For the few days before Easter, Mother dearest and me went to Spring Harvest at Skegness (more info here!)
Basically it's a Christian festival (not quite like the one on 'Peepshow' as my charming husband suggested!). Mum used to take us as children, and the last time I went was when I was like 15 (that's 17 years ago!!!). We had the most amazing time, and if anyone wants to know more about it I've got loads to tell...
Anyway, the main reason I'm blogging is that one of the myriad experiences on offer was an abstract art workshop (I simply had to!). I didn't know what to expect, but I like the idea of exploring spirituality through art (without wanting to insult the many greats who have done so in history -far, far better than I ever could!).
We were hosted by Chris Gilbert 'The Art & Soul Man' (Chris' website), and the brief was...brief! Taking the theme of the day which was 'The Holy Spirit', we were given a choice of 3 different media -paint (too messy -I was wearing my bespoke eyeball dress), cut paper (I'm always cutting and sticking anyway), or pastel -and were let loose to give visual representation to what we'd learned, encountered and been inspired by over the preceding days.
Our studio: a darkened Butlins cabaret bar. My easel: a spot sprawled on the floor, half-on/half-off the plastic sheeting barely protecting the venue from getting too grubby for the next workshop...
And so I played! I realised I hadn't run riot with chalk pastels since my art foundation course 14 or 15 years ago. Although the results seem to me more aesthetically pleasing than any of the automatic drawing/mark-making to music attempts of my college days, I not sure that they are quite masterpieces. Kandinsky's crown isn't exactly being contested just yet...!
So this was my first effort. I'm concerned on reflection that the little crosses/figures look a bit more Blair Witch than Biblical...
Followed by...
This one is definitely a mountain. I am not sure why it is pink and purple (maybe it's heather?!) Or indeed what the bits flying off it represent. Mum said I could sell it -she's always been artistically challenged bless her!
I remembered my GCSE art teacher saying that if you look at something in the same way for too long you can lose sight of what it actually looks like, and a good way to see it with fresh eyes is to look at it upside down. So I wondered if my scribblings might look better another way up...
Perhaps not. Or framed...
'You've Been Framed' more like. But there was such child-like joy in getting covered in chalk dust.
And then there's the whole exploring psychology through art thing. I think we'll leave that idea on hold just for now...!
