Editions Exhibit

 I have been very fortunate to have been selected for two summer shows this year. The first is at Editions in Liverpool and runs from the 15th of June to the 7th of July. Please do come along to the private view on Thursday the 14th of June if you are free. There is a diverse range of work on show and, as always a warm welcome from Olwen and Co.

The second show is at The Royal Academy of Arts, London. It is on from the 4th of June through to the 12th of August and I am sure it will be as exciting as ever due to the sheer volume and eclectic mix of work. Make sure you have a double expresso and big wedge of cake before you go in to give you the stamina to cope !.

Here are the two pieces I will be showing at each event.

Lucian Freud In Studio

This photograph of Lucian Freud is exhibited along with his painting at the National Portrait gallery. It inspired the following words.

Bare Chested you wrestle with the truth and, in the fray silence all sentimentality under thick blankets of paint.

Brush in hand you scrape bone and heave flesh with the brutal bristles of a hog.

Tearing down to the knuckle.

To find the place where the frightened animal lies within us all.

Work In Progress

I came across ‘Life In Perpetual Beta’ in a book by John Williams. It is the concept of filmmaker Melissa Pierce who believes that  ’technology enables us to live less planned and more passionate lives’. By sharing ‘whats exciting now’ in our lives we can attract other peoples enthusiasm and creative input that will allow our ideas to shift and flow . With technology we can effortlessly float our projects out into the world and bring new people and ideas on board. We can rapidly expand our horizons and, in doing so greatly enrich our work . So I invite you all out there to come with me on a creative journey. To engage and speak through tweets, blogs and e mails and, to share with everybody ‘whats exciting you now’.

To find out more about Melissa watch the video below or, go to lifeinperpetualbeta.com.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YTJfS3FfZo&feature=player_embedded

Lip Brooch (Bite)

‘It is smooth and slightly warm, and, like our bodies, can be bruised and marred by experience.’

These are the words of the jeweller Julia Harrison describing her fascination with wood. She is clearly a master of her material  however, it is the erotic undertones of these fleshy pieces that really sets the pulse racing. There is nothing at all ’wooden’ about them and they do, like Julia says look ‘smooth’ and ‘warm’. There is so much expression in the material that your fingers itch to reach out and explore, to be bitten or licked, who knows ?. It is this fascinating mix of fear and curiosity that gives the work it’s sexual tension. They appeal to both your finer sensibilities and your animal instincts. I would love to own one however, I do feel that it would end up owning me instead.

Lip Brooch (Lick)

 View More at www.juliaharrison.net

Lip Brooches

I think I have fallen in love…..with a swede !. I have been throwing it admiring glances ever since it has been given pride of place in my kitchen and, I have to admit that I really do think it is a thing of beauty.

Held in the hands its firm and rotund little body is such a satisfying weight. Its skin is cool to the touch and textured like leathery flesh. Effortlessly it balances itself on a tiny base reminding me of human heads, their broad brows resting on delicate pointed chins. Such perfect inspiration.

The colours are glorious too. The butter coloured base is edged by a crisp, lively green and set against deep moody purples of varying intensity. In my minds eye I see a sculpture with a golden face and sharp green eyes crowned with a halo of violet hair. Mother nature certainly knows how to seduce, how to catch your eye and make you fall in love with her creations. My beautiful swede is both a feast for the eyes and the imagination. And the cooking ? well, that will just have to wait.

Medicine Jar

Discovering and exploring the work of glass artist William Morris has been a deeply moving experience for me. He is a creative visionary who helps us understand and, connect to our humanity making him an ‘artist’ in the truest sense of the word. After extensive research I was just about to start writing when I came across this short clip, Creative Nature on you tube. It is concise and elegant and I cannot add anything of more value than what is contained there. Please take three minutes out of your day to watch it. I hope it moves you too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZPeqwFG-oQ

Scoop

Cinerary Urn

Rattle

This picture is how I remember Julia Carter Preston, who sadly passed away earlier this month. Always wearing a smile, Julia was one of the most dedicated artists I have ever known and one who tirelessly aimed for perfection in every piece she made. Using the delicate art of sgraffito she etched the most beautiful and elaborate designs onto her pieces that, even on a tiny bowl would take weeks to complete.  Demand for her work was immense and, when I worked as a gallery assistant at the Bluecoat, a week would never pass by without a couple of hopeful phone calls enquiring if we had any pieces available. I would soon become accustomed to the dissapointed sigh that would inevitably follow my ‘no’. It was not just the outstanding quality of Julias’ work that made it so desirable but more the fact that she put her heart and soul into every piece whether it was destined for a royal collection or, a humble button. There are no images available of her work  that can do them justice however, you can experience them in all their glory at the Walker Art Gallery and, in a guide written by Myra Brown.

Finally, I could not write a piece about Julia without commenting on just how stylish and elegant she was. With her signature pillar box red hair and colourful dress sense she was like a peacock strutting across the Bluecoat gardens . I often thought as I watched her making her colourful way that she was dressed more for a vogue fashion shoot than a day in a dusty, ceramic studio. It was this strong sense of style and individuality that set Julia apart from the crowd and, has flowed into her work to make her pieces so highly distinctive and instantly recognisable as she herself was.

Red Head

For 2012 I plan to focus my line of enquiry on the human head and have started experimenting with print, drawings and sculpture in an attempt to realise these new works. My aim is to also take you, the viewer with me on this particular journey. To experience the intense gratification of the creative process through the form and to share in the intimate relationships I build with each new piece.

I will be documenting this journey through words and images which you can follow by signing up via the ‘subscibe me by e mail’ link. I also wish to thank everybody who followed my work last year, your presence was invaluable. 

Plate

Black Moon