Working With The Flow.

How interesting was today ! 

Ideas have been flowing very nicely since I decided to buy myself a kiln. I said it felt like it, it's self was representative of a doorway revealing a pathway. This doorway seems to be two way. It is letting ideas in.

I little while ago we watched a documentary on the life of Sir David Attenborough, we love him, as all Britts do. It introduced us to his brother Richard. I was captivated by this man on screen. Later that evening I googled David to clarify some information. However I was taken to Wikipedia which had a great write up on Richard. What an amazing man he is. I was drawn to his achievements.

Today (Friday the 17th February 2012) we run into Terri from 19Karen the coasts most amazing art gallery along with her beautiful friend Mary. They had gone to St Barts to see my plates. Sadly they only sell them in their Brisbane shop ! However once we caught up. Discussed the weekend art work-shop with Donna Sharam. I told her to watch out for a girl called Jess at this weekends exhibition, explained she had been living in Barcelona and was missing the arts. That made Terri tell us about the collaboration exhibition she was having in June. Like the Freda one, this one is to be all about the art of Spain. After showing us what one artist was working on, it came to her I should join in with some clay pieces. She said google the concept, google Picasso's pottery. Just like Sally had been telling me to do in regards to March's Artist Trading Cards. Well Terri was so excited, I was caught up in it, in her passion for the concept. She was throwing ideas around. So what could I do ? I had to follow the flow and google it. Up came the first page, Richard and Sheila Attenborough and their collection of Picasso's pottery http://www.leicester.gov.uk/picasso/ here is this man I was intrigued by, collect pottery that Terri wants me to be inspired by, to make my own twist on it for her exhibition. On the front page there it is the picture . . . . . . a plate. A plate with a face on it. The style is so like the self portrait that I had just done of myself at Donna's work shop it was, well to tell you the truth it was freaky and so exciting, exhilarating.

So what happened at this workshop. I do plan to blog about it but here is the start of it. Four of us head down to an artists home studio to look at life differently and learn her painting techniques. The first thing she starts with is taking our pencils for a walk, not taking them off the paper and with our eyes closed. To my horror she said start at your chin. Oh no, I don't do the self portrait. I always avoid it, never do it. I thought, oh well, I have to, it will be ok, my eyes are closed ! Well I actually put some effort into it. When I opened my eyes, to my surprise, was a fabulous self portrait. I was ecstatic. I loved it, I was, am so impressed.

How does this fit in ? Well my self portrait is in the same style as the faces on Picasso's plate that is owned by the man that has interested me, Lord Richard Attenborough. Hmmm well, yes, I will be doing a piece for Terri to think about, to see if the concept will fit in with her planned exhibition.

I am sorry I do not know who took the Picasso's plate photograph to credit them. I would think it was done by the Leicester Museums and Galleries.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Mr Beatties Gifts Of Life.

Today was the funeral of a very dear and special man. Mr Beattie. Who was he ? He was a Britt who loved to Animate and loved to teach it. He was my teacher at QCA. He past away on the 11th of February 2012. I wanted so much to go to see him laid to rest but sadly I could not. Leading up to 10am I thought about him and what his life had ment to me, how I could show him what he ment to me. At 10am I stopped, pulled out my note/drawing book and pencil. I started to draw. I knew the only way to honor him was to make an Animation today. I knew that as much as I would like to do that I would not be able to fulfill this today but I could start the idea. I ended up coming up with the best idea. To represent what he did and combine it with the first exercises that he ever taught us all. I was so stunned at the ideas flowing though me. I have not had doable film ideas for, well, let's just say a long time. Thank-you Mr Beattie you live on in all of us that you have taught. I always find myself trying to comfort people who have lost some-one by saying, remember all the good times you had, be thankful for the time you had with them, not morn what you will never have. Here I am, finding myself celebrating the time I had with Mr Beattie and the gifts he gave me. Here I am still receiving gifts from him after he has gone. So I say thank-you Mr Beattie, thank-you.

What make you happy ?

I have been making plates for a long time. I love making them. I have stopped many times, said I was going to throw it all in. But when I look at it, it because some-one else has done some-thing to make the process fail. Not because of what I have done. Other peoples apathy really is a killing emotion at times. As you know I had been brave and took some plates into the amazing St Barts shop. I got more than I bargained for. An order for 61 plates. My partner could not understand why when I came out of the meeting I was not screaming with joy. I could not either. I had ideas. It turned out they were wrong. The reason I was not over the moon as it turned out was I knew that I was at the hands of others to get these plate made. The fate of the plates was not mine to control  I was at the mercy of some woman who could be rather unpleasant. I was getting by for the first lot of plates loosing some at the hands of others. I was controlling the fears and stresses. Well not really. I know also realise why I was not really able to cope with the stresses. Because I was not in control of my work. There for I was letting the shop down and being well not myself. The call came from the shop telling me that were taking back orders for my plates. Ok so as I already know people love my plates. Now here they were being sold at expensive shop prices and people were still loving them. Ok I had to take control. SO what did I do ? I started looking at second hand kilns. It didnt feel right. So you know what I did I said to myself the stress is killing you, life is ment to be fun, this is ment to be fun. You are a squirrel, what good is being a squirrel if you never eat the nuts. So yes I ordered a lovely Woodrow kiln. Build especially for me. Me, who is worthy of a new kiln and a stress free relationship with her clay. I could not hold in the shrieks of joy coming from me. Not only was this coming from me but I found myself so happy and excited and free from stress.
I still have a massive smile on my face days later. I am now soooo relaxed about making the plates. I feel totally in control of my pottery life now, not at the whims of a group of silly old women. Yes, decadent in money terms, but for me as a person, as an artist, it has no cost. I am not paying any attention to the voice that was there months ago "will it be a waste of money, will I use it ?" I dont care. I am looking at it as the door which has opened to see the most amazing array of possibilities in the form of a beautiful path made out of flag stones. Each one a new step to some-where. All I know is it will be some-where arty. If any-one is holding back and questioning themselves for any-thing right now I say jump, leap, stop listening and just do it. The smile is priceless, as is having all of you to talk to about it and share the steps and those smooth inviting flag stones.
Dont struggle with decisions. It makes you fall apart. Just make the action and do it. I am so in love with what I have done for myself. Thank-you self, thank-you.