Pyreism

Delighted to help out with some restoration work at the Steading in the Scottish Borders. Tim Steads collaboration with the Sharmanka Theatre on the millennium clock is one of my all-time favourite sculptures. Getting to sit in his home doing practical things with such welcoming folk an absolute treat! If I win on a scratch card today I'll forever regret not buying a chair but then I do have a photo of one of Tim's cheeky cartoons which gives me some idea of what he thought about the national lottery! 😅

Incredible!

These are the organ pipes are taking on a new form once again. I've had a couple propped up in my studio and they kept reminding me of the twin towers, 9/11, the needless waste of life, war, the nature of man. It has become overwhelming thinking of all the horrors humans force apon each other so I wanted to rewrite the story these objects were replaying in my mind. The act of doing so being a meditation on hope. I've been in Keighley a fair bit where Dalton Mills keeps going up in flames. I've got some old bobbins to utilise from there for a banner drop to be included in these tiny towers. I'm not sure about the glass yet. I've been looking at shebeke glass. Now that's a precision skill. I'm going for natural forms and abstraction....will probably involve some glue! I apologise in advance to the master craftsman in Azerbaijan who's wringing his hands at the thought! * * * * #recycle #wood #woodwork #pipe #organ #fire #smoke #sculpture

Opening on the 14th of June is "Fabrication" at Trapezium Arts in Bradford. Along with thirty other artists I will be there with three framed pieces. I made them out of the burnt out remnants from my Leyland Tiger Cub which got torched in a community garden. I stitched chard pages together along with patches of screen printed fabric and quilt that managed to survive when the fire service put the blaze out. Coincidentally when I showed up to drop them off and there was a fire truck putting out a bin fire outside Macdonald's!
I'm hoping this is the catharsis I've been looking for!

Someone let the light in today
How dare they
An eye for an eye
Makes the whole world blind

Blind of fun?
Blind of play?
Play became invisible today
Is this divisable by pi?
No it's not
Because like me that's irrational
Unlike other people
who are divisible
Or maybe just
Miserable
Och aye!

Glass Angels

Perth...the isle of man...what connects these two places? Well historically, in 1266, a Peace treaty was signed in the town. Back then it was a busy trading center. Magnus VI of Norway and Denmark and Alexander III of Scotland were fighting over the Hebrides and the Isle of Man. The agreement was for 4000 marks and 100 more a year. The debt was never settled but was eventually cleared when King James III married Margaret of Denmark in 1268. Ahhh....back in the day when money and marriage could settle things, how wholesome!
Regardless of how it was done if peace is possible in 1266 it's also possible in 2023!
This art is part of a cartography I am making for Colossive Press in Penge.
I hope (when it's eventually finished) it will represent the freedom of movement and health care/medicines we take for granted in peace time. In particular respect to the plight of the Palestinian people living under a blockade.
It's inspired by my recent travels from Wales to Turkey. The money raised from sales will be going to MAP, (Medical Aid for Palestinans). I'm cycling round the West Bank in October and it's part of my fundraising effort,

Awww, all the cute critters together. A bee, a badger, a beetle, a rabbit, and owl, a mouse and a disgruntled red squirrel 🐿️ I reckon it's miffed because the builders disturbed it acorn collection. *Shakes small furry red fist*

I got this one finished with 5mm to spare last night. I'm super excited now to see them in their frames and properly installed. I have some old lead that I can hopefully finish the badger window with today although it does need a couple more firings in the kiln we'll see how it goes!🤞

I'm feeling pretty chuffed with these although the overall look of them is unintentional. They look very much like screen prints. If I'd had a lightbox the shading would be a lot darker, the wee space is dark enough already so actually I think it's beneficial. The carpenter has been delayed by mishap and I was looking forward to working with him but I'm not going to lie 🤞I get to make my own frames. 😀

Not much further on really since I just froze solid...I guess it was wishful thinking that it was spring. There's snow forecast 🎻I've lost the badger drawing that was for the fourth window. Saw a sparrowhawk this morning so might thaw out by the fire drawing one of those, I can't do a fox since they eat all the chickens.