Interviewed with Mel

Mel has done me the honour of interviewing me with 5 questions. How it works is that after I've answered my questions, I open the floor up to anybody else who would like to be interviewed! If you leave a comment on this blog saying you'd like to participate, then I will ask you some questions, and in return you will do the same for others! Anywho, here are the questions Mel has fired in my direction! =D

1. As an artist, you need to be deeply connected to your Creative Self. What kinds of things do you do to nurture that part of you?

Hmmm. Well, for a long time I was put under pressure to perform artistically (due to university). This totally damaged the connection I did have to my creative self. It's only recently I've been able to get back into art making, and that is due to having to be a LOT more nurturing and compassionate to my creative self. I've done this by trying to be very lighthearted, and just giving things a go - I've come to realise playfulness plays a large part of being creatively healthy. I also go for long walks or just spend time alone, solitude helps me to refuel, whether it be outdoors in nature or at home in 'my corner' listening to music.

2. What is your current favourite medium to work in and which would you like to further explore?

I'm a bit of a Jack of All Trades and Master of None when it comes to art I'm afraid! I've dipped my toe into so many things and liked different things about them all. I guess it must be watercolour recently, there's an air of spontaneity and uncontrollability about it which keeps it fun and challenging. Also, I just love all the colour! *drool*. I would've liked to explore ceramics more, but it's impractical for me. Instead, I'm about to embark on using metal clay (check out the link for some info). It's a relatively new, exciting material which means I can mould metal like clay (gold, silver, bronze and copper now!). I'm hoping to make my own jewellery with it in the near future, so watch this space!

3. From where (or whom) do you draw your greatest inspiration?

My spirituality plays a large part in my art making. I get really excited when I can make something so physical, so mundane and earthly take on an emotional and spiritual aspect. Like how a simple earthenware tea bowl can encompass ideas of honour, reverence, frugality and emptiness. So I guess my inspiration comes from the natural world and people - how a simple action or thing becomes a subtle and succint expression of the divine, like the crest of a wave, a faded tattoo, or the yellowed pages of a book. (Did that make any sense to you?!)

4. My borrowed question: If you could invite any three people to dinner - either living or dead - who would you choose and what would you be eating?

His Holiness the Dalia Lama would definately be on the guest list - I envision him as being so wise and warm hearted! And we'd have a really thought provoking conversation about the situation in Tibet. Secondly, I'd invite Taliesin, the legendary 6th Century welsh bard, who is believed to have sung at the court of at least 3 celtic british kings. He would regale us with his mythic tales, and would also teach me about celtic Briatin and druidry. Thirdly, the brave Joan of Arc. I want to know how such a young woman led the french against oppression - such an amazing person! I'd love to have dishes that correlated with my guests that we could all sample - Tibetan food, celtic meat, and french cuisine! Lol. That sounds like my kinda dinner party!

5. Since you've been working in a school environment, what do you like and dislike about the way that *art* is represented there? ie. how it's used or not used.

I certainly dislike the way it is underplayed within the curriculum. It is mostly considered a less important subject and doesn't get the respect it deserves. I also find it hard that the art work has to be levelled and graded for the curriculum, many kids are insecure about their creative skills, and this only makes them feel it more so. However, I am happy that it is a part of the curriculum - for those kids who are less academically inclined, it can be a welcome respite, and there is nothing quite like seeing a pupil proud of their own work. I'd like to see art become a more cross-curricular subject - it's often seen as being in it's own little box cut off from the rest of school studies, but it can have a very enriching effect on other subjects (i.e. maths - geometry and optics, science - life drawing, boilogy, nature, english - theatre, calligraphy, manuscripts, etc, etc). We as educators in arts should be willing to use it more imaginatively and flexibly within the school structure.


Hope that was interesting for you all! Right, if you'd like to be interviewed, feel welcome to leave a comment and I will deliver you some customised questions asap!

Summer's River

Ah, bliss.

For the past couple of days all I've really done is paint. I have the place to myself because the other half has gone on holiday with his step-dad for 11 days. I also have no work for a week because the schools are closed for half term break! So, this week is BLISS.

