back to blogWelcome to my new weekly blog posts documenting my first 100 days of being a full time artist. I am running a daily diary on my instagram stories and this weekly blog post of what I've been up to, what have been the challenges, the surprises, what I've learned / discovered etc.
This is my fourth week and I've been busy creating work and packing it up for galleries.
So what's happened?
This week I managed to get across to Hebden Bridge to drop off some new work with Caroline at Hope Gallery. It's the first time I'd made it across since she moved to her new premises, down the road (literally) from her old gallery and boy what a treat it was to see. I'd timed the delivery perfectly as well as she had sold a couple of my pieces so had some gaps.
If you are in the area it is definitely worth a visit as she has some beautiful work from a diverse range of artists.
I popped in to see Sam Roberts of Lil Rabbitfoot as I'm delivering some of her work later this week. I've known Sam for some time, in fact she was telling me that the very young child she had sat on her knee when we first met at the Saltaire Arts Trail is now 18 and travelling the world! Wow where has the time gone?
Sam creates beautiful, botanically inspired stained glass and I love how imaginative and creative she is with her work. Her studio is a converted portacabin at home and it is a hive of activity and it was so amazing to see her work in progress, her ideas boards etc.
If you've not come across Sam's work before then do check it out.
The challenges
I have been cramming too many things into my day and being disappointed when I've not managed to keep on top of my to do list. Why? Well we are off to Scotland next week for a holiday. As a result I've given myself ridiculous to do lists which when I think about it I realise that there is no need to put myself under so much pressure. Yes I do have an exhibition in February which requires a lot of paintings but I've made a good start (see below) and I still have two months to paint them.
So I've taken my foot off the peddle a little and just enjoyed creating the new work for Northern Lights exhibition in February.
What I've discovered
I was chatting to my other half last week about rediscovering Hirst Woods and how I was going to take a photo each day. He reminded me of a poem he'd written about the woods and was published in his the riding collection.
I thought I'd share it with you along with this week's photo of Hirst Wood looking splendid in the autumnal sun.
clearing
(after Woods etc., Alice Oswald)
what I wouldnt give for a little time to think
What I wouldn't give for just a little time to think
a few minutes up the lane from the canal
where paths meet in a footwork junction of sorts
into woods where it is not yet biblical morning
and stillness is smashed by a jays unruly calling
the diligent woodpecker beats those panels
to a loose approximation of dawn
pass along beyond is a clearing left
perhaps by a great trees falling the shade it cast
has been lost and this place newly opened to stars
this cistern of morning is lucid and it is fractured
the white noise of living washes away sound becomes
rounded and soft and I gather scattered pieces of me
this cistern brimming with quiet is full of light now
it is a cathedral stuffed with feathers fat as a pillow
What next?
Next week I shall be on holiday soaking up the glorious Scottish landscape.
Check out my daily posts on my instagram stories for some sneak peeks.
