The Pit And The Uniform

It was a new one for me last night as I went with my Mam-in-Law to the opera. I’ve never been before and to be honest, being an ageing headbanger and rock chick, it would never have occurred to me to go except that Husb joined a choir recently and had the chance to perform in the chorus of Cosi Fan Tutti at the Taliesin. He has a lovely voice which he’s never gotten out in public before and he also looked rather spiffing in his Hussar uniform! Of course, I had a scribble.

cozi fan 1

It wasn’t easy scribbling into my little cloth-covered red notebook as it was dark and I was surprisingly engrossed in the opera. I enjoyed it far more than I expected. It was good fun and I was impressed by the quality and skill of the singing. And there was an orchestra! In a pit! I never even knew that Taliesin had a pit!

I drew with a ballpoint pen, very quickly, unable to see much on the paper so it was a surprise when I looked at them. I wouldn’t mind seeing more opera, but the tickets are terribly expensive and if it comes down to a choice between opera and metal, I know which one I’d buy tickets for. (That’s metal, by the way).

 

 

More En Plein Air

Glynn Vivian

 

Sometimes life gets in the way of art and it can be difficult to do something creative every day. If I’m working on a commission or developing an exhibition, it’s easy because I’m at it all the time, but in the in-between times like the past week or two, I find it hard to get motivated. Husb and I went to the Glynn Vivian art gallery this evening, with lovely young nephew, to hear the author Andrew Green give a talk about his new book, “Wales In 100 Objects“. Great stuff. I had a quick scribble. It was dark in the lecture room so I couldn’t quite see what I was doing. Never mind. It’s enough to put pen to paper and do a bit of a drawing every day at the moment.

 

Andrew-Green-Cymru-mewn-100-gwrthrych

En Plein Air

en plein air

Here I am a few months back sketching en plein air. The artwork is by Simon Dark. I had a fringe then, I think I might have one again.

A Crafty Afternoon

 

Herb bottle 1

I work a few hours a week for a charity that supports homeless people, teaching crafts and fine art. Today I had a crafty afternoon. I try to make the craft sessions relevant to people, making practical things that they can use in their new home when they get housed. We recycled plastic drinks bottles – around 1.5 litre capacity and, with gardener’s jute twine, we made macramé herb bottles that people can hang up in their kitchens. I bought a selection of supermarket living herbs – coriander, parsley and basil. Here’s one I did as a demonstration and here it is below as a snake-like work in progress.

macrame 1

Being the change

Cool en plein air drawings from Swansea-based artist Patti McJones via Being the change

Swansea Jack

Carl Gough performs “Swansea Jack”

Husb and I spent a lovely couple of hours at a performance of “Swansea Jack”, researched, written and performed by the talented storyteller Carl Gough. We people from Swansea are nicknamed “Jacks”, supposedly after the heroic black Labrador dog who saved many people from drowning in the 1930s. Of course, I had a quick scribble, in my little red cloth covered sketchbook. I used a ballpoint pen, I love them for quick sketches because they flow so easily.

Quick Sketch

Here’s a quick sketch I did at an event the other night, a talk on women’s political action across Europe, one of the International Women’s Day events.


Ban The Bedroom Tax!

bedroom tax

This is a monotype I made from an original drawing I did in my sketchbook at a demonstration against the “Bedroom Tax”, or Spare Room Subsidy, introduced by the government in 2012. It resulted in hardship for many people. It’s one of the artworks I’m exhibiting at Swansea’s Cinema & Co in a joint show with fellow artist Patti McJones. It’s called Revolting Women.

Revolting Women

Tent City II

st paul's 2

Here’s another monotype I did recently with chine collé from an original sketchbook drawing at London’s “Tent City” a few years ago, the Occupy London protest outside Saint Paul’s Cathedral. My sketchbooks are full of scribbles from life and I don’t often find a way of using them, but recently I’ve done a small series of monotypes from the more political ones. The paper is vintage from the W. H. Saunders mill; the ink is Caligo Cranfield Safewash oil-based relief ink; and the chine collé is tissue paper.

It’s one of the artworks I’m exhibiting with the artist Patti McJones at Swansea’s Cinema & Co for the rest of this month as part of the celebration of International Women’s Day.

It’s Physical!

Here Be Dragons small

Here Be Dragons – March 26th at 9pm on Sky Arts TV channel.

Finally, the end of all the months of work! The programmes showing over 50 commissioned artists across the UK are being aired during the week beginning March 25th and the film featuring me and my work is on Tuesday, March 26th at 9pm.

2 inking up

I was commissioned to come up with a new flag for Britain and I made sure that Wales is on this one. Please follow the links here and here to read more.

Here’s the block of MDF while I was inking it up. It’s 80 x 100 centimetres, took about 3 weeks to cut, although I couldn’t physically do more than about 3 hours a day because my hand and arm started seizing up. Many people don’t realise just how physical art is and the toll it can take on your body. When I was travelling in Pakistan a while back I visited an art school where some of the students specialised in classical miniature painting. Their lecturer told us that years ago, the artists would develop a distinctive deformation of the spine because of the way they sat and painted and eyesight problems were common. They use ergonomic chairs and daylight lamps now to stay safe and healthy.