From Here You Can Almost See The Sea: A Response to Living in Plymouth

'Ten Views' 2012

The text is one of ten written descriptions, part prose, part list, of the views from the windows and doors of my house.

The mount was made by mixing a flour and water paste with watercolour paint and painting this onto the surface of blotting paper. The point of a paint brush was then dragged across the surface to create the lines.

I had initially taken several photos of the views from the doors and windows in my house, with the intention of turning them into paintings. However, the first two paintings turned out to be quite sweet depictions of a pleasant housing estate. This was a total contrast to the slight 'edge' that the photos presented. This caused an interesting dilemma, but one that I overcame by referring back to my love of text, thus writing a description of what I could see. 

'Ten Views' 2012

A4

Blotting paper, paste, watercolour paint, ink, copier paper.

'Abbey Place to Zion Street' 2012

The completed handmade book. 

The cover has a line drawing of a street map of Plymouth, using carbon paper and recyled cartridge paper and ink. It is bound with buckram cloth and an Acco fastener.

'Abbey Road to Zion Street' 2012

297 x 120 x 13mm

Paper, carbon paper, ink

Letter to Home February 2012

The Art House Co-op 5th April 2012 
Brooklyn Archives, 355 Bedford Avenue NY 11211
http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/letterstohome

I was introduced by a friend to writing exercises, where the artist takes a set period of time (e.g., 5 mins) to write down all the thoughts that come into their mind. It is to be achieved without too much conscious thought; not trying to create an accurate story or list of connected words, but something more abstract. Having felt a little self conscious, particularly about reading aloud my writing (and discovering Freudian connotations), I found the exercise to be very rewarding and felt that it was an area of creative writing that I could explore further.

I set about the same task with the theme of my home (the one I grew up in) and conjured up a wonderful list of old objects, scents and feelings from my childhood. 

'Letter to Home' 2012

5"x 7"

Ink on paper 

For clarity, here is the actual text:

Home,


A neat level driveway; two triangles of grass; Japanese Maple tree;
diagonal path; roses; car port; old kitchen units; stiff sliding doors;apples; onion sets; newspapers tied with string; wellie boots;
cobwebs; spiders, shiny, green bike; soft swoosh and click; thick,
smooth, silver key; run my finger in the groove; two small paintings; harsh cold; icy metal; double click to close; blackbirds; papery skin;kneading dough; peeling and slicing; old, wobbly, round, wooden chopping board; sweet fruits; alcohol; citrus; hops; yeast; hand cream; Chanel No5; orange plastic jug; handmade pots; rays of sunlight; dust particles; vinyl records; Dickens; Yeats; war; tall cactus; dents in the doorframes; swoosh and bump; Pear's soap; beige mac; walking stick; London Zoo; shaky hands; Subbuteo; coins; tokens; cards; tins; marbles; badges; wood; Swallows and Amazons; photos; cars; planes; absence; powder blue; cold; wooden slats; gaps and groans; creaks; falling; long wide views; coast; hills; estuary; stiff door; paintings and drawings; posters; white furniture; loud click; gold handles; white walls; school blouses; oil fired radiator; plastic lampshade; oval mirror; fitted wardrobe; old typewriter; architects floor plans; holiday slides; war medals; scent of wood; moth balls; age; people; white counterpane; old chest; soft; worn; patterns; flowers; stripes; silk; fur; memory; musty; whale's tooth; coins; pottery dish; handkerchief; maps; guidebooks; wind; cool breeze; deckchairs; demi johns; records; books; dolls house; toy cars; toy garage; family photos; hay
box; cool box; picnic basket; tent; poles; pegs; airbeds; French clock; framed prints.
Quiet. Tock. Scent of newspaper.
Gentle click. Silent key.
End.


Never forgotten.

From Here You Can Almost See The Sea: A Response to Living in Plymouth

'Abbey Place to Zion Street' 2012

The completed inside of my latest handmade book.

This is a list of all the street names in Plymouth and part of a project about my response to living in Plymouth.
Now to make the cover.....

The Sketchbook Project 2012

Brooklyn Art Library April 2012
http://www.arthousecoop.com/projects/sketchbookproject
Brooklyn Art Library Shelf No. 156L.2-7

'This is a Sketchbook about a Book: Book of the Seaside'
January 2012
Carbon paper, acrylic paint on paper.

The Front Room Gallery December 2011

Investigation into repetitive writing techniques using carbon paper.

I have become interested in using used carbon paper to create 'blind' text based drawings. By laying the carbon paper over the cartridge paper, I am unable to clearly see where i am making marks, thus creating a varied amount of pressure of carbon. When viewed at a distance, the depth of marks creates an undulating landscape, but it is not until the viewer looks more closely that the text is revealed.

I have repeated  'It's only words' in my normal cursive handwriting, highlighting my interest in repetition.

 

'It's Only Words' 2011

84 x 59.5cm (Sold)

Cartridge paper & carbon paper

Bank Street Arts, Sheffield

The 3rd Sheffield International Artists Book Prize and Exhibition November 2011

'Inventory' Winner of Student Prize

I was delighted when, having submitted 'Inventory' into the Sheffield Book Prize and Exhibition, I heard that it had one the student prize! This was a small cash prize, but with an offer of solo exhibition space for the following year. Very exciting!

http://artistsbookprize.co.uk/

Plymouth University Fine Art Degree Show June 2011

'Personal/Impersonal'

An investigation into the relationship that we have with the objects we own.

'A List of Everything in my Home' 2011

The task of compiling the list took approximately three weeks. It was a great exercise in clearing out the house (which we did along the way) and finding things we thought we had lost. It was a family effort!

The list making task moved swiftly until I came to the untidy desk, with so many odd bits of stationery and a filing cabinet full of old paper work - then it became tedious.

It wasn't until I started to write the list on the studio wall that I began to reflect more on my relationship with the listed objects and I felt quite self conscious. The thought of exposing all my  (and my family's) personal belongings made me fearful of ridicule, teasing and embarrassment.  Interestingly, other students must have felt the same, because no-one came to read the list as I was writing it, but they would wait until I had left the studio!

There were many ways in which people viewed the person/objects in their lives (and mine). Some would not want to reveal the contents of their bathroom cabinet; others their credit card statements. Interestingly, the objects I found most personal,(the personal effects of my parents) were contained in two shoe boxes and kept hidden in the loft.

Gradually I settled into the task and enjoyed writing on the wall! The list was visually impressive; creating a spatial quality that drew the viewer in. 

'A List of Everything in my Home' 2011

2.5 x 1.7m

Ink on plasterboard 

'Inventory' 2011

A hand-made book containing a typeset list of everything in my home.

The idea for the book was initially to create a substantial, imposing block, that would sit on a plinth a bit like a book of  gospels. However, I wanted to present the book in the style of a dictionary, not alphabetically (although with hindsight this would have worked better), but as a list of objects as I find them in my house. Some of the objects would have a code initial next to them to define their origin.

This style of presentation, although very satisfactory, did not give me the huge book! But I was working to a deadline and the work needed to be completed.

I used blotting paper to paint the cover and buckram to bind.

'Inventory' 2011

 15.5 x 28 x 1.5cm

Ink, acrylic paint, paper, buckram and ribbon.