Blog Archive

Thursday 21 January 2021

Cutting out and re-arranging. Sharing work and making connections.

 


Back in the studio.  I always struggle with January, but of course this year, it's been even worse.  I have been reticent to go out into the continuous rain and sit in a dark cold studio.  However! Today the sun came out.  What a difference it makes.  I know I'm stating the bleeding obvious here. I was really happy to be there and was excited looking at work and realising that it was worth carrying on with.

Anyway, the whole world is in the same state, so I won't bang on about the terrible situation.  I'll just pour another glass of wine!!

I have mostly been sitting at home drawing hyacinths this month.  Today I went and tidied the studio and looked at what I have been doing and moved a few things about a bit.  Before Christmas I started another collage.  I enjoy using up prints that I don't think have worked, as I have said before, and have spent a couple of lovely hours cutting out wild geraniums (Meadow cranesbill) to use again in another way.  I love cutting out, using a scalpel and I have bought a new cutting mat too.  

Meadow cranesbill is one of my favourite early summer wildflowers.  The violet-blue flowers waving in the summer sun and wind are one of the best sights, as I am sure I have mentioned many times on this intermittent blog.  The bees love them and each year they come out in the wildlife garden at work and are covered in solitary bees that have come out of the little holes provided for them.  I always like to make a pilgrimage to Brockley and Ladywell Cemetery to find the clumps that grow there.  Talking about them now helps me realise that Spring is coming and we will get through this and out the other side.  

As with most wild flowers, Meadow Cranesbill has a medicinal use. It has antiseptic properties and was used to staunch bleeding wounds.  It was also used to relieve diarrhoea and dysentery.  I am disappointed that it doesn't seem to help with snake bites at all.  The Geranium oil that I love to use in the bath actually comes from the Pelargonium, I find. 

So now I am re-arranging prints and cut outs and I'd like some words to fit in there somehow.  

I have also re-arranged the work on the walls of my studio.  I have framed a piece (Golden Samphire, although this might not be the title ultimately) because we are going to have an in-house show at the arthouse, as the gallery is empty.  We were going to have a group show open to the public, but you know the score.   

We will put work on the walls and show other people what we are working on and see what others are up to.  We will try to make connections with each other and start conversations, visually or otherwise. 


 




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