith ‘blackburn song of an irish man’

barnett newman ‘eve’

david smith ‘hudson river’

lee krasner ‘untitled’

barnett newman ‘midnight blue’

arshile gorky ‘nightime’

jackson pollock ‘no 4 1949’

‘no20 1950’

‘number 7 1950’

‘phosphoresence’

barnett newman ‘profile of light’

barnett newman paintings

rothko

rothko

joan mitchell ‘salut tom’

sam francis ‘untitled’

david smith ‘star cage’

jackson pollock ‘summertime’

arshile gorky ‘the limit’

david smith ‘the letter’

richard pousette dart ‘undulation-1942’

franz kline ‘zinc door’

I don’t know how but I ended up looking back at the blog I’d originally written in 2012, which followed both a new body of work and a first step into blogging, but it made me realise how much I benefitted from recording my thoughts. While I was doing my MA my blog writing did slip, mainly due to the volume of writing required for the coursework, but still the blog was maintained via images and research based observations. Since then the blog has continued but very lightly, more commenting on events than any real thought processes.

However, there is now another phase in my life, which I believe needs recognising and recording, to allow growth and a more considered path into future forays.

In June this year I took voluntary severance from my teaching job, after 11 years with the same employer. I was exhausted by the job, and no longer had any resilience against the negativity that was being spewed out at an alarming rate by both the management and the government. Now, I have been through a few months of decompressing from it all, I still consider myself an artist educator but not in terms of a traditional setting.

A good friend of mine left the same college at the same time, and so we regularly meet up to talk, think and process this massive change for us both. For that I am so grateful as it has been such a rollercoaster of emotions that I really wasn’t prepared for. Sometimes we just moan and winge, but mostly we help each other with the confusing and annoying bits.

Today was one of those days. We met so I could scope out a possible new independent shop for me to sell my jewellery in that my friend had recommended, which is one of my tasks I am working through, but it was the conversation that really struck a chord.

R had been to a meeting the night before on how to handle procrastination, something we’ve talked about before when meeting up. She told me a few of the comments that had been discussed, but it was the idea of ‘accountability’ that hit home.

And that’s it. If I am genuinely going to embark on this endeavour to push my business further than ever before then I need to realise, accept and put into work taking ownership of this. I’ve always worked for someone else, and the business before my VS was always a rebellion against this fact, so if you take this away then all of a sudden I must take responsibility for it. It is MY business. No one else’s. If I truly want this, which I do, then I need to take accountability for its happening.

R said you need to think if it didn’t happen, how would you feel? And then, if it did go where you want to end up, how would you feel? I would be gutted if it didn’t happen, and so ecstatically happy if it did. To have my work recognised to a level of a real wide ranging customer base, who repeatedly buy my work would be utterly amazing.

I’m not deluded enough to know that there isn’t still a gap between where I am and where I want to be, but still it is a gap that I can’t wait to explore and dive head first into. But I need to take accountability of closing the gap and pushing myself whilst I explore.

So from now on, head down and staying focussed is the way forward. It won’t be plain sailing but still it’s going to be a blast, and I love learning and feeling proud of what I do, so what am I waiting for…………

At the De La Warr Pavilion Bexhill

I had been following the Jerwood instagram and facebook feed, and just by chance I happened to be in Hastings on the first day of the show opening. I hadn’t appreciated it would be from only the Jerwood and Ingram collections, and as such I didn’t expect what I found. There were a few pieces I had seen before, some at the Jerwood but not only there. The works were not displayed chronologically, and this definitely allowed the thematic curation to excel. Naturally, there were some pieces that didn’t speak to me, but I appreciated the fact that by walking around with my father, husband and daughter it allowed me to stop and look at some I would have otherwise walked past quicker; we all found a good selection we liked.

As the works tend to be less well known it has been hard to source images to illustrate the ones we liked, and some are of a poor quality, but hopefully there will be new pieces for you to discover.

