The slow, slow progress of the work in progress...

This one doesn't quite take the title of art work taking the longest to completion (that honour goes to a painting which took TWO YEARS! Whilst in no way looking like two years worth of work), but it's one I've been dibbing in and out of for a while. I don't think I've quite picked up momentum yet. Also I keep getting side-tracked by the rediscovered ability to knit, by fabric flowers (they are just so quick -almost instant gratification!), and thinking I am a seamstress. I am NOT a seamstress. I am embarrassed to show my attempt at a very basic top.

Anyway, seeing as the sun was out today allowing not too shabby photographs, I thought I'd show how I'm getting on with said assemblage...

Just need to figure out what I'm doing with the front now methinks.

(It just took me an ashamedly long time to figure that Blogger had decided it was no longer compatible with my browser, and that for that reason it didn't want to upload these pics. I am not made for the internet. I am of a simpler time. There goes my bank holiday...!)

Work In Progress (it's been a long time coming...!)

 

 

 

 

I have been desperate, but without the time to, stick things to this what I think was once a first aid cabinet, that I claimed from my father-in-law, waaay before he was my father-in-law (a couple of summers ago). It's so useful and most inspiring having contacts in house-clearance!

 

So I made a start the other weekend. I'm going with a primary colour scheme and basically taking it from there. I'm all about the random ways my collages emerge.

I'm pleased with how this miniature collage turned out as a piece in its own right. I've used a little thimble display case that I picked up in a chazza shop in Bridlington when I visited my Mum recently. I like the way that the different objects are compartmentalised, and therefore made to look like they're something special, even though they're junk. It is my intention that it will become part of the bigger cabinet collage.

In about 3 years' time when I finally get around to finishing it! I'm not sure I'll be quite ready for the Great Sheffield Art Show this year.

 

Girly with an edge...

...is kind of my thing.

Here I am not only modelling for you the cheerful golden yellow we've painted our lounge (which makes me smile whenever I look at it), but more importantly my lil' cocktail-hat-cum-fascinator I made at the marvellous Button Tin with Gemma Nemer almost a month ago (see my post on the button! for when I went last time). And my, how time flies...

Gemma provided us with a treasure trove of vintage fabrics to choose from, and showed us how to make the ruffly rosettes which I adorned my headgear with. She kindly gave me a pair of vintage clip on earrings which were so me, and perfect for the centres of my rosettes. I brought along the chains, because for me, there is nothing in life that can't be improved by a few studs or chains!

I bought the dress on the same day, from Yella Brick Road -an emporium of weirdness and wonders that is basically what it would be like if my brain became a shop -spitting distance from the Button Tin in the Imperial Buildings in Rotherham (ladies spitting -now that's girly with an edge. Actually, I can't spit properly, I'm rubbish). It's by Iron Fist, and I simply had to buy it. It reminded me so much of imagery I use such as my butterfly/bones collaged combos -my obsession with sweet vs. sinister.

Like teaming scuffed up converse with a lace-trimmed slip when I was 17 (and dying to be Courtney Love), or getting my scribbled, drawn-with-a-biro effect love and kisses/let's cross out love and hate everybody tattoo -depending on which way you wanna look at it...

(now I just like how it reminds me of a bad time in my life I never ever want to go back to...)

And just to clear things up before you get over-excited, that square of flesh is the top centre of my back, and nothing else.

And I am so rock 'n' roll that I went all faint when the tattooist finished, and I had to get put in the recovery position!

It's like the fairy tales we were read to send us to sleep with sweet dreams of rabid wolves and murderous witches, the converging of opposites. Defiling the innocent, diluting the insane.

I suppose I like to reach the happy medium (funny, for someone who is never happy!)

The good little Christian girl who strives to be the perfect house wife and has imagined her wedding every day since she was five, whilst swearing like a trooper and stomping around to angry girl music.

I guess if I wasn't so conflicted I'd find it harder to stay strange...

Picture (im)Perfect

I have an unhealthy, bordering on damaging, obsession with perfection. Anyone who knows me, knows me to be picky and pedantic, but it's not like I do it on purpose. It's a coping strategy. I'm just trying to keep up.

I look at everyone else -stylish, successful, talented, people who are prolific in their art or craft -or whatever their field may be, people who are on the go all the time, people who juggle jobs and families and friendships and never let anything drop.

I have these ideas about other people, like that if one area of their life is perfect, or seems perfect, that must mean that everything about them is the same, even though I know this isn't true. And it means that I have to try and compete. I know people who are super-fit, but are complete flakes. I have friends who look amazing, but spend little time or effort on anything other than their appearance -hey, everyone knows that people with perfectly painted nails spend waaay too long sat still doing nothing (and clearly can't do DIY!) Some people have the most exciting social lives, but live in pits and exist off beans on toast. Others seem to have everything, but I pretty much know it's been bought on credit. I know this is the reality -that other people don't have extra hours in their days, or super-human energy levels (I have a skewed view of this because I've always been a sickly child, a wilting flower), but I want to be perfect at everything.

I want...

An immaculate home
A flawless appearance
Just the right amount of style (without seeming try-hard)
To cook everything from scratch
As for scratches, my car to be scratch free -and to be able to both drive it well and park it
To be nice to everyone (I know I'm not!)
To make maximum effort at work -and enjoy it!
To have a social life others envy (and no, I won't take photos, because I'll be too busy having fun!)
To still have time to be creative, and successful at it
To blog more than what seems like about twice a year!
To promote myself
To exercise and not hate it
To keep up with current affairs
To read
To remember things I've read/learned
To know what the heck I'm talking about -ever!
For my clothes to never be creased, my wash basket always to be empty
To never have a hair or a thread or anything out of place
To see family
To see friends
To spend just the right amount of money

Is this so much to ask?