This is my most recent painting, which I've called Summer's River. It's a photo that I took in the summer, the sun was out, the river banks abundant with lush foliage and the water laden with lichen and reflecting blue skies *sigh*. I cannot begin to tell you the amount of time and effort this painting took. It has a few flaws (like you see that bush in the water? And the patch of darkness just upper right of it? I tried so hard to get them right but it wasn't to be!). I do like the part nearer the bottom though, where I tried to paint the water. Either way, I'm happy, because I really really did try my best and worked hard at it, which is all one can do at the end of it! I hope you all like it, let me know what you think!

Here's a photo that I'd like to share with you all - I took it in a friends garden, and it had just stopped pouring with rain. This little rose was just begging to be photographed!

Recent completed art-ness

You may remember the ceramic vase I was making a while back - well, it's finished now! About time too! I'm still in two minds about whether or not I like the glaze that I've put on it. The thing is when I was asking the instructor about what glaze I wanted, she kept on saying that I couldn't use the ones I wanted for some reason or other, so I ended up settling for one I didn't originally want. I wanted one that would give a lot of texture, and it certainly has done that. The colours remind me of the beach - slate blues, jaded greens and worn stone . . . .

I've also completed my first proper watercolour painting EVER. I've done quick studies and experiments, but not actually set out to do a complete picture. I'm quite pleased with it, despite it's flaws (I'm still learning after all!). The scene is from a photograph I took at the Country Park, on a magnificent, atmospheric stormy day. The clouds on the right could've been painted much better, and the water isn't quite how I wanted it, but I'm still happy. It was extremely hard to get the water looking like water, I spent more time on that part of the painting that I did on nearly the whole thing! I do like the line of tree silhouettes though. What do you think?

My inspiration has gone for a walk recently, but I've long learnt that just working at it is better than just moping about waiting for it to return (otherwise I would never get anything done!). I've newly started to use some metal clay to make some jewellery, which is exciting. I'll post some pics when I have something substantial to show. Hopefully my muse would've returned by then too =).

Pay It Forward ---->

Hiya guys,

I saw this over on Samantha's and Mel's blog, and couldn't overcome the urge to participate! I'd have commented on their blogs to receive something from them, but I was too late! Anyway, this is what it's all about . . .

I will make a handmade gift for the first 3 interested people who comment on this post. I have 365 days to do it in…What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well: you must have a blog and before you leave your comment here, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going.

DISCLAIMER: There is now a No-Strings attached policy in regards to this initiative, so don't feel too pressurised about having to make something in return! (As instigated by Mel).

So if any of you are interested, just leave a comment (if you're interested Jan, just comment on your blog if you still can't comment on mine! LMAO). I can't promise perfection, but I can promise something that I will make with lots of affection, something totally you-orientated that I have made using the scavenged info from your blog (stalker-esque, I know, lol) and my maverick art making endeavours.

Edit: I'm boosting the number up to 5 people, 'cos hey, I can! =D

Henna watercolour and body painting

My new close friend at work has been teaching me how to do mendhi, aka henna painting. I've always wanted to learn, and she brought in some henna powder after work so that she could show me. It was so much fun, and I practiced on other members of staff in the staffroom, lol. Then last week on Friday we held a henna painting session for the girls at lunchtime club, and they simply loved it. They're already bugging me and her about when the next one will be! Anyway, over the two week break we now have I'm gonna be shopping for some more henna stuff, so we'll be fully prepared next time (we were making tubes for the henna out of transparent file holders and label stickers, lmao). In the mean time, I've done a couple of henna-like doodles in watercolour.

I really need to get a scanner so that you can see the colours properly. Doing these little 'doodles' was really an excuse for me to use the gum arabic I had bought ages ago but had never used. It's simply liquid latex that you can paint on to bock out areas of white that you want to keep, then you can lay a wash over it. Once it's dry you can rub off the latex and you're left with crisp white! I'm very happy with these little experiments, I can fortell more gum arabic fun in the future ;).

