Latest news: Spring Clean part 2

Posted: April 16, 2019

Once the studio was looking crisp and clean I launched into new work and then realised that I was running out of room in my three plan chests. So began another marathon. I’ve found so much paper – false starts, ideas, unfinished projects and I’ve been ruthless with these. But having worked for many years just on paper going through the drawers is like looking back at old journals. I’ve paintings and drawings of landscapes, old cats, friends and parents and looking at them takes me to visceral and vivid memories of 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago. I can’t get rid of these – I don’t care if they are good or bad they are just part of me. So I have sorted life drawings, drawings, college work, watercolours, mixed media and post-college work into separate drawers. Now I can find all my newer work: the illustration roughs, final pieces, clayboards and prints easily. It all feels fresher but I still have loads to sort.

Perhaps unsurprisingly I am finding the repetition of key elements over the years – unformed and unrealised and I am suddenly aware of how much I have progressed over the last 20 years. My early work is so energetic but is jumpy, restless with no clear direction of where to take an idea or how to achieve it. Now, looking at them I know what I wanted and I now know how to get there. Which is giving me ideas..