Freaking out Alice

Not only have I ‘updated my status’… I am revisiting my blog… and I didn’t even make it a NY resolution… no good at resolving to do things, just got to get the timings right.  And today is an auspicious day, almost an ‘audacious’ day a moment ago as I seem to be having a bit of a Mrs Malaprop moment too and fuddling my worms… I’m digressing already and its only my fifth line in.  So Al, this is for you, Facebook updates were just the start!

Last weekend I helped our neighbour clear out his studio in order that I can take temporary residence.  What a lovely space it is, and only a stones throw from our cottage… it is the most peaceful and positively encouraging space… wide enough, long enough and most certainly high enough, its great.  We moved all my ‘stuff’ in over the weekend and set up my beautiful studio easel again (that felt like seeing an old friend). I bought a heater to take the chill off, and have primed two canvas ready for tomorrow.  There’s no power as yet, but the windows are big and the skylights are many, so the natural light is just perfect during the day.

Confidence and inspiration have been building over recent weeks.  And so, after a period of 18 months I’m ready to paint again.

Wide Open opens!

The past week has been a week of hard work and highs.  We delivered all works to Repton last Thursday and started sorting them.  And then, with a busy weekend ahead I left them all in limbo…

Friday – my lovely friend Lyn and my god-daughter Maya arrived from France, and thanks to the Volcano stayed long enough to be at Leo’s 5th birthday party on Saturday.  Of course it was a Ben 10 party, and the party was given high praise by Ig who thought it the best party he’d ever been to… note to parents, all children LOVE party games and traditional parties, there is no need for crappy Quasar and bowling parties… all the children want to do is shriek and play games and eat cake.  Though I wish we could have known that the weather was going to be so very lovely… we would have had it in the garden…. shrieking and running amongst the tulips and frightening the life out of the newest member of the family Duncan – John the rabbit.

Monday and Tuesday were the days of exhibition hanging and it all came together well.

….and then it was Wednesday night – the Private View.

The sunny day continued into a sunny early evening, the New Court gallery was beautifully lit and the paintings and drawings looked fantastic.  Dion and Emma had travelled up from Hove, good friends Siobhan and Mr P arrived from Warrington, Chris and Colin made the journey from Cheshire, and all the lovely people came from Derby and surrounds…  really thankful to all who came and made the night such a resounding success.

Lucy Salt, keeper of art from Derby City Gallery was the star she always is – we had an ‘in conversation’ where we discussed the exhibition and my thoughts and processes.  Lucy is both insightful and knowledgeable, and so passionate and warm.  Her piece of writing in the May edition of the Art of England magazine was terrific, and she referred to the thoughts that she had penned in the discussion that we had.

Later, the 6th formers produced amazing canapes for us, it was a never-ending stream of tempting goodies… I don’t think food of that quality has ever been had at a Private View before!!  Thank you!

And towards the end of the evening a few small red dots began to appear.  Hurrah!!

A big thank you to Margy and Jeremy from Repton School art department in particular, and thanks to everyone who had anything to do with the event, from the visitors to the catering team and Tom, Sam and friend playing the jazz.

Lucy Salt and me 'in conversation'

all done!

Again, its been a long while since I wrote anything….

I’ve been busy working towards my latest big show – Repton School galleries – just west of Derby.  Last April I was approached by the organiser of exhibitions there who asked if I would be interested in exhibiting in both of the gallery spaces… At the time Michael Porter was showing work there and I was pleased to be following in his footsteps.

I have made the most of the opportunity and have created works specifically for the space.  In the smaller gallery I have decided to show my emotive semi-abstract landscape paintings, leaving the bright airy space of the New Court Gallery for my most recent purely abstract works….. I’m so excited about seeing them insitu.

The exhibition opens to the general public on Friday 23rd April, with the Preview evening being the Wednesday before.

For the main gallery I have produced a series of 20 small ink drawings, to be flanked by two large ink drawings.  This series developed from a two week long ‘stream of consciousness’ in January, the stimuli for this being a chapter of the Roger Deakin book – Wildwood.  The chapter recounts a visit to and description of the woods on the Polish/Ukrainian border and the attrocities that happened there to the woodland peoples at the hands of the Nazis.

The ink pieces explore the events, from the Destruction of these people, their culture and their homelands, through the ashes of the burnt woods and remains, and on – towards light and life.  The work is my way of assimilating and processing all that happened there, through to my belief in the indefatigable nature of life and hope.  In the end it is a celebratory series – nothing, no matter how evil, can keep life, hope and light from returning.

Along with these inks are a group of purely abstract pieces.  Most of the pieces are inspired by the music that I play as I paint, as diverse as Elgar and Pearl Jam, as raw as Nine Inch Nails and as poetic as Smashing Pumpkins.  They are, in essence, personal reflections on experiences, places and people.

The exhibition runs until the end of June.

