“Sometimes There Is a Pause” is a testament to the cyclical nature of creation, a visual record of persistent engagement over fifteen years marked by both fervent activity and quiet contemplation. Born from the interplay of acrylic and oil paints, interwoven with the tactile dimension of yarn, this piece embodies the starts and stops inherent in any long-term endeavour.
The swirling lines and overlapping fields of colour represent the continuous flow of ideas and emotions, a dynamic energy that propels the work forward. Yet, within this vibrant chaos, moments of stillness emerge – the “pauses” suggested by the title. These are the spaces where colours meet and mingle, where textures shift, inviting the viewer to reflect on the transitions and quiet intervals that punctuate life’s more active rhythms.
The extended period of creation has allowed for layers of meaning and visual texture to accumulate. Each pause has offered an opportunity for reconsideration, for the emergence of new directions, and for the integration of time itself into the fabric of the artwork.
This painting is not just a finished piece; it is a living artefact of a sustained dialogue between the artist and the evolving canvas, a meditation on time, persistence, and the beauty found in both movement and rest.
Coming up again! First Open Studio this year…really looking forward to it! Will be fun….just realised I have been typing in CAPS. Love it! The exhilaration has not quite kicked in but it will…especially now that I have had more experience collaborating…I am thinking of setting up some ‘response boxes’ to gather material for an exhibition. I am just ‘sounding out’ the thoughts in my head. For all you know there might be no collaborating via ‘response boxes’….or there might! Will have to wait and see….I will see what I gravitate to closer to the time.
Been on a bit of a whirlwind….working on the Collaborative Practice Module for my MA Fine Art….which led to me running ‘mark making’ workshops at the Shoreditch Library! Collaborating within the community definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. I had always been a very solitary artist, just happy to beaver away in my studio! Now I have experience collaborating…I absolute love it! What a buzz!
I had so much fun collaborating with toddlers…grandmothers and all ages in between. I have always been one for scribbling….doodling with so many awesome participants was such fun! And thank you to all the participants that posted submissions in ‘Penny for your thoughts’ boxes. Your anonymous doodles and scribbles are legendary!!! Without your participation, I cannot begin to imagine how I would have produced these ‘Penny Drops’. I had planned to create only 10 ‘penny drops’ initially. I ended up with 24! For some context, each ‘Penny Drop’ is made up of 40 triangular folds of doodles! I made 24! I definitely beavered on for ages…inspired by your awesome contributions. I definitely enjoyed doodling as well…(I always have been inspired by the ‘spontaneity of scribble’)…well I had to throw in my byline! Couldn’t resist! Force of habit….when typing or scribbling….words just jump at me…very hard to resist the clackety clack of the keypad! Or making marks on paper! Okay…I’ll stop now….
‘The Penny Drops’ are currently on display at Shoreditch Library, 80 Hoxton Street, London N1 6LP.
