Spring is not Cancelled to quote David Hockney
I cant believe 21 days have gone and I haven’t blogged its been a year and three months since I blogged. The Wix site has even changed its blog format in that time. You’d think in Lockdown I'd have plenty of time to catch up on all those jobs that have slipped but I feel like Im busier than ever in fact i’m finding it hard to find time to relax. The permitted walk which I’m trying hard to make the most of makes me exercise and try and relax for an hour. But the rest of the time my head is spinning.
My exhibition My Somerset is locked away still on the walls at Somerset Rural Life museum and my fully booked iPad art workshop has been cancelled. Im trying to get organised to run some online workshops. Watch this space. Or keep checking my Facebook page
I'm feeling numb from what I assume to be the psychological effects of the pandemic, my creative output feels like its fallen into a crevass. To relax and let creative juices flow has been nigh on impossible.
Instead of chaining myself to the studio I have joined the masses and am pottering at home. Im lucky enough to have a garden so I have literally attacked it. I have dug up a patch of lawn and have prepared and sewn a veggie patch. I think its partly the obsession with groceries and preparation for a possible armageddon that has spurred me on.
As a former ‘food’ packaging designer for the supermarkets I'm watching with curiosity our new relationship with food and the precariousness of our food chain. The cow paintings which I became known for came out of that desire to show the other side of the food process. So I wonder how this will transform into my art in the future?
My nephew has taken to drawing food packaging such is his state of boredom. But boredom is the friend of creativity and Im looking forward to see how this developes. As a response to his drawings he sent to me I painted a bottle of hand sanitiser.
Im excited about the potential of homegrown food, Ive just never had the time or garden suitable to have a go at it for a long time. But homegrown doesn’t need food packaging or does it? I love the seed packets I have staked as markers placed on top of garden canes and driftwood sticks to remind me where I've planted my little seeds of hope. It reminded me of a college project I did in homage to the fashion designer Paul Smith where I covered a welsh rugby shirt with a repeat pattern of sutton seeds packets of leek seeds. I tried to find a photo of this from my archive but the photo CD is now stuck in my iMac making a pitiful squeaking noise reminding me of my tragically maintained archive and the dilemma I have of what to keep and what to give up on. Whats the point of keeping photos of everything anyway (thats another one to wrestle with during these thoughtful times).
With new projects come new problems my new veg patch is under attack from a plethora of pests. I have scrappily protected my patch with bits of netting, orange peel, coffee grinds, twigs and brambles. It looks a mess, not even in an interesting artistic way. But my favourite idea which I will work on today is Scarecrow who will also double up as my Lockdown buddy. Photos to follow!
So I have an Art project numero uno Scarecrow.
Second but an ongoing one is my weather report. You can see this on my instagram page #Alispangle and I will talk about it more on my next blog. As I'm finding it hard to paint at the moment, it is a photographic project.
Someone who isn’t struggling to draw and paint is David Hockney. I have found his drawings and painting and musings of great comfort over the years and I love his new work from lock down. Thank you David Hockney.
So sending you a virtual hug and hope my ramblings entertain you a bit during this testing time and I hope you and your loved ones are doing OK. I'll try not to leave it so long until my next blog.