what the I Ching told me

my sis has an I Ching book and sometimes we open it and throw the coins. I'm not sure about the fortune telling properties of it (in fact i don't know much about it at all) but occasionally it has been remarkably accurate. Never more so than when my Dad took part just before his cancer diagnosis and his readings were all about coming to the winter of his life and letting go of life. We were a bit taken aback at the time and I don't know about everyone else in the room but it brought a massive lump to my throat.

Anyway, for a while now (well, since January to be precise), each day I have been doing a tiny drawing in a small diary I carry around with me...it's true what they say about doing something daily for more than 21 days...it becomes a habit. It's become a little ritual, even on days that I don't feel like making art or on days when I don't have time to make art. Each space or day is only about 7cm x 4cm so it doesn't take much to fill it. I think it's a good way to be creative even when you're on the move and it's a nice record of days.

Here's a pic I took of the diary last week and a little picture of some figs that I drew on Friday.

Recently, I did another I Ching reading and I asked the I Ching how I can get through the challenges I currently face. Sometimes, it all seems overwhelming with so many problems colliding and sometimes it feels like I won't get through it. The I Ching told me loud and clear that creativity is the way. I was quite cynical when i first read the readings because I felt that art had become trivial and meaningless. Now I've had a few days off work and a chance to splat some paint about it does feel like it is a way through.

Thanks to everyone for the supportive messages on my last post and to Celestehttp://celestebergin.blogspot.com/ for encouraging me to blog. I'm not sure what the next months and years have in store for me but I will do my best to be here and at yours and to keep being creative whenever I can.

operation finish off some art

It was good to sit down tonight and finish off some bits and pieces that have been hanging around for a while...I've put them together in a little medley.

st ives palette

one of the things i don't like about blogger is that its such a bloomin faff to get pictures in the order that you want them (aaargghh). I've just tried dragging this lot around and its taking forevever so here they are in the wrong order. now that little rant is over...what i wanted to say is...

one of the things i like about blogging (says she who hasn't been around here much for decades)

is the distance it gives you from your artwork, a chance to record and look again with a slightly altered eye or perspective.

i've always known that i love st ives in cornwall. it's a special place for me and one of the things i love about it is the colour. the light is special in st ives and i just love the colours of the sea, the sky, the white washed houses, the cobbled streets, the weathered boats and the rugged rocks.

i didn't realise how much this had seeped into my bones until i took these photos for this blog.


in response to a recent post helen commented that my painting reminded her of rusty boats by the sea which put a happy smile (thanks helen) on my face because i luuurrrrve rusty boats by the sea.

i didn't realise as i was painting these (unfinished as usual) canvases that they remind me of st ives...all chalky and weathered


I'm sure there's some boat shapes in there too

perhaps even a harbour wall

but this is the picture (above) that most surprised me its like i subconsciously painted the rocks the sky and the sea in my sketchbook. Even the potato print when i stamped it twice on the page came out as the cornish flag (the cornish flag is the coolist ever..a white cross on a black background). st ives must be calling me.

the final hidden message came when i checked the photos i'd taken - on top of a sketchbook i bought in st ives last year.

ahhhh if only it wasn't so far away and so expensive to stay there...house swap for the summer anyone?

untitled post

once paintings are started, almost finished or complete i like to pick parts out with a camera and make new compositions

i dont have a very good camera -

so these colours aren't quite the same

and no matter how hard i try

i cannot fathom the mystical ways of blogger

so that i can display the images

in the order that i want them

so in some sort of random fashion

here are a few mini compositions

details

scratchy bits

perhaps some shapes and lines

that i can use again or develop

this is almost finished..

but i wish i'd used oils

and not acrylic..

especially for the printed parts

i'm not into the plasticky

look of acrylic just now

gonna save up for some more oil paints

i'm enjoying painting again

and have quite a lot of other work

in progress from just a few 'stolen'

days avoiding other commitments

i'll show you them soon

more layers and thanks

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

its the weekend

and i'm not

prioritising

work or study

or a million jobs

that

need doing

why wait until courses finish,

houses are tidy

(let's face it that'll never happen)

until lessons are planned

and essays are written?

i have a feeling that if i put art first,

everything else will slot into place.

Or if it doesn't

I'll be happy making art anyway.

Thank you

to those who commented

about the post below

it's good to be reminded

that I'm not the only one

jumping

from one thing to another

and

Grrl's right,

the media we choose

are just different channels

for

our creative voice.

Any comments about

my creative voice

are very welcome.

happy weekend

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

scratchy saturday

art day

there are some days when you just have t0 put aside 'other things' like tax returns, work, worries and boring chores and just get on with some art. for some people not having enough ideas about what to do is a problem .. for me its having too many ideas, too many things to finish, too many things to start, too many materials, too many techniques, too many ways of working. in situations like these i have to just sit down and get on with it, something, anything. i just pick up some materials that are closest to hand and just start. maybe i'll start sticking or painting or drawing or cutting or sewing or knitting. i did this today because it feels like ages that i've been faffing around doing 'other things' and it feels good just to have spent a couple of hours putting a few layers down. finishing them? ahh now that's another story.

tube of magic

in July i had a tiny bit of time and i attended an abstract art course taught by a guy who i wont mention incase he doesnt want his name splattered across the internet. his classes were recommended to me by a friend who really rates him. i wasnt disappointed. his teaching style is half art half comedy which is a fine balance. it got off to a good start when he stabbed our attendence into the register with a fork and i knew i was in the right place.

we spent six weeks making a cardboard sculptury type thing and created a large abstract drawing from it (silly me hasn't got any photographs of either) it was all based on Kurt Schwitters' work and ideas of Mertz (that might be spelt wrong). anyway i gave my drawing/paintingy type thing to a very dear friend (who might also like to remain nameless) and yesterday it arrived back in a tube. He'd added drawing, collage (i keep finding bits of things I've made and sent him in the past) and stitch to create a magical painting which i absolutely adore.

a collaboration i didn't even know i was part of

THANK YOU R

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

tangled

I'm hoping that these tangled lines and rustic surfaces will inspire some new paintings.