IN THE STUDIO

My studio is my place of retreat, a space to which I can go, to observe, to think, to process; alone and removed from everything and everyone else. Sometime I work in silence. Sometimes I listen to music. I particularly like listening to songs by Passenger. This is by far the smallest studio space I have ever had, but for some reason, the most intimate. The works I am creating, seem to reflect this.

Creating art has always been of immense importance. It has become even more so over these last few months.

An image of one of the walls within my studio. My tools, simple….charcoal, erasers, rolls of frosted mylar.

WEARING A MASK

I have written about wearing a mask in the past, the mask I don before presenting myself to the outside world, my persona. Breathe, collect, move forward.

But for some reason, the masks that have become a necessity in keeping people safe from the virus, I have a difficult time wearing. Why, I am not truly sure. Perhaps, because I am claustrophobic. Perhaps, because it is unfamiliar. Perhaps , because it seems to further distance people from one another.

Two masks. One I wear to keep myself and others safe, the other, I wear to protect me.

A TESTING TME, BUT THERE ARE POSITIVES

Everything that has happened over the last few weeks, seemed to occur in an instant. Or perhaps I didn’t give it my full attention until life as I knew it, began to change. So much devastation on so many fronts. So many heartbreaking stories. But in the midst of it all, glimmers of hope: the stories of neighbours supporting neighbours, countries supporting countries, essential workers putting their lives on the line everyday.

I won’t lie. it hasn’t been easy adjusting to the new norm: of staying at home, of social distancing, of having everyone’s routine work effectively within a shared environment. Sometimes it almost seems overwhelming. But then I think about the positives: that we have our health, a house in which to live, a wonderful surrounding environment in which to walk, bike, run, our family and friends. And my art. I am so blessed to have a studio in my home. This is where I process, meditate, calm myself down.

I have been working on these drawings for a number of weeks now. They are not at all what I envisaged when I began. I suspect, they have been heavily influenced by everything happening in the world around.

THE EVERYDAY OBJECT

I often walk into older buildings and feel a strong sense of connection, a resonance with, so to speak. I experience a similar sense of connection with certain landscapes. When such a connection occurs, everything is heightened. I see, I hear, I feel more than I would normally experience. While these experiences are usually positive, sometimes they are not.

Lately, I have found myself drawn to a variety of old, everyday objects. At first, I thought I was being attracted by their shapes. But it is their stories my drawings seem to be exploring. It brings to question: If places can develop a particular sense of place, can objects develop a similarly complex persona? Some would argue no. I would argue yes.

The drawings below, are the first in my new series The Everyday Object. They are of a faucet I found on a table outside a secondhand store.