Distracted.....again!

Well, it may be a new blog home but nothing's changed.....I've been distracted from the 'dragonthing' and the endless scaling by this lovely fat faerie who wouldn't stop beating on the insides of my eyelids until I acquiesed and let her out. I now have three pieces on the go (four, if you count the giant Griffon creature) and I also started a 2D piece earlier in the week. My optimism certainly does keep me amused! This faerie has been lovely to work on.....her hands are a bit of a challenge for me as I've not made such chubby fingers before and I really do detest making hand armatures but the hands are too heavy to get away without them. At this point she is telling me that she is a Queen, regal and indulged but slightly unsure about something.....just what should become clear as she progresses (I hope!).

It really has been a beautiful week. The weather here at the moment is just divine and I'm soaking up as much of it as I can....all too soon I'll be freezing and fighting off the numerous colds and sniffles that my lovely children bring home from school to share with me. A winter person I am not. Being back in the studio every day has been wonderful.....I feel like I have creative energy leaking from every pore! It's difficult to stay focused (nothing new there!) but for the moment I'm just going with the flow, enjoying the creative process and letting myself work in a fairly haphazard way. Like I've mentioned previously, after such a long break you're bound to get some backlog and my brain is teeming at the best of times. It does make for interesting days however and I can't ask for more than that.

Till next time.

Just a quickie....

Just a short post today.....have spent the last couple of days working on this piece. It's so weird how your mind works sometimes.....I started this sculpture last year and was really excited about it for a few days, then got to a point where other pieces started to take precedence (happens to me quite often!) so kind of lost interest in it. I've been looking at it now for months and it was only when I started to work on it again last week that I realized how flat and static it was. SO, now I've adjusted the body into a more dynamic pose, twisting the head further around and bringing the tail out to the front of the body......I'm excited again! Unfortunately, in my excitement I decided to scale the entire body by making each tiny scale individually. In two days I've completed one side, which I guess isn't too bad but rolling all those little balls is possibly the most tedious thing I've ever done. Oh well, nothing for it now but to press on.....I'm just glad I have a studio where I can blast music at a deafening level to keep me awake.

Till next time.

I have clockwork on the brain at the moment. I stumbled upon a book put out by the Devices gallery and something clicked in my mind and now I find myself pulling apart clocks and watches and scouring antique shops (thankfully there is no shortage of those here in Strathalbyn) for anything that looks like it may have interesting and beautiful inner workings. Ideas are forming in my head involving faeries and clockwork and keys and cogs and springs......nothing fully formed as yet, but enough to render me continually preoccupied and distracted......although that's a pretty normal state of mind for me, let's face it. I've always loved clocks. Before she came to live with us, my grandmother lived in a little house in Broken Hill that, in my memory, was filled with all kinds of treasures one of which was a large clock with rows of glass pipes hanging below the face. I can remember running my fingers gently along these pipes, listening to the soft tinkling sound they made as they knocked together. I also remember a cuckoo clock, although that may have been in another house.....I would have only been two or three years old at the time. Those clocks, along with a selection of music boxes - two of which I am lucky enough to have in my possession - were completely magical to me. I am still fascinated by them and very excited about the possibilities concerning my work. There is something about faeries and clockwork that just seems right to me.....should be interesting.

Have spent some time in the studio this week working on this creature that I started sculpting last year. During that devastating heatwave a couple of months ago, he actually started to melt in parts. So, I've been re-building and reworking and it's been just heavenly to play with the clay after such a long time. I'm in that state at the moment where I have SO much I want to do that it's very difficult to know where to start......it's an almost manic state but there is so much going on that it's impossible for my hands to keep up with my brain. Fortunately, I know myself well enough now to know that I just have to wait it out......pick a project and go with it and the rest will follow. Very often when I concentrate on something else, the thing that's giving me grief will resolve itself quietly in the back of my mind. I love it when that happens.

Till next time.

A new home for my blog

Well, this is the first post on my new blog site and the first post in a number of weeks. Those who have followed the other blog on "Not all Faeries are Beautiful" will know that I have had some fairly major surgery recently but things are finally getting back on track in the studio and new work will be appearing soon. Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes.....I was so very touched and grateful to receive them.

I've made a few decisions regarding this new blog.....it will be mainly studio related (as it has always been) but I'll be treating it more like a diary than before. Some posts are likely to be wordy and quite possibly boring to anyone but me, but there will still be lots of wip photos and pics of other stuff that I find interesting. I'll be aiming for regular posts, but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to fit 'computer time' into my day. In fact, that's the main reason I've changed my blog location.....this is more portable, I can take my lap-top to bed and post from there if need be. In any case, there will be large gaps where I don't post anything.....do not be alarmed :)

So, yesterday was spent checking out a few Fringe events in Adelaide. I found Tom Moore's beautiful glass creatures at the Jam Factory gallery just stunning.....beautiful and joyous.

Pity I can't say the same for the Helpman Academy graduates exhibition. A couple of the pieces were interesting, but I was really propelled right back to when I was at art school and everything I hated about it. I'm not sure if it's an age thing, but I just can't be bothered anymore trying to wade through the quagmire of 'concept' art, particularly when there is no technical skill evident. Of course, this is only my opinion and I am always open for and interested in discussion but, I found it all a bit depressing. I did enjoy the piece called "Wake me if I'm sleeping" mainly because I like dark tunnels and there was a bit of a horror movie element about it......not what was intended I'm sure.

We also visited "Body Arts", a small but interesting showcase for special effects make-up, sculpture and art. I met Corrie Emery in person after conversing via e-mail and phone and am looking forward to his help with the mould making for my HUGE Griffon project.

After dodging the rain we ended up in the Garden of Unearthly Delights which I have to say is just that and more for me. I love the blend of carnival tackiness and artsy sleaze (I mean that in a good way) and this year there was an amazing looking giant contraption that appears to do something with oranges.....it wasn't operating when we were there, but Guy and I will be back there Friday night, so fingers crossed!

There was also- wonder of wonders- a barnyard freakshow! Still stung by the profound disappointment of the "Odditorium" a few years back, I didn't go in (maybe Friday night) but I did get some shots of the tent artwork.....I just LOVE this stuff!

There was also a beautiful carousel unicorn hoisted above one of the tents.

Well, that's about all for now,

till next time.