Daffodils in Vase. Tissue, acrylic and gutta. 30cm x 40cm on MDF board.

Oh My!  Nearly 2 months since my last post.  So much has happened.  I have purposely been trying to take life a little more slowly so made a conscious decision not to worry about my blog but to adjust gently to the move with a ‘come what may’ attitude.  And so……. we came, and so did life and lots has occured.  We got here in Derbyshire at the end of May, and it is a pretty place.  I do love it here.  The children are settling well into the Steiner school (with a few bumps along the way, but I think that is expected), and we too are adjusting as parents to the changes.  I don’t for a minute have any doubts that we have done the right thing.  Our kids seem to have become ‘fuller’ and so much more of themselves already.  They’re growing well with their new challenges.

Jamie's Space

Sue's Space

I have some studio space set up in the house this time, sharing a work-room with my partner. (Mine’s the messy end!)  It is nice having it back home again and I am getting used to doing ‘a bit here and there’ when I can, fitting in it with my role of motherhood.  I saw a link in Jane DesRosier’s blog to this documentary film concerning motherhood as well as being a creative.  I resonate with it all: www.whodoesshethinksheis.net

I only started to paint again last week as I have been so busy with home-making and putting down new roots for myself and the family.  So, here we have my first piece from my new space.  I must admit that the initial outburst of creativity came out of frustration.  A little bit of anger and resentment which I was feeling was due to the fact that I had worked like a dog since I got here and hadn’t actually taken the time to do anything ‘creative’, sparked this piece.  And then it just seemed to flow.  It just fell out of me.  I like this piece – I translated that enegy in to something joyous.  But the harsh lines!!!  Why do I always end up creating such rigid paintings.  I guess that is just my style – authentically me.  But what does that say about me?  Uptight?  Contained?  Orderly?  Contol Freak??  Who knows?  I keep trying to blur edges and then forget again and get back into the habit of definite out-lines.  Old habits die hard or what!  I took up mixed media painting about a year ago to try to get me out of the habit of being so ‘perfectionist’ about my art.  In my previous incarnation as artist I was mentally torturing myself with finecky details and actually not being that creative at all.  You can see my old work here: www.susan-rhodes.co.uk.  In Steiner schools they have a very interesting method of painting without lines, especially in the earlier years.  They just use paint (natural pigments), wet on wet, and everything blurs and blends.  I think they are trying to teach children to create without boundaries, which is a wonderful means of expression.  These paintings have an ethereal quality and a sense of free spirit.  They are really lovely, – I think I need lessons!  Here’s one my daughter made:

Steiner painting without boundaries

Well, it’s been nice to have touched base with you all.  Will hopefully keep my blog updated now.  Although……….my children do break up today for the summer holidays so I am likely (like all mothers) to have my hands full at this time of year.  Never a dull moment!!

I asked to be guinea-pig for this as we worked through this idea, using a planned project of mine as an example.  As PHASE ONE of the challenge I was asked to identify four areas that needed to be addressed in order for me to produce this piece of work.  So I decided, ONE: was Texture.  I knew I wanted this piece to be on a textured background.   TWO: was Technique – I wanted to check out other artist’s work first for inspiration and ideas on ‘how-to’.  THREE: was Zone – it is important for me to be in the right Zone when I am working to operate at maximum potential.  And FOUR: was that I wanted this piece to be a tool.  Something I can use to help further my artistic career.  I want it to be something I can use partly as a marketing device or an advert.

PHASE TWO was to take part ONE and FOUR and ask myself what I envisaged the outcome would be of combining those two elements.  I identified that as being A: Visual Interest.  Then I was asked to combine part TWO and THREE and do the same.  I identified that as being B: Achievement.  I was then asked to combine both A & B (Visual interest and Achievement) and ask myself what outcome I envisaged that would bring me.  I came up with RECOGNITION – a reputation in the art world.  Adrian then suggested that is was that ‘Recognition’ which is my primary motive for my commission!  I don’t think I could argue with that. Interestingly, he made the point that as long as we are thinking about creating our ‘Masterpiece’ – we ain’t going to do it.  He said we need to just enjoy the process.  I guess the difference is that if I am attached to the outcome I am opperating from a place within the ego, yet if I just enjoy the process, I can only do that if I am in the moment – and that is where greatness lies!  I am creating a masterpiece of every moment.  Not some future projection which may or may not be a masterpiece based on my or other people’s egoic interpretation of it!  Does anyone understand what I am saying?  I think I do, but sometimes you can’t put words on these things.  Whhhhooooooooooo – Deep!!  I think the whole message behind the workshop was that if you can induce good feelings in other people by attaching your product onto them, then there’s a high probability you are on to a winner.

Any-hoo, shortly afterwards I got started and thus far I have laid the ground and come-up with the subject matter for my piece which I felt strongly should be an exploration of Mother/Child bonds.  What better relationship to explore than that with my own daughter, which I understand better than most others (although not entirely – and probably never will!).  I am looking forward to getting into the emotion of this project.  It has being a stressful week so far concerning situations regarding the future of my daughter’s schooling and in-turn our family life.  It is times like now that I look at her in wonderment, and despite her being almost 11 now I realise she has vulnerabilities and an inherent childishness.  This is not a criticism but an ackowledgement that she is still only a child, and we (myself and society at large) often expect too much from them sometimes.  She is still little!

Prepared textured ground and image transfered. (Wall texture on MDF, painted with raw umber/black acrylic.