Here is a self -portrait from 1978 in oil pastel. It was in my final show at Leeds. I only have this, a few more drawings and a little oil I shared in the previous post. The setting is the garden at my parents’ house in Helton. Yes, it is very influenced by Munch who I studied for my final dissertation. We are inspired and influenced by so many artists throughout our lives, but ultimately have to find our own artistic voice and not slavishly copy. We work through the influences that resonate and articulate our own artistic voice whatever that may be. That is not wrong, as Francis Bacon iterated ‘To create something …is a sort of echo from one artist to another.’

I understand now that I have some of the jigsaw pieces in place. Leeds University in 1976 was suddenly pervaded with an interest in the Situationists. It was radical and Marxist. I am not a Marxist, but I do know that such positions would advocate revolutionary approaches to status quo and radical thinking in the arts. This mindset came into the Fine Art department in Leeds. All this is great and generated much heated debate asking fundamental questions about what art is, and even who we are and do we even need our names. So, the old pedagogies and ways of approaching disciplines like painting were about to be turned upside down. Studio based contemplative retreat into creative response was challenged by the punk rock bands that took over Leeds University art department studios. Where could the more introspective and quiet painters retreat to? With their peace disturbed in this radical fashion the only choice would be to fight back in a different way, join in or retreat to a quieter place to pursue their own creative response. 

 Gender issues were also brought to the fore in seminars when looking at painting in a new and challenging way, though the formal aspects of studying painting were sometimes side-lined in pursuit of this politicised agenda. The idea of artist as hero like Jackson Pollock and the abstract expressionists was also being subverted. This needed to happen, and was timely, however the baby was in danger of being thrown out with the bath water. The art historian is usually someone who does not paint or create him or herself but can have a huge influence on the creativity of young artists. I am a great believer in art being its own language. Why write about it when the art itself is a language in itself? This was all happening very fast and not in a gentle way. Gentle is not the idea behind revolution. Whoever heard of a gentle revolution? The trouble is that the creative impulse comes from deep inside each individual and should be carefully and responsibly guided and nurtured. Artists have always come together to support each other, and this is one of the wonderful things behind the creative impulse. To share and challenge ideas, but to also be sensitive to the way each person really wants to express themselves. 

The Leeds creative explosion caused a lot of collateral damage. You could say that it needed to happen and that new movements and ideas for change are generated this way. However, young people are so impressionable and sometimes do not know when they are being used as conduits for others’ ideas or ego to realise itself through their talent. There must be room for many ways of working. Collaboratively and dynamically in mixed studio settings, or quietly and reflectively in a single artist’s studio. Francis Bacon worked this way, and though untrained, became one of our most Avant Garde artists of his generation. I have seen this first hand throughout my career as an art teacher. One way of working cannot be allowed to overshadow another and sensitivity in this regard is a duty of care on the part of the tutors and visiting practitioners. You could say that these are adults as all are over 18 years old, but these are young adults away from home for the first time. They need to be guided and given the space to create with care. It is not enough to drop the grenades of strong ideas like the Situationists had and step back and watch what happens. These are human beings not lab rats. Lots of money was made by the young artists who formed bands in the studios at Leeds University and they used their skills in graphic design to market their music. You could say it was a success in that way, so all is well. But is that all we need to say? Were they trying to please, to somehow give what was being asked of them. They themselves would have to answer this.  A house style developed that was ahead of its time and still looks fresh: heightened and neon colour became a trademark. The handmade DIY look also became de rigeur in some responses to album design. Formal painterly concerns were put to one side it could be said in favour of a fresh and dynamic unfettered- by- the-past response. The list could go on. 

 Meanwhile some of the painters retreated into their band of monks reinforcing a more measured and controlled response that came down from Euan Uglow and other successful artists at the time. No-one imparted to us the likelihood of making a living as an artist was remote. There was no realistic and grounded advice being given for life beyond the art course. Measured drawing and painting meant that work could often look similar and static. They were protected in their little conclave of likeminded people and not challenged or challenging like the punk rockers. To be outside all of this meant you were isolated and alone needing to find a solitary artistic direction or wait to do so in the real world. The punks should have kept painting throughout, and it’s great to know that some came back to it in exciting new ways that keep the punk sense of humour and irony and address disturbing social issues as demonstrated at Becoming the Ouroboros show at Leeds University recently. Painting still has a strong place and identity of its own in contemporary artistic response. Watch this space. 

