Start here

Paper screen, clay on paper and embroidery thread as my inspiration.

Whenever I get asked about how to start a new artwork or project, I usually respond, - start where you are and with what you have. It’s as good a place to start as any.

Today I met up with my two artist friends Tara and Robin to continue on our collaborative project. We were all a bit scattered in our thoughts as a result of the end of daylight savings. The day seemed long and confusing for our body clocks. After a cup of tea we talked about where to start.

It had been six weeks since we had met last time, and we didn’t remember where we had got to. Fortunately we already had a loose structure in place, when we met at my place we worked with making paper, and now at Tara’s we were going to work with clay.

It felt like being back at high school art classes, sitting around at a big table together talking and letting our hands find their own rhythm. I haven’t used clay in such a long time that it felt like a whole new tactile experience. We had fun, like being a child again. Oooh I like what you’ve done, I want to do that. Ooh can I have some of that/try that/ play with those.

We worked and talked and moulded and printed and lunch came round and after homemade cauliflower soup we kept going until there was no more to do. Wow, the beautiful work and new ideas which emerged. The energy we created with our techniques and limited palette. New ways to work with paper and earth.

It gave me renewed inspiration for my upcoming residency at Curtain Springs in Central Australia to where I will travel on Friday. I’ll be working with the colours of the desert, the red sand, the native grasses, old rusted farming implements and of course, stitching. My next blog post (hopefully with internet signal permitting) will be from the red centre of Australia. Stay connected with me on social media to read my next instalments.

Rob holding up today’s clay prints on paper handmade at our last meetup from her hemp pants.