BRIGHTON PIER, EDWARD BAWDEN

Large scale lino cut that illustrates the pier in a  very stylised manner.

HOUSES IN A VALLEY, CHARLES GINNER

An exquisitely detailed painting with a muted pallet.

CHROME AND YELLOW, PAUL FELLER

One of my all time favourites, seen at the Jerwood previously and instantly warmed to. I do have a tendency to be drawn to yellow things, but also as a designer maker and not a painter I always find it fascinating when work is more abstract as I simply struggle with being able to create this layered effect.

FRANCES ROSE, MAGGI HAMBLING

Maggi Hamblings’ work is always intriguing and I can spend such a long time just absorbing all the details and colours. The hands on this work are so true and honest and had me totally enthralled.

COPHETUA AND THE BEGGARMAID, JOHN ARMSTRONG

This image really doesn’t do the painting any justice; it has such fine detail, and the colours are much more vibrant. It was one of the pieces I had walked past but my daughter brought me back to look at it and not 2 minutes after discussing the details with her I had a similar conversation with my father. These conversations made me appreciate the work in a new light.

THE CANAL BRIDGE, LOWRY

Another piece I have always liked. My dad loves Lowry and so it is hard to not love something too that you have grown up with. A few years ago there was a great exhibition at the Tate of Lowry’s work, which made me appreciate his work under my own merit. Where possible I always draw from an exhibition and I clearly remember spending almost an hour just doing a pencil sketch of one of his large landscapes, and seeing so much more detail in it as a result.

PIGEON POST, EILEEN AGAR

This work instantly hit me due to the colour hues and vibrance. It genuinely made me smile, and I wouldn’t say I’m particularly fond of pigeons! Gorgeous colours, and the style of it is definitely so appealing to me.

BOAT RACE, PAUL TREVELYAN

I do like Trevelyans work in the main, but of the two on display it was only this one I liked. Initially I didn’t clock the title but was more drawn in by the palette and composition than anything else.

POEM FOR A JUG, WILLIAM SCOTT

Finally, one that divided opinion between myself and my daughter. As a ceramicist I am a instantly drawn to anything that could be made in three dimensional form, and the simplicity of this, of the title and its understated meaning just reinforced how much I appreciated this. My daughter however, strongly disagreed.

I am always inspired and rejuvenated by seeing fellow makers and their wonderful wares. It’s good to feel challenged but also uplifted by the quality and variety out there. Everyone does genuinely have their own style and it’s great to see how this turns out when translated into a physical form.

So here is a selection of those I liked the most …

Petal Anderson Accessories

Bags and purses using Harris Tweed

http://www.petalanderson.co.uk

Roelefs & Rubens

Blue and white china with quirky imagery and phrases

http://www.roelefsrubens.co.uk

Katy Mai

Ceramic jewellery and screen prints

http://www.katymai.com

Katie Almond

Porcelain pieces incorporating drawings and transfers

http://www.katiealmond.co.uk

Rosanna Clare

Leather bags and accessories

http://www.rosannaclare.co.uk

Jan Scott

Ceramic vessels, sculptures and wall art

http://www.jsceramica.co.uk

Shere Design

Silver jewellery inspired by her surroundings

http://www.sheredesign.co.uk

Kyra Mihailovic Ceramics

Distinctive and hand thrown tableware and jewellery

http://www.kyraceramics.com

at Sarah’s

Bespoke hand crafted cushions, bed runners and quilts

http://www.atsarahs.com

From the 11-13 September we attended the BCTF trade fair this time in London’s Brick Lane. Over the summer months I had made a concerted effort to revamp a lot of elements of the business, and my display was a key part of this. 

I’m really pleased how it worked out, it felt a lot more clean and simplistic allowing the work to shine on its own merits. It had been a hard lesson to learn as a designer I naturally wanted to design my display too but it had become too much of a distraction; sometimes you just have to accept these things and then resolve the issue. Now it’s a display I am happy to take all over and will use again and again.