sell out.

As Selection Day for The Great Sheffield Art Show 2010 http://www.gsas.co.uk/ is fast approaching (and I start to panic about ever having enough work ready!), I began musing over the pieces of my art that I no longer own, that have been bought by anonymous admirers, or passed on to friends in exchange for kind words.

I first sold work when I lived in Hatfield, a village just outside Doncaster. I got involved in the running of an art show at the parish church. A small girl who lived locally was my biggest benefactor. Barbie-pink kitsch appealed to her young eye, and she begged her Dad to buy her two collages over consecutive years. She requested that I sign them, like a proper artist, her hoping they'd be worth something one day. Me too!

I've had some luck at Sheffield too. Although this time of a more mysterious nature. I love the idea that someone I've never met, who knows nothing about me, was interested enough to put their hand in their pocket and buy something so personal to me, that I laboured over, shifting elements by milimetres until I perceived the perfect composition. And that they don't know fully what the piece means, because they've never had chance to ask, but instead they make their own interpretations. I wonder how they display my work? Where does it hang? Is it still in one piece?!

Thus was the fate of these two collages. I love red white and blue. Not just because I'm patriotic. I own more blue dresses than anyone, seriously! More than Alice and Dorothy put together! And you can't go wrong with red shoes.

The dinky tray that this piece started out as was found in a charity shop in Chester, my second home.

And this American themed piece was inspired by the 'Liberty' frame I scavenged at a car boot sale.

When money is tight (and even when it's not) a hand made gift is the perfect sentiment for a dear friend. I've given many an artwork to mates and to family, perhaps opening myself up to potentially the harshest criticism! Thankfully everyone's been grateful so far...!

I gave this bottle to Alex aka Bentley, as he often likes to remind me that poison comes in little bottles (being that I am on the petite side of things)

To Katherine, my bestest mate since I was but 12, possibly my favouritest piece I ever made, my proudest, most Joseph Cornell moment. Yeah, she's been known to keep it in the bathroom, but that's chaotic Kat all over. And I know she appreciates it deep down ;-)

I try to create stories when I make my art. But after that I guess their fates are in their own hands. And maybe in a hundred years, when they've been handed down through generations, people will wonder about the girl who made them and what she was thinking. I only hope the glue holds out!

Button it!

I'm growing fond of swaps. Especially ones that don't involve me having to stress over making something good enough to send to, and be appreciated by a stranger.

So when I saw that swap queen noodlebubble http://www.folksy.com/shops/noodleBubble was organising a button swap I HAD to get involved. Buttons are just the kind of trinketty thing that I just can't resist collaging all over everything.

The idea was that you sorted out 40 buttons for swapping (nice ones, not any old tat), to send twenty each to two fellow swappees.

Sticking to that amount was hard! I have so many. Here's a few that I sent...

Lovingly packaged to wing their way to susiej and sugarmice.

It took me ages to tie the ribbons. To say I have tiny fingers, they're not vey nimble. Pictured with the parcels are some of the unlucky buttons that didn't quite make it into the swap!

And I did vey well out of it myself. Over the past week I've received special deliveries from Claire-Lou of Realicoul fame http://www.folksy.com/shops/Realicoul, and Robyn of Rose Lullaby Dolls http://www.folksy.com/shops/RoseLullabyDolls, both greatly appreciated.

I've wasted no time incorporating these treasures into my latest project :-)

Hole Lotta Love

I am VERY Excited.

Stacey 'The Crow' Crowcroft and I are going to see Hole in May. And although it's not strictly Hole, being that Courtney Love is the only remaining member, words cannot express the admiration I feel for the artisitic anarchy that is this woman.

I am intrigued by her aesthetic. Her early 90s 'Kinder whore' styled fused innocence with the perverse in the exact same way I try to in my art.

My collage '...and all the stars were just like little fish'  http://www.folksy.com/items/299545--and-all-the-stars-were-just-like-little-fish-?shop=yes is named after the second line from 'Violet' -probably her most famous song.


I guess I always wanted to be 'the girl with the most cake'.

And although remarkably (and relievedly) it's been years since I passed out drunk or caused a scene in a nightclub, I'm still a grunge girl at heart.




As a teenager strong female role models like Courtney taught me to belive in myself, to have ambition, and to take risks. Distracted me from all the things in my life I hated. Gave a voice to the way I was feeling.



When Hole toured 1998 album 'Celebrity Skin' I had to miss out because of my a-levels. Kat and I read reviews in the music press and cried because we couldn't be there.

I dressed in vintage nightwear. I realised it was okay that my hair was never going to be straight.

This come back, and the forthcoming album 'Nobody's Daughter' could be disasterous. It could be what I've been dreaming of, waiting for. Michael Jackson style, it might even never happen. Either way, it's going to be memorable <3

(Courtney pics courtesy of http://www.courtney-love.org/)

Two hearts...

..beating as one!

Or, as part of the Folksy Valentine's Heart swap.

I sent mine to MiMi B last weekend, and I'm pleased to say I think it arrived in one piece!

I agonised over making this box collage. I find it very difficult to work to a brief, however loose it may be. I also struggle to make something 'nice' without a sinister edge. I think I got the balance about right...

The heart design is taken from my tattoo (custom designed by myself, of course), which makes it quite personal. I got the tattoo not long before the end of a relationship which makes it, er, not very romantic after all...

The wonderful Magic Alice http://www.folksy.com/shops/magicalice AKA Jen Field gave me her heart, a fab acrylic brooch to be exact, and a cute button badge as a bonus, as modelled by yours truly...best myspace faces at the ready...! And plenty of flash to disguise my terrible skin (it's only cos it's so dark in my house, honest. Roll on Spring and lots of natural light!)

