Wild Frontiers

I have a couple of weeks to finish off some new works to be shown at The Naze Tower in September, as part of the continuing Pilgrimage exhibition. Stefanie, Janette and I have been given two floors of the tower to exhibit work, for both Pilgrimage and an opportunity to hang other work as well. 

The paintings below are a series of small mixed media works on board, inspired by a weekend's sailing up the coast. As we pootle along at a steady speed, there is plenty of time to watch the birds and the waves, enjoying the moment. No rush, nothing to achieve, I am present, I am here.
They can be seen at the Pilgrimage exhibition.

Wonderful colours on a rusty boat.

A day at Tollesbury looking for driftwood. I have lots of ideas to use planks of old boats, but it's proving difficult to find the right bits ! My guess is there is a black market racket going on for old boats LOL

Up the river Colne last weekend, past the ditch that is Wivenhoe at low tide. Why the landlord of the pub there hasn't built out a pontoon into the river, so boats can moor up and have a pint, is beyond me. Instead we have to sail past, on up to Rowhedge, where it is possible to moor up right along side the pub for a glass of the most expensive beer in Christendom !

An early morning bike ride this morning, took me past the start of a hunt. Hounds and riders flushing a wood.  It didn't look like they had put up any foxes. It all rather spoilt the peace and calm of 8am.

What a lovely view, looking down onto the estuary. There was a nip in the air this morning....hmmm, Autumn I fear, is on the way.

 Wild frontiers !

Looking for the Min Min lights

Min Min lights are an Australian phenomena. There are no substantial explanations for these spooky nocturnal lights and they are steeped in folk law. They cannot be found by looking for them as there is no set pattern to their occurrence. The beautifully mesmerising lights, appear out of the blue and beckon the watcher to follow into the unknown and possible danger.  The min min chaser has to just patiently sit and wait for their appearance. They may or may not come.

In the same way I approach a seemingly difficult problem, whether it is a sticking point in an artwork or personal.  I can search high and low for an answer, but the more my mind struggles for a solution the further away it gets. The answer is sit by the muddy stream of mind and wait for it to clear. We all 'think' too much about what we should or shouldn't do, or what others should or shouldn't do. Everyone has an opinion about how everyone else should live their lives, or we struggle with creative blockages. A Zen saying goes  ' We cannot see our reflection in running water, it is only in still water that we can see'.

So that is what I have done today....sat quietly in my studio, watching the little birds feeding, feeling the sun on my face, listening to the sea gulls noisily squabbling, preparing canvases, waiting for them to dry and when I stopped worrying about what to do next, it all just slotted into place. No chasing around looking for the scary lights, eventually they came to me and they were no longer scary.

I have a few small canvases that I want to use up. Generally speaking I prefer to work on much larger ones. I do feel though it's good to have a range of sizes. Some people may like my work but don't have the space to accommodate a 100cm X 70cm picture, others may not want to spend the money on a large artwork.

 The first task before painting, is to build up the layers. Pages torn from an old Madame Bovary peek through the layers into the finished painting....giving hints of what lie below the surface, both literally and ephemerally.

 Layers of gesso next and then the first washes of paint.

I like working on these thin boards. The surface is hard compared to stretched canvas and the results are quite different. The problem is one of framing them or at least mounting them. But I have found a few old frames that had been pushed to one side that seem to fit exactly ! A coat of gesso, which will be painted, and they are ready to roll.

A blustery afternoon yesterday and a very wet walk along the prom.