Studio Update – February
I thought today it would be nice to post about what I have been up to this week, it’s been a lot of planning and ‘ideation’ – this is a word that I had to look up when I first heard it working in the corporate world. I hate it and now you can hate it too. You’re welcome.
Ideas
Last week I posted about efforts to build an upcycling pipeline which is exciting creatively and a lot of fun (which you can read about HERE) I have also started a few other things that I would call ‘art adjacent’ and so this week was a sojourn to the charity shops to find bits and bobs that will be very cheap flips online hopefully, but it was fun and at the same time I’m picking up upcycling bits so it’s just a little added extra hopefully for very little spend. I spent £15 and managed to get a few upcycling bits plus a few things that I think should end up bagging more than I spent. I think I now have 5-6 creative pipelines on the go now and I finally sat down and came up with a cohesive plan to actually reach the level of items listed online to start seeing some traction. So I’ve got a target for the end of March and we’ll see where we are at that point, what should be dropped, what should be kept and whether any new ideas turn up in the mean time (probably!)
However, in commencing with these very Del Boy type designs carries with it a certain level of clutter, so I have spent this morning sorting out my studio (aka our front room) to accommodate, pre upcycled pieces, finished bits, found jewellery, upcycled jewellery, bits and bobs for quick Ebay sales and oh, yeah, some room for my ‘actual’ art.
I didn’t take a photo of the room prior to tidy although that wouldn’t actually be that interesting on reflection, so here’s a picture of a pile of mess that was in situ in the corner yesterday now in it’s rightful place, with added cat (for scale – I don’t have any bananas) along side a hastily annotated display of my studio/desk/workbench/all purpose probably going to fall over soon bureau with draws.
Progress
As well as all of this messing about with my grand ideas of how to scrape together a few pennies I have also made some progress on my conceptual works, as well as adding quite a few into my pipe-line sketch book, so it’s felt like a creative week as well as a purposeful one.
I’ve had some pleasant surprises as well as some rethinks. The AI bubble piece (which you can read about HERE and HERE) had it’s second attempt and I’d say the verdict is ‘better’ I need to sand it to try and remove the unsightly seam line in the middle, but I have had a great idea of how it is going to be finished off so that each one I make will be a stand alone as well as being set as discussed in the second story about this piece. I’m glad I kept the first attempt as I can practice how to sand this without ruining hours of work before I start on the second attempt.
I also discovered how I can easily cast my next epoxy work, which is actually the first one I thought of. It’s a very personal one to me about finally having to bow out of a career that was never really right for me in the first place, but it did take it’s toll. It’s taken me a while to work out how to do it – when you see it you’ll probably wonder how it took me that long but that’s the way my brain works. Stubbornly slow on the uptake at times – too many things going on in there.
I also had a successful second go at a clay work I started a few weeks ago. As yet unnamed, it’s theme is what I would quite pretentiously call ‘liminal personalities.’ Being neither one thing nor the other – it’s going to be a nice, somewhat humorous piece that I’m really looking forward to being able to put in the portfolio. I also got to sculpt a bird, some of you will instantly recognise the bird in question as a symbol of Liverpool and no, I don’t support Liverpool F.C. I started small, got an idea that I could do the basic shape quite competently, which then lead me to making a larger one on a pretty basic armature and much to my surprise, the thing is currently standing up – it does need some filling and sanding before painting. Nevertheless, I am pleased with my first few attempts as a serious air dried clay structure.
I’ve got a little black book with my poems in
I don’t actually write poems but this line from Pink Floyd’s The Wall keeps popping into my head when I reach for my sketch book which is full of sketches, developments on current works, and ideas that are still to even take half a form. This week has been particularly productive for these which is quite exciting, since when I was in the last few years of my corporate career I couldn’t think of any ideas if my life depended on it. Now they’re flowing so fast I have a studio full of started but not finished bits, works and potential money makers. The next few days will be the attempts to start to finish some of these so I can move on to the next, and start showing off what I’ve done.
Till next time, and if you’re interested in the kind of thing that’s already been completed (mostly felt sculptures and some commissions I did during my spare time during my corporate career) you can check HERE.
To read other stories and thoughts behind the art – check my blog HERE