Where does 'it' come from?

Whilst I painted the floor of my new studio today, my mind wandered. It may have been a combination of the fumes radiating upward from the industrial floor paint and focusing upon trying not to paint myself into a corner; regardless, my mind was wandering and it found its way towards the question ‘where does it come from?’

I guess I really should be a little less vague and excuse me as I may still be slightly under the influence of paint fumes!

You may already be aware that I’m currently working all hours creating both textile sculptures and paintings for a couple of high-volume exhibitions due to launch early next year. The sculptures are animal based and the paintings, landscapes.

The concept behind my next solo exhibition (March 2020) is to create another multi-sensory experience whereby the viewer is able to observe the animal (sculpture) within its natural landscape (painting); hearing gentle sounds of the countryside and smells of grass and woodland earth… catching a moment in time with the animal unaware of your presence and the land takes a breath whilst the days shadows lengthen.

I enjoy creating multi-sensory experiences because that’s the way my inspiration works… I hear the rush of wind and distant calls of the woodpigeon; I smell the rich damp woodland floor or wild garlic as I brush past; textures present themselves to me and I feel what it is I wish to create. Sometimes it’s a painting, sometimes textile or sculpture; in every case, I always have a complex sense of the mood and experience.

So, if you ever get chance to visit my solo exhibitions, be prepared for all your senses to be involved! Of course, I cannot achieve this within a group exhibition as I don’t think the fellow artists would necessarily share my vision!!

My 2018 solo exhibition focused on the life hidden within deep forests and undergrowth. It took each visitor on an exploration of hidden beauty found within fungi and other natural flora, then onto the environment with all its rich textures; discovering the ribbon of folklore that weaves throughout them all. Uncovering a history and superstition that still resonates to this day. Earthy scents wafted amongst the artworks whilst sounds of forest life buzzed and sang, giving way to the rumblings of an approaching storm, ready to unleash life-giving rain with bellows of thunder.