"A Change Is As Good As A Rest": An expression I used to hear when I was a kid. Now I understand the value of what it means. We are all due a change, I watch the birds in their courtships start to build nests only to be halted yet again by a snow flurry. Longing for Spring to hop in and carry us away from the chill of Winter.
Following my recent episode of cabin fever the need to escape the mini worlds was growing strong, a desire to feel refreshed, nourished and fed. Usually drawing in the landscape would provide this but I'm not brave enough to attempt the Siberian chill out there.
Stamps and Marks
The answer lay with connecting with fellow artists locally and away in Cornwall. A recent Zine masterclass at Peterborough Metal provided a much welcome injection of stimulus- instantly warming the artist bones. Followed by a mark making session with fellow members of Design Nation with Helen Hallows allowed for lots of laughter and mess.
The delights of Cornwall gave the distance and space to reflect on work too. The dramatic landscape, so different from Rutland and Lincolnshire, providing a new visual feast. On a walk through Penryn I stumbled across Fish Factory Arts, a new gallery and artist's space I'd seen advertised on Instagram. In full swing was #fleaboot a bonanza of bric a brac, art, cafe, costumes and music. I was chuffed to be shown their growing Zine library too. A warm glow on a snowy day.
Fish Factory Arts: Zine Library, Penryn
Finding space to stand back from the work can appear hard, the answers are simple and sometimes it takes a break from what's in front of you and to do something completely different to allow a new perspective or direction. How do you stand back from your work? What do you do to gain a new perspective? I would love to hear.
Porthtowan
Afraid of flying - not anymore! Conquering a long-term fear of enclosed spaces has meant that my world shrank. The urge to expand my world has meant that finding strategies to overcome this deep-rooted fear was needed.