New Year, New Inspirations

Helen Maurer
(British glass artist)

I have been considering using light and projection with some of my work to explore colour, layers and composition. A friend recommended me Helen Maurer who I had not heard much about before. I really love the simplicity of it and atmosphere. The textures from the overhead projector really add something more nostalgic and worn to the work which is something i'd like to explore.

High Tide, 2006
Overhead projector, glass, mirror, painted wood

'Under Wood, Over Head'
Overhead projector, painted wood, perspex and glass.

William Eggleston

Recently introduced to the beautiful photography of William Eggleston. The use of colour and composition is stunning and rung bells with the types of found images i like to use as source material in my own work. They ooze nostalgia and are particularly stylised, but not enough to be tacky. This subltle vibrancy is something I am really keen to bring back into my work.

From Cadillac Series

From Los Alamos series

I find it interesting my attention seems to be mostly on photographs of foregin, particularly American environments and landscapes recently, if not at least foreign. There is something in the dreamy state of a postcard and holiday photos, so idealised and reminsicent of that time or decade.

Megative?

I read yesterday that New Years resolutions should not negative and difficult but ones that reward you for all that hard work.
So, this year my New Years resolutions include planning a few travelling adventures this year (first stop Chicago), indulge and relax a little more and go to the movies more.

As a footnote, I may also consider moving into the Digital Art field so i spend less of my student loan on paper this year... ouch!

What are your resolutions??
HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Frohe Weihnachten Berlin!

Me & my two housemates took a short trip to Berlin a couple of weeks before Christmas.

The city was beautiful covered in snow, and so cold. I'd love to go back and see more.
I bought two postcards, a coaster a 1950s motorbike magazine, a mug from a huge German market and 20 euros of u-bahn tickets.

Shop window art work. U-Bahn Station, Weinmeisterstrauss Fairground, Alexanderplatz

East Side Gallery, The Berlin Wall

Lighthouse Festive Fair Photos

Some pictures from our stall at the Lighthouse festive fair today. Leave a comment if you're interested in anything. Thanks!

Lighthouse Festive Flair Stall!

Come down and see our stall at the Festive Flair!

Saturday 11th December, 11am - 4pm

Lighthouse Media Centre, Chubb Buildings, Wolverhampton.

Our stall will feature the following:

• Handmade cards
• Hand knitted hot water bottles ('Hotties')
• Handmade cushions
• Handmade dolly door stops
• Prints
• Handmade jewellery

Featuring work by Megan Hopkins, Nadiah Sweilem, Denise Hopkins, Ann-Marie Rayney & Millie Popovic.

Examples of Handmade Christmas Cards

On sale at the Lighthouse Festive Flair Fair, 11th December 2010.

'Hotties' Hot water bottle covers, hand-knitted by my Mother Denise Hopkins.

Modern Houses.

My recent work from a concertina sketchbook.

Diary Date.

An illustrated living.

Living with three Illustrators really drives home how hard I should be working but also how much fun it is to make art. They are constantly thinking of new ways to communicate ideas and makes aestetically beautiful images. Sometimes the aestetics in Fine Art can take a back seat to concepts and meaning.

For the Summer, my lovely Illustrators had to keep a diary every day in the form of a sketchbook. The challenge of finding something every day to interpret as an image seemed interesting.

I'd like to start keeping a similar sketchbook diary as often as I can. I'm excited to get back to drawing and not taking myself too seriously. Hopefully this will be more personal, theraputic and fun!

Incase you were wondering, here are my housemates blogs.

Hannah Lane: http://hannahnomiddlenamelane.tumblr.com/
Marina Brayfield: www.marinaforillustration.blogspot.com
Nadiah Sweilem: http://nadiahsweilemillustrates.blogspot.com/

I'll show you how I get on...

Sketchbook sketchbook sketchbook...

A couple of pages from my sketchbook.

Got lots of new ideas from these and can't wait to get making some work.

Frieze. 15/10/10.

Yesterday I was saturated to the max with British contemporary art after spending a few hours at this years Frieze Art Fair.

I couldn't sleep so stayed up and wrote a page about how Frieze had left me feeling suprisingly positive about the prospect of being apart of the contemporary art scene.

I may share that with you another time, for now here's a few favourites from my notebook.

Damien Ortega

Thomas Locher, 'Frame, framed' 2007
(Example shown)

Erwin Wrum

Lorna Simpson, 'Cloud' 2005
(Image pinned in sections and grain effect of print relevant to my work)

Katja Strunz

Ellen Gallagher
'O.K Corral' Ink, varnish, cut out printed paper
(Different example shown)

Walid Raad 'Sweet Talk- Beruit'
(Different example shown- 'Mappings')

A few other names for future research:

• Sharon Ya'ari, 'Camels' photograph
• Cyprien Gaillard
• Ginny Bishton
• Bernhard Flichs, car photographs
• Daphne Wright, Swan made from resin & marbledust
• Donald Moffett, Oil paint like fur

Shapes from my Window.

Not sure if I like squares...