Day three “orange”
February 20, 2013
Day one started on Monday, I spent a long time gathering images and writing the post, pushing the publish button lost it all. A little frustrated, but had no time to sort it out. Yesterday I found that the post wasnt even saved as a draft, so did it all again, only to have it happen to me again !!!
So this is now Day Three, not sure if orange is in my realm today, but sitting here next to a bowl of orange tulips I cant help but feel sunny and warm inside. The sun is not shining today as it was the last two mornings, the sky is grey, but somehow this doesn’t matter, I can still feel that uplifted feeling that the memory evokes.
Orange is such an enticing colour, its pure creative energy and a colour I am drawn to in my artworks. I have even been using it in a more burnt marmalade shade in my next project being installed in March/April. sumptuous velvets, Toleware from Paris, silk sheaths on the chandelier chains……….. and much more. It’s all very exciting
Here is a pictorial view of how orange has inspired me , first off my kitchen flowers
A bowl of Parrot Tulips in my kitchen
taken on visit to Krishnamurti Centre
Tree Fertility, pencil sketch coloured digitally
Tree Spirit family – painting
watercolour – I called this Fragility but now I can see it’s a beautiful forest
Leaves I collected on an autumn walk
A small scultpure I call Freedom
patchwork coat for my daughter’s puppy
playing at breakfast
shoes I made of paper
The list could to on and on and on !
something different
June 12, 2012
took a few assorted objects down into my studio, a treasured teapot form marrakesh, a metal upturned wastebin, an apple, a cup measure and a few odd little boxes, stood them all on my desk, and started painting!
it made a change to concentrate on shapes. Usually its a kind of inspirational meditation set to some music, soothing music, and then as something stirs within and the outpouring starts, it just flows, the head is not engaged. I noted with the objects, first I had to choose, which seem to take longer than I thought, then they had to be displayed and then I had to think about composition, a very much mind based way of doing things. All in all an enjoyble time, but somehow I love just letting all pour out from my soul, its one of the most intense feelings and its so all consuming……………………
Creative honouring in education
September 11, 2011
I have just listened to Sir Ken Robinson’s talk on TED, an inspiration.
He talks of children who fall foul of expansion in their creativity because education is only about producing left brain thinkers, every child is forced into that mould, some escape, but most are forced in this modern production line to produce fodder for commercial corporate business operations. We have even devised complex levels of testing throughout childhood, that actually honours those who toe the line, and the ones who get it wrong are seen as failures.
Creativity is there in all children, there are no thoughts of right or wrong, children use their imagination, its free flowing. In adulthood it is such a different picture, creativity has been crushed, we are forced to act and think in a certain way that is seen as “right” and woe betide if you get something wrong. Ken has a certain way of putting all this across, his analogy of the modern man as being a head and brain, with our bodies just their to transport it around is a great analogy. Our body has a heart, this is where creativity presides and it is here, that in my latter life I have learnt to live from. My hat of to you Ken !!
2011 a new path of creativity
January 3, 2011
Well its arrived, a new year and new decade, conjured up memories of the millenium new year, struggling to get to the embankment to watch the fireworks with a two champagne bottle backpack and a few friends. I had just moved into my new apartment after its year long refurb and felt so full of joy and optimism . It was a great evening.
This year I feel equally full of optimism for the coming year, saying goodbye to 2010, fully embracing 2011 is very exciting. So many things to do, to experience, to see to enjoy. I have written a list and it gets longer everyday. This time I am going to print it out and put a line through each item as they are achieved…………….. I am also leaving a huge space for new thing to arise, unexpected things, new challenges, new opportunities, this is the part that for me makes my life so rewarding.
I have been spending time these last few days purchasing new paints, ordering canvases, sketching, list making and creating new images of my existing artwork and photography.
Red, blood red
May 13, 2010
I dont know what draws me towards red, its a huge pull and a colour that keeps me creating lately. Red, black and white and the human form these are the areas I draw inspiration from. This drawing I did originally as a sketch for a huge centrepiece, I imagined it made from porcelain and glazed in the whitest white.
I guess red for me is powerful, its exciting and passionate and courageous, it gives across a powerful message. Red symbolised desire, determination, domination, the thirst for action, danger, strength, power, its a very emotionally intense colour.
Persephone ate the seeds of the red pomegranate, a fruit thats very powerfully symbolic of life and death, she loved Adonis, and when he was killed in a hunting accident beautiful red roses sprung from his blood………. There are many stories told through generations that herald the colour, think of Little Red Riding Hood and The Red shoes.
The Artist’s Way – Julia Cameron at Alternatives
November 7, 2009
I am just home from day spent with Julia Cameron at Alternatives, London.
This book inspired me some years back when it was offered for sale when I completed the Hoffman Process. However, it was a year or so later before I actually picked up the book and 6 months after that I decided to make a start on the 12 week programme. I made a start but didnt finish the entire book, however the morning pages part of the programme I kept up for some while, and then then that wained.
Then Alternative in London posted in their newsletter that Julia was coming to London to teach her programmed in the UK for the first time, I jumped at the chance and today my enthusiasm to complete the 12 weeks has been re-ignited.
For those of you who dont know about the morning pages or the artists dates which form the pivotal tools in creative recovery please follow this link http://www.theartistsway.com/pdfs/basictools.pdf
looking back to my future
October 6, 2009
Looking back recently, photos of my grandmother taken in 1904, pretty starched frilled bonnet and beautiful wide innocent eyes. Then a photo of my great grandmother taken around 1900 in Russia, not long before her death at the age of 34. So young, to die, with 5 children too, how sad. She looks so serene, so beautiful. I dont know much about her only what I have drawn from census information and birth, marriage and death certificates, she died in the UK. However from what I know all the children, grandchildren and so on are all very creative. Through research I have met many people with the Swindlehurst name and the vast majority are in the creative arts, architects or designers. I have my creativity from both sides of the family, maternally and paternally, a double whammy!!
Knowing my genes come from such talented people gives me a real sense of what great gifts have been passed down to me, and to my very talented children…………. and hopefully one day to theirs
The above images have been digitally enhanced with many layers