 We need to go further now and offer solutions through creativity. Like the Harvey Myra Hindley portrait made up of the handprints of dead child victims, it’s not enough to highlight these things without trying to help in some real way. I know the artist is mirroring the sense of disgust as Marcus Harvey did in his painting, and he was not simply celebrating a heinous crime, but we need to go further. We need to try to help through what we make and do. Art becomes social. It always was and is, but the formal issues should never be debunked as not mattering. They always do. You just need to try making a drawing or painting yourself to know. Save the baby of art history and painting whilst building something new.                                 Still Life with Glasses and Jug 1978 Leeds oil

Here is the drawing that I made on the spot that is informing my current embroidery/oil. Still have more to do and love how the work fixes itself in my mind on a daily basis. The slow nature of the sewing helps this and is meditative as it continuously brings you into the present. It is complex so there is not room in your mind for other stuff!

Here is a detail of a piece I am working on at the moment from a sketch made at the lake earlier this year. I will post the sketch in the next post. It is approaching being done but not quite there yet. This is a delicate stage and am feeling my way towards it. I am leaving things sooner than I used to so as to not over-egg the pudding. I need to get outside again soon I think to do more drawing. I do have an idea for a piece to do over the winter months but will let it mergle with me for a bit as is my wont!

Here is a little video of me sewing on my current piece based on Birks Mere lake here in the UK. It was suggested to me to take little videos of me working on pieces like this as a way of sharing my practice. I find that my sewing pieces don’t mind me doing this a bit! Oil painting is a bit different- it seems I have to guard the gold there until it is ready to be seen. The embroidery is very much about process though that brings us into the moment and video is in the moment so it kind of fits!

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I have started oil painting on areas of my canvas piece that I have rabbit skin glue sized with two layers of the same. Am avoiding the embroidered areas that came to a natural pause. I may go back to some embroidery in it, will see where it takes me. The layering of dye then glue then oil paint seems to work, and I really like moving between the media as they all offer something different. It has been suggested to me to make little videos of me embroidering or painting which I am gradually approaching doing, and will put on here if it works. The embroidery doesn’t seem to mind being shared as it is very much about process, so we’ll see. Onward and upward as they say. Click to enlarge and see detail as usual folks!

Just to share what I have been making so far recently. I used a drawing I made on the spot of the lake in the Lake-district here in the UK as a starting point. Am sharing the drawing here too. I had the idea to dye the canvas first, and then do some embroidery whilst it was on the stretcher prior to sizing some areas with rabbitskin size that dries transparent so you would still see the dye. Then I can oil paint on chosen areas as well. I won’t use primer and have researched that you can paint direct with oil on sized canvas without priming if you want to. Rules are made to be broken, but I don’t want the unsightly chip fat look of oil seeping outside the brush-marks. So lets hope this works! I have mixed embroidery with painting before, but on ready-made canvases. So am curious where this new venture takes me with a canvas I have stretched myself from scratch. The meditative quality of sewing, and repetitive action of pushing the needle through the canvas is satisfying. It felt a bit like one of those celtic drums, as I held the stretcher to sew and turned it to fasten threads. You can engage with the physicality of the canvas much more than having it on an easel. I kept standing back from the embroidery too to decide what marks to make next. I find all this glacially slow, but interesting for me. I will post further updates when I have done more! Embroideries don’t seem to mind being shared as I go along unlike paintings!

I went to Wasdale in the lakedistrict recently and sketched this iconic mountain and a fell next to it. It was overcast at first but the cloud burned away to reveal the granite characteristic outcrops. I didn’t try to climb the mountain but my partner did. He said the rocks coming down were a bit hairy so I was glad I didn’t try. I thoroughly enjoyed sketching and painting though. One of my favourite valleys. Click to enlarge as usual.

A visit to the garden in the lakedistrict here in the UK provided yet more inspiration last Friday when I went to work and sketch. I take photos too throughout the day. The colour in the garden itself was compelling this time not the lake so much. Just click on the images to enlarge. I enjoy the flowers in all their stages, whether in bud, full bloom or withering with petals falling.. The wind moved through the whole garden as we worked and the fragrances were intoxicating. Overload of the senses! It was great to be immersed in this place as well as painting and drawing it. So many perspectives, a happy place. A duck landed on the lawn and waddled towards us then flew off, something is always happening..

We went on a little trip to Northumbria and I drew this bridge from our hotel garden. The stone is a wonderful yellow ochre sandstone round there. The trip to Hadrian’s wall and Housteads fort was another highlight. A real atmosphere, and you could imagine the soldiers and community living and working there. The wall itself was imperfect in some places and was made by ordinary soldiers not master masons which added yet another dimension. I took a few shots with my digital SLR which I much prefer as what you see through the viewfinder is the image that is captured, which wasn’t the case with my other camera that broke.