Notes from the studio. Issue one.
This week sees me return to a normal routine. My children have returned to school and preschool and so I get my slithers of studio time back. I thought this would be a good moment to start to offer insight into my studio practice as I myself get back into the flow of creativity. I intend for notes from the studio to become a regular blog post title describing as many of the diverse areas of my studio practice as I can.
September has arrived and every bit of my heart is happy.
The writer Rob Macfarlane wrote on twitter this week:
‘Word of the day “aestivate” – to pass through summer in a state of torpor, drowsiness and lowered metabolic rate (from the Latin aestas, Summer); also, to summer in a place. A creature or person may emerge from “aestivation” in autumn as from “hibernation” in spring.’
If you have not come across Macfarlane’s work then I would highly recommend it. He is interesting and passionate about language and nature and offers insight you didn't know you were looking for. His twitter feed is inspiring, each day he conjures up a new word that gets your imagination going at full speed. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that there is a name for the way I have been feeling for years and in English too! I feel the embrace of recognition. I am the creature emerging from aestivation and I wanted to share this discovery: are you an aestivate creature? I would love to know, I can't be alone, there is a word for us!
This is an exciting time of year for me. September is my new year, I can start thinking of new beginnings and new plans, I can make resolutions and map out a path for the coming months. I will prep a few surfaces so I can make a start on new work when I am ready. This involves priming canvases white and cutting glass to size. These are automatic but necessary tasks, they are immensely enjoyable because they offer time to think about the material qualities of the surfaces I use. There is also a quietness to these preparatory tasks which lets my mind wonder. There is a special energy given to preparation for an activity and is something that shouldn’t be rushed for the activity itself. September is not about rushing but about finding a steadfast pace to take you through the next year. This is my aim for the next week in my studio. This is not to be confused with slowness, the summer fatigue is wearing off and I am wanting to get going. I am pleased to announce I have secured a stall at the ‘Etsy made local’ and the ‘Made in Bristol’ Christmas markets this year. Of course all the details to come (I know you don’t want to be thinking about Christmas yet!) but it certainly has focused my mind on the tasks ahead. Here’s to fresh beginnings.
If there is something you would be interested in knowing about my studio work, perhaps the processes I use or even what I listen to whilst I draw, please get in touch and I will try to include it in upcoming posts…..