photo: sketchbook from 2018
These dark January days (so rainy, so very rainy) are tempting me to stay in bed with a heap of good books. Even middle-so-so books will do. Oh and a basket of stitch projects. And a sketchbook with a few pencils and pens. With a flask of tea. And the radio for company. Sounds good?
But there are days when my energy levels take me by surprise and I embrace those days. I find I want to be playful, just go with the flow - and so I do just that. Yesterday, despite the grim weather beyond my window, or maybe because of it, I spent some time painting colourfully on large sheets of paper.
photo: various painted papers
Saturday mornings are my time to explore sketchbooks and often this involves working beyond the page. I paint big with the idea of of using the best bits, as I find them. I will later cut up large abstractly painted things to make collages. Now and then a painted sheet of A3 paper works well for my eyes and I keep it as it is - it doesn’t get cut up. But my goal is not to make ‘paintings’. My task is to paint.
Basically I set up a table, spread a lot of newspaper about, get ALL my paints - and paint abstractly with nothing - no idea except perhaps: minty green.
I like to work by myself, rediscovering older selves that used to paint in a more abstract way. With the company of perhaps good music and an imaginary cat (see stories below). It’s important to me to have ways of exploring that do not involve an end product. So often, in all aspects of life, we are working toward ‘a thing’, ‘a product’, a complete whatever. I recognise that this is necessary, but I also see the potential good in process for the sheer delight of it.
I sometimes daydream that there could be little kiosks on the street where people who don’t usually paint, or don’t have the facilities to paint, can go to paint ( or draw). Call them art therapy pods, if you like. A bit like the capsule hotels found in Japan. Thing is: a person could put their pound coin in the slot (of course it would cost more, but this is my daydream) and enter into a smart little painting zone where they can simply enjoy the process without any judgement. It would be a strictly one person, just you and a stack of paint brushes situation. There would be a comfortable chair, music if you want. And the best part of it: you would not even have to clean up after! My only worry would be space - as I don’t like claustrophobic spaces - but this is my imagination so, I know the art therapy pods would be quite like a Dr Who tardis.
But what would happen to all the paintings that kiosk visitors might make? hmmm perhaps they get to put them in a special folder that allows the transportation of wet paintings. They then leave without anyone seeing them. No judgement. And there could be the option of simply donating the paintings, anonymously, to a gallery that sells anonymous paintings for charity. What a great gallery that might be! Or, an option to quietly destroy your work - a handy paint-eating bin? Because the process above product will be encouraged. All of the above is of course quite fanciful. But somehow I believe it would work.
photo: just painting
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A few small stories from this week
Imaginary cats. I miss having a cat. I knew, when we sadly said goodbye to our last cat (Teddy - a silly, sometimes ferocious, demanding, petulant creature who liked to lounge on the top of doors - who else has had a cat who does that?) I knew I would not be getting another cat any time soon. But I miss their company. I have thought about making a cat, knitting or stitching one. I’ve made teddy bears in the past, so it is not beyond me to make something with joints and modestly life-like. I am sure there are toys that purr etc… But for now I imagine. I think up lists of names. So far, Enid for a girl is winning. For a boy: I can’t imagine anything but a ginger tabby called Marmaduke. I wish I could be more imaginative. But now and then, through the short day, I see a shadow leap behind me and know it is my feline companion coming in from the chilly outdoors.
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I step outside to take meter readings ( our gas and electricity meters are in boxes on the side of the house). This is my opportunity to view the outside world. The street much the same, just as rainy as ever. A postman is striding up the hill toward me. He makes some agonised sound to signify his disgust at the weather and life in general, flaps an envelope to remove a few rain drops and hands it to me. He stomps away and I admire his stomp. A magpie swoops above me and then another. I don’t mind being in the rain, knowing I can step inside. I see dead things in plant pots and go inside, not wishing to linger.
photo: sketchbook - more pages from 2018. This is one of my favourite past sketchbooks. Lots of variety.
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Coming to my shop:
First a note on international shipping. As you may know Royal Mail has told customers to not post international orders at the moment. There has been a cyber ‘incident’ and they are working round the clock to fix things. So I am holding on to several packages and hope I can send them very soon. Meanwhile, I will be updating my shop as usual next Wednesday and will ask anyone outside the UK to expect a delay on despatching their order. I don’t want to resort to saying UK only. But I will have to see how this situation is resolved (hopefully very soon). Thanks for your understanding. Any questions, please, as always ask.
This week I hope to offer a further selection of tiny paintings. I was asked a very good question by someone via email this week - they asked for how much longer I will be offering winter lucky dip paintings. This is a good question and got me thinking. I have decided February will be a cross-over month. This will mean I will be offering both winter and spring lucky dip paintings during that month. Beyond then, I will then be in full-on spring mode!
Also for this week, I have a group of oil pastel works I made some months ago that are now ready to be sold. I will be offering these at special prices. There may also be one or two new pen drawings.
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Thanks always for reading here, for your kind comments and support- if you would like to buy me a coffee that really helps out. A special thanks to everyone who got in touch with me over the past week re my foot saga! Thanks so much for your generous and thoughtful messages, for kind suggestions for treatment and more. I do appreciate these and am humbled by the kindness….
Your daydream and your stories. So engaging and wonderful. Thank you.
Also I like the idea of the art therapy pods.
There must be so many people who have never given painting a try.