Carrying on with the henna theme, I decided to do some myself at home, without the sound guidance of my friend and mentor. It's hard to get used to, but I'm slowly improving. What I really need to work on are the actual designs. Those patterns you see mendhi covered women with look easy but believe me, they aren't!

That's the henna powder, just before I mix it with a little water. The smell of the stuff is wonderful, so earthy and exotic.

That's a little design I did on the side of my foot, I was quite happy with it. That was until I wne to start the one on my hand, crossed my legs like I always do, and smudged it all over my foot and the floor! I'm sooo clever.

I'm satisfied with the final design. Thing is the henna powder I've got isn't fresh, so it doesn't produce as deep a colour as you'd hope it would. Still, that will be rectified when I find a shop to buy some fresh henna from. There's also different recipes you can make to produce better results, but I'm too inexperienced at the moment, I'll try them when I'm more confident. Anyway, I still have a lovely golden coloured design on my hand which will be there now for a few days (again, not fresh=lighter colour and shorter life span). Hope you like my henna-tastic endeavours!

Semi-finished vase!

So I've finally finished doing the carving on my vase. I'm quite happy with it and managed to stop myself from over doing it! I also think the mini-carving on the other side is quite cute! The next step is for it to be bisque fired, and then I can consider glazing it. Here's some pics.

So while the vase is being fired, I've started on a new project. I'm making a ceramic figure sculpture from a life drawing I drew at uni (when the life drawing classes were free, lol!). Very basic at the moment, just need to get the general shape first, and when it dries more I can begin to make it more detailed and less like a lump of clay! You can see a photocopy of my life drawing in the background.

That's all ceramics wise until Tuesday! See you then.

IMT and ceramics update

Since my failure at the Creative Everyday 09 stuff, I found Inspire Me Thursdays to help give me a creative kick every now and then. Last weeks inspiration was the moon, and so this gave me a chance to get out my watercolours and give it a go! I'm not very good with paint, so I only gave it a tentative shot. Small steps will eventually lead to giant leaps! So yes, there is not much on the page, but I wanted to keep it lighthearted and fun. Hopefully with more practice my watercolours will develop.

I thought I'd also let you know how the ceramics class is going. I've managed to smooth my vase down now, and get the proper shape. If you remember from a previous post, I was unsure of what to carve into it once I got the chance. In honesty, I didn't even get enough spare time to give it any serious thought. So I went to the class prepared to leave it for another week, but when it actually came to it, I thought "Sod it!" and just went with it. This is the result.

I just let my hands do their own thing, lol. I've always loved very curvilinear designs, very organic and mesmerising. So these are just the initial strokes, next week I will be elaborating on them, adding more detail and designs. It's nice to be making it up as I go along, and using my own imagination rather than copying someone elses design. Feel free to let me know what you think of my recent artistic endeavors!

Revamp and update!

Hiya all,

I had to change this page, just looking at it depressed me. Really put me off! So voila, a new layout. Hope you all like it, I had a lot of fun manipulating my photo to make it look funky. I do also realise that the lettering is hard to read - it is intentional believe it or not! If anyone out there wants me to make something like that for them, do say, because I really enjoyed making my own new banner.

I also said that I would post pictures of what I'm doing in ceramics at the moment, so here it is.

As you can see it is still very rough. I didn't realise how many stages there are to making a simple vase. So far I have finished making the general shape. Tomorrow, I get the chance to scrape it smooth, and then carve a design into it if I wish (which I do ;)). I don't know exactly what I'll do with it yet, but I'll mull it over tonight and tomorrow. I was thinking perhaps of some celtic knotwork designs, because I'd like to put this vase on my altar when it's finally finished, as my first ceramic offering! I'll let you all know how tomorrow goes afterwards.

Also art related, I set up a deviantART account last week to put all my previous artwork on, so if you're interested and want to have a nosey, click here or go to the link on the right of the page.

I plan on having a proper update soon, I've just been so busy! It's annual review time at my school, so I'm writing many reports presently. Just want to let you all know I haven't disappeared, and I'm keeping up to date with all your blogs. See you all soon!