'Linked' - one of the new abstract pieces for Repton

Art of England – the art magazine available at WHSmith – features an article on my work for the exhibition written by Lucy Salt from the Derby Museum and Art Gallery.  The article gives an insight into my work and my processes.

hitting the wall

Creating a new painting is a little like running a marathon.  I’ve heard people talk about the psychological aspects of marathon running and I can see similarities with my painting process.

How to explain that?  A lot of runners talk of the moment they ‘hit the wall’ the moment when they feel like they can’t go on and its just too difficult – self doubt and physical pain.  When I paint I rarely get the physical pain aspect – but I do hit a wall… and if I allow myself to give up or stop painting at that point the canvas will not be a success…. if I move on through – and just go with it, not giving up, the painting is likely to work out.

This week that very thing has happened.  I started a new painting on Monday morning.  The Antrim Coast… inspired by our fabulous visit this summer.  For two days I sketched and painted, and at one stage I had this painting in front of me that was a realistic painting of the view to Cushendun from a northerly point along the coast.  but it felt wrong, forced, too representational, not a ‘Heather Duncan’.  If I had been in the studio on my own I would surely have had a loud tantrum, but as Ian and Lindsay were there I quietly but forcefully scrubbed the painting off and got over it… and started again.  Still I was forcing something.

This was the wall.

I got more and more frustrated and then, sure enough, that little censorial voice started its poisonous whispering.  Telling me I was rubbish – obviously. Telling me all those things that you start to believe when your self-esteem starts to dip.  In the past I have sometimes given up at this point.  But if I don’t, if I carry on then this is the moment that I climb the bloody wall and defy that censor!

And this week I carried on.  Listened to Eddie and travelled back in my mind to Atlanta and painted the wonderful memories I have of Sope Creek and the woodlands in which we lived.  I chilled out and allowed the painting to flow out of me without trying to force it.  Here is the painting… all in oils on canvas 100cm by 100cm.

To The Lake

proper grown-up

I get my new car today.

I’ve never had a new car before.

I’ve always had bangers that I intercept on the way to the scrap heap…. but today I wave goodbye to my faithful little red heap that has served me well over the past 3 years and say hello to my Nemo….. is it a fish or an alien?  Kindly and endearing Rob (grumpy and sarcastic by turns) who I  share a studio with believes it to be the ugliest vehicle barring the multipla… Lindsay agrees.  I think it has a kind of deformed cuteness…  But aesthetics apart its very ‘green’, cheap to run, and has enormous painting carrying potential.  Having a new car – makes me ‘proper grown-up’.

I am pretty crap at this blogging, it must be said.  It seems a pointless venture unless I have something earth-shattering (or even mildly interesting to say). Rob seems to think that boring blogging on a daily basis is what blogging is….a long twitter…. but i just can’t be bothered.   Lovely Jen thinks that Twittering might be a way of me getting to chat to Inspirational Eddie… but I don’t think for one moment that he twitters – surely he has too interesting a life to waste time saying totally crass or mundane things?

Backspacer – the new PJ album came out this week, hopefully it will provide me with more inspiration…initially nothing grabs me as strongly as most tracks on the Yield album which still remains my fave after many years.

Ang updated my website last night.  I wish it could be done by me… but I’m still not IT literate enough to be able to do it.

Lots of new paintings have been added – mainly to galleries 7 and 8.

Brimham Rocks III - still wet!

Last week I delivered 4 new paintings to the Edgar Modern in Bath.  These 4 are going to be in their new show Align at the Bath gallery and may also be seen at the Affordable Art Fair in London in October.

To Crater Lake, at Edgar Modern

The 5 paintings that were hung at the Royal Derby Hospital which form part of the Autumn seasons’ AIR project are receiving great feedback.  We are hoping to have a dscussion/workshop about these paintings with staff from the hospital, maybe sometime in October.

Hanging the paintings at The Royal Derby

in conversation with Matisse

Another beautiful sunny day, it always seems to be so when Ang and I go to London.  This outing was to attend the Private View of Abstract – the latest show at the Belgravia Gallery which features 8 pieces by me.  And the work of 4 other Artists.  One of those artists is Dion, who we met last year at the opening of the Rising Stars exhibition.  Really lovely guy.  And his new stuff was fantastic,  his star is definitely in the ascendancy – next year he is due to have his first solo with the Belgravia – amazing stuff.  I’ll be there for that!

Even before we got through the front door into the gallery we were excited as they had used one of my new pieces in the window!  Fantastic!  Ang ranted (in a happy way) that he hadn’t seen this piece before – and why not? he asked – if he had have seen it -  he says – it would be on the wall at home.

.... the one in the window

Once through the door and into the gallery Anna, Laura and Lorraine were all really welcoming, as they always are.  It’s great to be represented by them, they’re professional, encouraging, supportive and friendly.  And the gallery always looks so good.

We had a fabulous night.

Oh, and the Matisse.  Angus and our lovely friend Dawn had gone for a little walk around the area, peering into the exclusive shops and galleries of the area.  On his return he was excited to tell me that there had been a Matisse painting installed in the front window of a gallery diagonally opposite the Belgravia, and the angle at which my work was being displayed mirrored the angle at which the Matisse was displayed…. and so, they were in conversation across the street…..

a good news week

Some days are great.  And when you string a few of those days together you have yourself a fabulous week!

