Blog

Where do all the words go when I'm painting? I think a lot. And more often than not those thoughts wander around in my brain as words. When I'm in the studio, thinking about what comes next in my process, or the merits of one colour over another, or my next texture for the gel plate, these ideas are always formulated in my mind with words.

With visitors coming and going over the past few days, it's no surprise that I've been feeling a change to the energy in my studio space. And this has got me thinking about my connection to my space and my creativity - particularly my apparent need to undertake a creative act on a daily basis!

"What inspires you?" This is a question I'm preparing myself for, with this year's Noosa Open Studios nearly upon us! It's a question I ask myself on a daily basis. I could give you a hundred answers that include everything from sweeping landscapes and fallen leaves to emotional experiences and waste cardboard packaging. But that doesn't make me sound very focused.... which I admit sometimes feel I ought to be.

I had a session playing around with the gelli plate, with no set intentions to create anything other than interesting experimental prints I could use for collage. You might recognise some of these as pieces as I used some of them in my 'Dusty Summer' Sketch. I used wet strength tissue, cartridge paper and copy paper, in no particular order!

I've been playing around with creating impressions from a site I'm referencing for my current project using collagraphs. The print process can be a little unpredictable..

This month sees the start of a new body of work, so I've been contemplating exploring new pathways to creating, beginning with materials, processes and a fresh perspective. Should I be following a straight line? If I was a representational painter doing a traditional perspective drawing maybe, or if I was an architect and wanted to avoid wonky buildings! But I've been thinking lately about straight lines in the context of the 'artist's path.'