Gathering

Together.

I bring ideas and set them down next to one another

The way the ancestors would gather berries and nuts

Sustenance

Together.

I invite friends to a room, to a table

The deep old knowledge that tribe is safer

Survival

Ideas cultivated, grown and gathered

Set down on a table to be shared.

I have fed from others tables and now I am strong enough to set my own.

The gathering is important

I have been thinking of the word gathering for a while now as part of my practice. Daily thoughts and ideas are set down in words and images. They are jumbled together and remind me of taking the children blackberry picking. We once came across a blackberry bush in the peak of ripeness. So much so we couldn’t resist it. All we had were our sun hats to carry the spoils home. We stuffed the hats literally to the brim with the jewel like berries, hands and mouths turned pink by the juice. Afterwards the hats were stained a pinky purple, luckily on the inside, from carrying the bounty home. A wonderful reminder of the giddy delight of gathering the berries not because we were ready or prepared but because they were wanting to be gathered.

Ideas come like this sometimes, when they are ready and I have to be willing to take them. To gather them.

Yesterday, I went to Drawing Projects in Trowbridge to attend ‘How to enter the Art World After…’ An event to accompany the launch of the book with the same title by Hettie Judah. The bonus was this day out included a train ride (a chance to read a book), lunch with my writing buddy Michelle (and a quick dose of encouragement) and a chance to see Sarah Purvey’s exhibition at Drawing Projects, titled The Gathering (a hit of art). This exhibition had Purvey’s ceramic pieces in conversation with her drawing work. There is an intensity between the marks of the drawings and visible hand marks of the ceramics. Head-like forms crowd each other and the monochrome palette of the work feels like a necessary choice to not overload an already compacted space. This compelling intensity worked to bring me in on conversation and connect with the artistic process of layering marks. The title of the exhibition seemed to call out to me and set a theme for the day.

The talk that followed from the exhibition took the format of three artist talks in support and addition to Hettie Judah speaking about her book ‘How to Enter the Art World After…’ and then a Q&A set up in the round to encourage open conversation. The event was a dose of encouragement and community and left me feeling motivated.

The book’s title: How to Enter the Art World After… sparked my interested because I identified with the motherhood element as well as the line leaving in disgust. I think I was looking for and hoping for signposts for how to reconnect with something that was once a big part of my life. I realised whilst I sat there listening that it (the art world) is still a big part of my life it’s just my life has changed and so have my aspirations.

Gathering as a concept resurfaced during the event as we had all gathered together for it. Gathered around Hettie’s words and idea. This physical act of being in the same space and finding common ground is a powerful one. The message that we can build the art world we want to be a part of was interesting to me. I feel I have become complacent in my gatherings. Not inviting people to come and speak about my work or their own work. Telling myself that it is unnecessary and pointless. I have actively tried to shut down that side of my work. Instead, I have been watching and consuming the sound bites from social media too much. This is too passive and unfulfilling. I want to start sharing and making more from what I have already got, in order to make deeper connections. The daily notion. Noticing, gathering, preparing and sharing. This has a quiet feminine power to it which resonates with my experience of motherhood and I think is a transferable skill to creativity. It was joyful to hear people talk about their work and each talk was totally unique. I endeavour to seek out more events where I can hear artists in conversation about their work.  In a few weeks time I am taking part in the BS4 Arts Trail ( an event I also organise) I might put this in my sights as an opportunity to talk more openly about my work and invite people to my home studio to have a cuppa and chat art. Let’s gather around.