I think my quests for order and perfection -not only fuel my crazy, but are also behind my collaging, collecting, assembling, arranging fixations. Taking disorder, the discarded, and making into something unified, composite, harmonious even. Like when I've cleaned the house from top to bottom and can smugly sit back -until I find something else that absolutely needs to be done.

You may remember my every-so-often 'I need to paint more' ponderings.

So I tried, and enjoyed myself, revelling in the gloss and the texture and the tactile experience of oil onto canvas, building up layer upon layer, until, Miss Perfect, I put a brushstroke wrong, and haven't beared to work on it since...

(See offending area encircled in red, which incidentally, to people I've asked, apparently has nothing wrong with it)

So I've taken the motif and interpretted it in collage. See, told you it kept me sane. Or, I just can't stop myself.

I've blogged about my 'hands' fascination not so long ago 'hand-made' blog post, and I'm enjoying using them to depict simplified tree forms.

When we eventually get some decent light (because my camera and my photography skills are far from perfect!), and if I can ever take the time out from my exhausting, self-inflicted schedule, I may share some photos of the new piece.

Until then I guess I'll keep tying myself in knots, being practically perfect -at most, if not all, things.

Of Corpse

My latest masterpiece (?!) in progress...

This is my happy face, by the way.

The inspiration is the Surrealist 'exquisite corpse' -like that old parlour game we all played as children. Players fold a piece of paper and take it turns to each draw a section of the body, resulting in fanstastical beasts, horrific chimeras or comedy gold.

Joan Miro

More contemporary examples by Jake and Dinos Chapman

Surrealism was all about creating a sense of bewilderment with unexpected juxtapositions. Like the random imagery of dreams. I try to use that kind of idea in my collages, and often find that the less obsessive thought I put into what objects or images go together, the better. It seems more natural, more automatic. Trying to avoid the censoring parts of our brains.

Although you will see that I dressed to match my art work, so not so random after all.

I will re-attach the lids to the boxes, and fix the boxes together, for a result almost like when a magician cuts his assistant into half or three. I always thought 'My Glamorous Assistant' would be a good name for a band. My friend Natalie used to be a magician's assistant. She could tell you some stories about that... 

I do a similar idea with the folded paper at work as a self esteem exercise. With a group, we each start with a piece of paper, which is passed around the group for each participant to write something positive about the person whose piece of paper it is. Each person folds the paper to cover their comment, then passes it on to the next. When everyone gets their paper back they are left with a page of the lovely things that others think about them.

I'm not sure the Surrealists would approve of such niceness, but this is my struggle -the dark and the delightful.

arty cats (or avatar adventures)

Gosh, has it really been this long? It's terrible I know! I have been busy though, what with turning 30 and hosting the biggest party since I was 8 and demanded a 'present tree' (I got the idea from a book -how many 8 year olds do you know who own party planning books?!)

I've also been moving house, to my very first, very own brand new house, and yes, at first it was chaotic -hence my absence.

In getting back to normality and realising I'd neglected my artisitc endeavours, I discovered that a cushion I was pictured holding in my avatar on Folksy had since been used as a kitty-comforter a little too often. Probably shouldn't sell it then!

Instead, I thought I could share with the world my brand new Aladdin's cave of an art cupboard, so I fluffed my hair, made sure my fingernails were clean, and set about posing as the ever-suffering Alex took pictures.

It appears Casper has missed out on being involved in art recently also...

So very helpful! He's lucky I didn't glue him to my collage. Tempting...

Tangerine Trees

Been soooo busy lately. What with sorting out invitations for my 30th Birthday extravaganza (it isn't for a while yet, but time's a ticking, and I do like to be organised!), the dreaded annual car insurance search (done!), and still finding time to celebrate the bank holidays and socialise (two barbeques within one week, heavily featuring my first attempt at banoffee pie, and fridge cake, just like they had a the Royal Wedding! I so need to do my Denise Van-work-Outen DVD...)

I've also been fairly prolific with my creative dalliances. I think it's the impending pressure of the Summer shows coming up. I've just had 2 pieces accepted for Bury Art Week. I haven't shown there before so am quite excited. Then there's the Great Sheffied Art Show, which is pretty much the highlight of my year. I'm hoping to submit four or five pieces for selection next weekend (haven't quite decided yet), so I'll have fingers and toes and all other appendages crossed, and hope you will on my behalf also!

I've recently reprised my doodled trees motif and am quite pleased with the result.

I've been told that the effect is quite pschedelic, and although that was not the intention originally, I kind of agree, what with the tangerine trees, power flowers and retro backdrop.

I'm not going to put this in my Folksy shop just yet, as I think this is one of the pieces I'll submit for GSAS.

I also completed this trinket box recently, which is available on Folksy, and was inspired by a couple of European trips.

Who knows, maybe if I keep working this hard I'll treat you to a post about a wonderful little workshop myself and the lovely Stacey Grimey-Grime participated in this weekend.

What busy-busy bees!

Work in Progress.

Trinket box based on one of my favouritest quotes, Matthew Chapter 6, Verses 19-21:

  'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where theives do not break through nor steal:

  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'

I'll let you know how it goes...