a journey in mark making
2019 was a “mixed up muddled up shook up world” with very little to show for it. Highs and lows in all areas. Roll on 2020.
In order to get some traction I have started on a new path of markmaking. An ongoing tutored workshop in 3 stages – first to play, then explore and finally, to clarify. Good things will hopefully come out of this, and at least give me the impetus to keep making marks.
A new take on an oldie – getting over the pain of covering something that has been with me for a while. Actually it’s quite cathartic to do this. Back when I was working in watercolour a long time ago, when the time came to tear those up and collage them into other works, it felt good, useful and fresh. Gives them another life. This is work on board 900 mm x 600 mm and now has several layers of acrylic, paper and irridescent medium scraped and smoothed over the surface.
For the months of August and September Unlimited Palette will be showing their works at Maddox Jewellers in the main street of Katikati, Bay of Plenty, right on SH 2. Stop for a look and maybe cross the road to relax with a coffee at the Talisman Restaurant
For the month of July, the Unlimited Palette art group are showing their varied and colourful artworks in the window of a large empty shop in the main street of Waihi. This work ” Tidal Forest” is collage on board, and framed but not glassed. There are another 50 or so paintings in the show, something for everyone’s taste and pocket. Sometimes it’s who you know not what you know that gives you a chance to do something different.
From time to time our group comes up with a “challenge” – a project to stretch the imagination and make us smile. Everyone has a different take on how this will be done. In October last year the challenge was ‘chairs’ and this is how mine ended up, a concertina fold of heavy paper with collaged pics of chairs and little sayings to go with them. It was a fun thing to do.
Next Saturday 16th Feb. Unlimited Palette will be having a Pop – Up show and sale of art in the United Churches Hall in the Waihi Beach Village, 10 am – 4 pm. Five artists presenting their varied styles of work in watercolour, acrylic, mixed media, printmaking and calligraphy. Paintings, handmade journals, cards, prints and quirky signs will all be available.
Greetings from Middle Earth, (or pretty close by) – 37 degrees South actually, in New Zealand.
I have been reading on the blog of one of my favorite mixed media masters Seth Apter www.sethapter.com how he has struggled to find the time to keep up with all his online accounts – blogging, facebook, instagram and so on. It would seem that sitting at the computer writing screeds of what is on your mind, is no longer the thing to do. Especially if you are a creative wizard who runs an online shop selling your own lines of mixed media supplies, along with touring the country taking workshops. Can’t be all things to all people. So he has finished with his blog but retained his website because that is where his core business is. I don’t blame him.
Where is the joy in being creative when you are up til 3am answering multiple feedback responses. I had reason to ask a question of him not so long ago, to do with items in his shop, so it was business related. He gave a response within 12 hours, and I thought at the time …’this guy must be awake 24/7 or he has a backup staff who do the menial tasks while he gets on with his creative life.’
So my question is this: How can we be creatively engaged with the wider world while still being true to our artistic selves. Do you have the answer?