The Studio Part 1

I am fascinated by Artist's studio spaces, I love looking into that private little world of creativity, paintings stacked up finished and unfinished, brushes in jars, palettes of thick paint and inspiration on walls. One of the most famous Artists studio is that of Frances Bacon. In 1998 Bacon's London studio was transplanted and reassembled in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin by a team of 10 archaeologists and conservators which took 3 years to complete. Bacon used practically every inch of his studio as a palette, and the reconstructed studio features the original door,walls, floors, ceiling and shelves that are covered with daubs of thick paint. The floor is littered with inspirational material all in organised chaos.

My own studio doesn't quite have Bacon's chaos, I prefer to work in a slightly more tidy space, I am not sure if this is a good or a bad thing but I find as soon as my studio becomes cluttered so does my mind so I have to have a good tidy up.

Just for fun

Playing around with the retro camera app on my iphone 

Threads

At last

At last I might have painted something that I am happy with. It has taken me ages to get to this stage, now I just have to remember how I did it and improve my photography skills as the colour is much deeper than this.

Inspiration for the New Year

This years Costa Biography Award has been won by potter Edmund de Waal, for his book The Hare With Amber Eyes, A Hidden Inheritance. When Edmund de Waal was an apprentice potter in Tokyo he was entranced by a collection of  'netsuke' ( Japanese miniature sculptures ) owned by his Uncle Iggie. In this memoir Edmund de Waal describes the journey taken by this beautiful collection of 264 wood and ivory netsuke, and the family who treasured it. The story travels across continents and centuries and is a gripping tale of war and peace, passion and loss.
This book is well worth a read if you are in need of a little inspiration or you love collections. Also check out Edmund de Waal's work which like the book is elegant and beautifully made.