On Time Limits In The Studio

Art Studio Posts & My ArtworkPosts For My Fellow Artists & Makers

May 24

As artists there are ALWAYS time restrictions, is this a good thing or a right, royal pain in the wotsit? Here are my thoughts....

I’m sitting writing alongside steaming some new potatoes with mint from my garden for a family barbecue this afternoon. The smell of steaming mint and new potatoes is hugely evocative of childhood memories, warm days, and feelings of safety.

This is powerful. I can see the view from my childhood back bedroom window, a vivid picture of smaller me flying into my room to throw on some clothes to get outside, it feels so real, snippets of times gone by.

Memories brought on by steaming potatoes with fresh mint - who knew?

It’s been a good week in the studio.

I’ve broken new ground on a collection of work I’m making and am itching to get back into it. Bank holiday weekend and scorching weather have put pay to losing myself in my space for the next few days. This is a good thing, I think; it’s telling how excited I am to get back in and continue these new works.

I remember my great friend, a renowned printmaker who is a few years wiser than me offering me some sage advice whilst I was holding my tiny baby on a tender first trip out. Her precious advice was to never begrudge my children their holidays.

This has always stayed with me.

My smalls…now early twenties and late teens

Children of artists, solo workers and creatives will never know how hard it can be to simply down tools for the duration of their half-terms, sick days and l o n g summer holidays, and nor should they really.

My friend told me that our children need their downtime, time to rest, play and be around us and of course, they need time to be bored. It’s an adage and a good one that from boredom comes creativity; it’s true.

Now my youngest is nearing leaving the nest like her elder siblings, I have all the time in the world to crack on.

Or do I?

Yes, and no.

Bank holidays, family commitments and boiling hot weather also stop play. Gone are the days when I would power on in sweaty conditions, perhaps one day I’ll even consider getting some air conditioning in there, perhaps not - AC in a shed? Really?

I’m excited about this new collection of work. I have a working title for them, which is ‘Modern Folk Animals’.

A few articles back, I wrote about the history of Folk Art, and Naive Art. This research locked in just what I needed to refresh in my mind to go forth and make. I chose animals as they are always my go-to when beginning something new. I find such comfort in them, like meeting up with old friends.

I gave myself one rule in making these new works. No reference material - at all.

No looking in sketchbooks, no digging out study works, just working from memory. I told myself that I have had years of looking, and to make these works purposely naive/folk, I can work only from memory.