I feel very lucky to be ending 2024 with a flurry of activity! I have work in forthcoming the shows – Cardiff MADE and Oriel Canfas in Cardiff, and in Cwtsh for Newport’s Art on the Hill trail.
I thought I would take this opportunity to say a little about the development of my imagery and media this year. It will be the first time of exhibiting in Oriel Canfas, a beautiful artist studio and gallery in Canton, Cardiff.
Their open call for work along the theme of ‘Antidote’ was very timely for me; being creative is an antidote to some of the more difficult things we all experience or observe through our lives. Over the past year I developed a process to make images coinciding with, or perhaps due to the unfolding of a sad life event, prompting me to see the value in so-called ‘failed’ watercolours, packaging card and brown paper. I also regularly reflected on this new way of working, making notes on how I felt and about the process of developing work through this playful handling of materials. It has been both freeing and satisfying; the ability to place and move papers enabled me to compose pictures in a new way and to create new spaces on different planes within which to play. Oil pastels allow for reworking and resurfacing areas, sometimes applied in a polishing action, and other times as a crayon as well as scraped and dabbed textural marks.
I would also like to emphasise that this is an entirely practical and manageable way of working when time is fragmented and I would encourage anyone who may be struggling with their creative process for any reason to try it out.
So onto the exhibitions!
In the order of their opening:
23/11/24-23/12/24
Cardiff MADE https://cardiffmade.com/roath-gallery-weekend-1
I have 2 original framed artworks in this year’s Winter show, I think I counted 75 artists and makers altogether in what will undoubtedly be a fantastically rich and diverse exhibition.
Credit to @leesonhomegallery for the poster image and @Cardiff MADE for sharing.
Shoot 30.5cm x 26cm, now set in ice white mount and framed in light oak so a little bigger all around now.
Oil pastel and collaged papers on packaging card.
We Three Grow Together 42cm x 29.5cm, also in ice white mount and light oak frame. Oil pastel and collage on card.
Both available to buy from Cardiff MADE.
29/11/24-21/12/24
Oriel Canfas https://www.orielcanfas.co.uk/antidote
Over thirty artists are in this open call exhibition which I am very grateful to have work in. It will be interesting to see the breadth of work on the theme of Antidote.
Credit to @pmax_art for the poster image and @orielcanfas for sharing.
My contribution to Antidote is Sea Forms and a Sail Boat, 31 cm x 27cm. Oil pastel on packaging card, Khadi paper and tape. Now also set in an ice white mount and framed in light oak.
If you have got this far, thanks for taking the time to read about some of my activities and thoughts. Please contact me if you have any comments or queries about the artwork or the process of making.