On Monday afternoon I spent a wonderful two hours in Repton.  At the preview evening (Derby Museum and Gallery) a couple of weeks ago I briefly met with Margaret Orrell an artist in residence at Repton school who is also responsible for organising the exhibitions in their three gallery spaces.  I had known of the gallery on the high street in Repton, but hadn’t seen the New Court Gallery. Margaret and Jeremy (Director of Art at Repton) had invited me over after seeing mycurrent solo show in Derby, with the hope that I would like to exhibit there next year.

The current exhibition is the work of Michael Porter.  It looks amazing in the New Court.  The space is light and airy with a huge glass frontage.  I was blown away.  Michaels’ work is fascinating, the larger pieces are all hanging in the New Court Gallery and the smaller pieces are in the No 1 Gallery, a much more domestic scale of gallery space.

It is such a wonderful opportunity for me.  I warmed so much to Margaret, and also to Jeremy in the brief time we talked.  It will be tremendous to hang my work in the New Court, and I am already planning ahead!!

The show will be Easter time 2010.

The other good news was from Gallerytop, they had sold Enclosure II during the Survey Exhibition.  Hurrah!

When I turned on my computer this morning to check my mail, I found another great piece of news awaiting…. Lee Benson of No9 The Gallery in Birmingham had been trying to get hold of me as he had sold Presence!!  Not only that but he wants more large scale works from me… asap!

Good news indeed.  So a great week so far.  And its only Wednesday!

But there is still a lot to do in the here and now.

The Belgravia want around 7 pieces for their summer abstract show which opens on the 16th June.  Its going to mean a trip down there in the car in the first or second week of June, to deliver the canvas’s.  I have completed a series of abstract landscapes for them and am really excited about having them there again.  They are such a fabulous gallery to work with.

They are using Red Texas to advertise the show in Modern Painter… hee hee!  So much good stuff happening!

Remembered Landscapes

Friday night was the preview night for my solo show at the Derby City Museum and Art Gallery – Remembered Landscapes.

Lots of people turned out for it, faces both familiar and new, and it was a great evening for me.  I didn’t expect many people to be there as I had had several messages giving apologies from friends and contacts, but thankfully my expectations were wrong and it was an evening of interesting conversation and a lot of laughter.

Thre may also be some interesting developments born of Friday evening conversations.  I’ll keep you posted.

The highlight of the evening for me was meeting John Fineran.  John is an artist and writer and much respected Art Critic.  Last year he reviewed my solo show at the Tregoning gallery and I have been extremely thankful for his insight and his praise of my work.  It was lovely to meet him and make a connection… and importantly, get the opportunity to thank him.  Hopefully we will meet again, as there is little I like better than friendly and interesting conversation about art with artists

photo evidence!

In action last night at the Bonington, with the action of painting projected on to the back screen for the audience to see…

Late night Jazz

Birdfood and I performed our first gig last night at the Bonington Theatre in Arnold, Nottingham.  Nottingham Jazz hosted the event and there was a tremendous turn-out!  Last night was the first gig in a series that will stretch from April through to November.

I had been nervous about the event, painting is such a private and intimate experience, I usually hole myself away in my studio, headphones on listening to 65 Days of Static or Pearl Jam, getting lost in the music and my painting… Last night I was part of the floorshow, painting live on stage in response to the fantastic music that Birdfood create.  I’m a complete novice when it comes to Jazz, and this isn’t your mass-market easy-listening or popular jazz classics… this is jazz as it should be, moody, thought-provoking, improvised, dark and light, emotive…. it was amazing.

Birdfood are a group of four extremely talented young jazz musicians from the Conservatoire in Birmingham.  Tom the band leader is a mean Double Bass player, Sam 1 an inspired and amazing drummer, Sam 2 a gifted trumpet player and finally Alex an equally talented and compelling saxophonist.  We were joined by the highly regardedsaxophonist Jan Kaplinsky last night and together they produced some truly beautiful and unique sounds to which I responded in paint.

Initial nerves soon left.  I painted at front of stage, my board angled so that the guys could see what I was painting, in order that they could then respond to my gestures and colours.  (Thankfully I couldn’t really see the audience as that would have been a bit too much of a distraction!) After the interval I was asked to introduce myself to the audience, telling them what it was all about.  When Tom first asked me to do it I felt a little apprehensive at what the audience expectation might be… would they be expecting a finished painting as seen in exhibitions?  If so they would disappointed… This event is about response and inspiration, it’s about the ricocheting of ideas back and forth between the music and the painting…

I usually work on canvas in oils, but for these rapid responses I was working in water-based media, inks, acrylics, gouache, household paint charcoal and pastels, with just a small amount of oil stick too.  I worked with my board propped up against heavy boxes so that I could sit on the floor surrounded by my materials to make my responses more immediate…

I’m so excited by how it went for us all and by the responses from the audience.  I’m already looking forward to the next one!!