As for my true love, I'm sure he'll be thrilled with this sweet card from Eyeshoot Photography http://www.folksy.com/shops/eyeshootphotography (Sarah is so clever!). We have a thing for Scrabble. And they say romance is dead!

Do people still send Valentine's cards anonymously?

Love from Guess Who?

xxx

Pop Will Eat Itself.

LONDON.

It's a nice(ish) place to visit, but I wouldn't wanna live there.

So every few months I take the train down to spend time with my beautiful friends Kat (we've been bezzies since we bonded over being the angstiest girls in our class, aged 12), and Flora (my perfect housewife, if I were a man or a lesbian).

A mad Saturday night involved Northern Soul, sweat-drenched dancing, almost coming to blows (you can't take us anywhere!), too much spilt cider, and an early hours fancy-dress-box and Singstar party, at which, by the way, I rule! I thrashed Flo at Gwen Stefani's 'What You Waiting For?'. Very apt, given the Japanese pop-culture theme of this post.

For months I've been banging on about needing to visit 'Pop Life' -the big autumn/winter show at Tate Modern, focussing on art and commerce, and artisits who have become a brand within them selves, be it through opening a shop like Keith Haring or Tracey Emin and Sarah Lucas, shameless advertising, or sex, because as they say, it sells.

I am moved by the beautiful honesty of Emin's work, intrigued and slightly grossed out with Damien Hirst's pieces that feature dead butterflies, but was most star struck by Takashi Murakami -touted by some as the Japanese Andy Warhol.

I've been a fan since my uni days, and covetted the Marc Jacobs/Louis Vuitton handbags like you won't believe.

Murakami collaborated with McG (The OC anyone?!) for the short film 'Akihabara Majokko Princess', starring the could-she-get-any-cooler Kirsten Dunst (if you've seen her as Lux Lisbon in 'The Virgin Suicides' you'll know what I mean) -to repackage Japanese subculture for Western consumption.

Flo and I agreed that we now need blue hair. With the sound track of a reworked version of The Vapors 'Turning Japanese' -"because it has long been considered a song about masturbation", we were spellbound.

My recent forays back into the world of painting,

(see sketch book scribbles)

and a 'Japanime' pop aesthetic now seem even more exciting. I simply must get some daylight bulbs so I can paint through this winter gloom.

And on that note of gloom and darkness, if you aren't already rushing down to Bankside, also worth a look is the latest Turbine Hall exhibit -'How It Is' by Polish artisit Miroslaw Balka. A gigantic steel structure like a vast container, beckons you to step inside it's bleak interior, plunging one into darkness. Cautiously we crept along, fearful of what the darkness might conceal, and the ghostly figures of the other visitors inside. It was a really weird experience, and as we reached the end with a gasp of relief, we turned back to look at the entrance, and see it wasn't really as dark as we'd imagined. The installation was described as a metaphor for journeys through life and the different paths we take, never really knowing where we are going or what awaits us.

Kat and I were excited and exhilarated. Flo was terrified! And when I think of life in that way, sometimes I am too.

A stark contrast to the glossy pop-life we so love to surround ourselves with -and will proudly continue to do so! Singstar anyone...?

Handy Andy

I was faffing about last week trying to take some pictures to submit for Artists in Business' fab 'In the Studio' feature http://artistsinbusiness.blogspot.com/, assisted by my good buddy Andy Cook. Admittedly, he usually has better subject matter, of the musical variety, and has been lucky enough to take snaps of Florence and the Machine, The Dead Weather, The Eighties Matchbox B-line Disaster (who were awesome in Leeds on Hallowe'en btw) and, um, McFly.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andycookphotos/

Anyway. He always gets my best angles (note I am painting again!)

And the boy Disaster. He is such a poser!

And apparently my biggest fan...

Thanks to Cook and Casper.

I will be bothering Artists in Biz as soon as I have time to compile a write up!!!

Stay Strange x

All Cried Out.

My mood is lifting. I used up all my reserve stock of tears on Friday night, when I received the devastating news from my Mother that Lucy Log -award winning comedienne, confidant, and beloved family pet, had gone to sleep for one last time, at the ripe old age of 14.

Here's to you Log, in memory of grass fights, seaside trips and marching around the house together. I will always remember that your favourite colour is silver, and that it was never a good idea to leave you unsupervised with a turkey carcass.

I keep meaning to start painting again. My degree was painting, and although my final show was quite diverse, incorporating textile pieces, assemblages, photographs of performance pieces, and even cakes I baked, painting was the central theme that tied everything together.

I think painting scares me a bit these days. It can be labour-intensive, and a lot harder to fix than simply shifting pieces around like I can do with the collaging I've been consumed by over the past couple of years.

I get quite obsessive about things, and often feel that if I can't do something perfectly I shouldn't do it at all. This is difficult when painting! And doubting my technical abilities! It's like when on my art foundation course I was told I had no idea how to use colour. Colours should only be used in a piece if they can be justified and contribute to the overall meaning. My reaction was to avoid colour completely!

I think for now I've gone about as far as I can go with the collaging, and perhaps I'm ready for a new challenge. The joy of creating an image entirely my own, instead of combining things created by others, that already exist.

I've been playing around with sketch books again. Now that is magical! I like the way they can document a progression of ideas. And I like the privacy of a book format, what is hidden between the pages. Like a secret diary. Maybe I'll share some old sketch books with you one day...

Until I finally have the courage to put paintbrush to canvas...or board...or anything (!), here's a few examples of what it might just look like...