mini prints

I've been working on a mini print series for the Pameran Poskad show in Singapore. Perhaps because I'm staying right on the quayside in Fremantle that I've beccome preoccupied with all things marine (but all things marine are not usually far from my mind anyway). I've called the series 'sea tales'.

Being away from home my challenge was to create something that didn't require a press and would be relatively easy to make and transport. I bought with me a small roller, a couple of perspex plates, already torn printmaking paper and just one small pot of printmaking ink. Here are my test prints, not great inking and some on lined paper but it's just to give the idea.

My first print fell onto my sketchbook easily - a tiny mermaid baby in a sac. I have to explain right now I am a lifelong beachcomber, addicted since a child (I could write a book about beachcombing...) but to keep things short, it was always magical finding a 'mermaid's purse washed up on the beach. They are in fact egg capsules holding the eggs of a species of dogfish. But what if they lived up to their name in some way?

My second print is related to a story my sister posted to me recently about hundreds of starfish washing up on a beach in the UK. The link to the story is here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/8572741.stm The image of hundreds of starfish on the beach stayed with me. The moon gazing character? Up to you...

Ahh... sea angels. What a lovely name. There is a tiny illuminated display at Underwater World in Singapore with some sea angels (Clione limacima) and next time I go I will take some photographs. They are swimming sea slugs and live in the Arctic and Antartic Oceans, so not much chance I'll be seeing them anytime soon in their natural habitat. They are almost transparent and have that ethereal quality like jellyfish - except they really do look like little angels with their 'wings' beating. One thing I love about them is that they have little 'horns' (head tentacles) so they are little angels but a bit devilish too! More images to come...

new website

phew! It's been a long time coming but finally my website is up and running! Here's the link: http://www.alison-wilson.com/
The majority of work in the site has been made in the last two or three years, but I did put in some old favourites like the batik pieces. My intention is to update with new work, and either take older work down or archive it. Think I need to link my blog to the website next update I do aswell... Either way, I hope it'll be a site that's worth returning to.
Big big thank you to Marcel, my ever supportive husband in so many ways :)
And thank you to my mac for making it easy.

the business of being an artist

Last year I met a woman who was halfway through an arts degree. The programme she was following had already given her many of the practical tools she would need as a professional artist. She knew how and where to look for funding (and had already done so), she had a polished artist's statement, business cards and so on. I sincerely hope that her experience is the norm in art colleges today.

My own experience was very different. Admittedly it was a long time ago now, it was the mid 80's, but even so - there was absolutely no career guidance. No discussion about how to approach galleries, how to sell work, how to support yourself. Nothing at all! I was ill-equipped for the workforce to say the least. The underlying message was that if you were good enough you'd make it (no matter what). I felt defeated before I even started and eventually turned my back on art and started a whole new career. I am thankful for that as it took me around the world and opened up many new doors. However....it's taken me years to get back on track where my artwork is concerned.

I would say I've spent the past ten years gradually stepping back into making art again. At first very tentative steps, regaining lost confidence, getting angry about 'what might have been', finding my own voice, learning new skills. I'm still not quite at the place I would like to be but I'm working on it - the business side of being an artist.

nudibranc

I dug up these two small batik pieces today - I hadn't seen them for a very long time. They are based on a species of nudibranc (sea slug) called Chromodoris magnifica - quite a common nudibranc but still very beautiful. I am not sure why I didn't do more of these... I like the idea taking a small area to examine the colour, patterns and textures, rather than the whole thing.

taking stock

literally and mentally....

I have amassed a lot of artwork these past few years and little by little it's been stored in the spare room, crept into my room, into cupboards, wardrobes, drawers. I've collected gorgeous paper from various travels and that is scattered all over too. I decided a week ago that things just can't go on like this - and so I've ordered a large plan chest and have embarked on sorting out all my artwork. 

Well, I thought it might at a stretch take me an afternoon - how wrong could I be?! I have photographed the majority of my work now, but that took me a whole day. Now I am going through everything section by section - deciding what to do with it all. I just cannot hang on to all this artwork. Apart from anything else, I'd like other people to see it! Also, I think it is time to reflect on what I've done, and move some of my work to new homes and move on... I reckon it will take me a week or so to really figure things out. In the meantime, here are two monotype prints I made about three years ago. 

batik baby

My niece is a fan of my batik! I made a wall hanging for her a few months ago - I intended it to be mainly primary colours. In the end it turned out to be mainly burgundy red and deep autumn colours - hardly traditional 'baby' colours! But my sister assures me my niece is entranced by it! I loved the little turtle tjap (stamp) I used in this piece. I used it over and over again - I was thinking of the urgent run baby turtles make to the sea after they hatch. 

north sea coast

I started a long windy description of Kijkduin, Scheveningen and the harbour, but have decided to let my photos do the talking instead… Here are my eight favourite and inspiring things about this lovely stretch of coastline in Holland:

1. strolling along the beach watching seagulls, oyster catchers and terns on the breakwaters

2. walking over the dunes at Kijkduin

3. watching the sunset over the North Sea

4. looking at coastal paintings by the Haagse school of painters and ‘seeing’ the coast a hundred years ago

5. eating pannekoken (pancakes) and steaming hot chocolate after a walk on a cold day at a pancake house in Kijkduin

6. buying fresh fish and seafood at Scheveningen harbour

7. eating fresh fish and seafood at one of the harbour’s restaurants

8. seeing hundreds bikes line the paths leading to the beach