tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59847114755066172522024-03-05T17:22:15.154-08:00Portraits, Paint, and Punk EmbroideryTamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-35941926233799661122015-06-25T07:22:00.001-07:002015-06-26T02:09:18.866-07:00New website liveThis blog is no longer in use, as unfortunately I do not have the time to maintain it and post regularly. Please see my new website: <a href="http://tamsinspargo.wix.com/tamsinspargo">http://tamsinspargo.wix.com/tamsinspargo</a>Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-77527974530187781132014-12-01T07:08:00.002-08:002014-12-01T07:10:50.177-08:00Exhibition opening this weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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The new exhibition, celebrating the first birthday of Camden Image Gallery, opens at the weekend, and above is one of the new pieces I'll be exhibiting. It's been a few months since I last exhibited, as I've had a lot of other things to focus on, so I'm looking forward to showing work again.</div>
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Camden Image Gallery has been very significant for me over the past year. The managing director is one of my close friends, and I've made many new friends through the gallery too. I remember, over a year ago, the first time I saw it before it was open to the public, and the way that it has grown over the last year is inspiring. Elena works extraordinarily hard, and I'm very proud to be associated with this gallery.</div>
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I'm really excited about the new pieces - I was intending to keep these drawings in charcoal only until I was asked to be part of this exhibition, but I feel that using colour has also been really effective. I love how streaks of vibrant colour come through in certain places, and I love the build up of layers, as in my paintings. One thing I'm really enjoying is the freedom to make mistakes and blur them again, and being flexible with how I build up layers. I'm really thinking of this body of work as experimentation, and maybe that is aiding my process.</div>
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Something I've really picked up on in these drawings is the texture that can be developed from constantly screwing up paper and drawing more layers. In the image above in particular, the final layers of pastel look like tracings of texture, and this is something I'm very keen on. I'm now even more enthusiastic about working on paper for a while, and drawing rather than painting. I have an idea for a large and intricate piece of work, totally different to previous pieces, that I plan to work on when I get back to Sweden next month, and now plan to incorporate colour into this piece, as well as monochrome charcoal drawings. </div>
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My recent work, as well as being pieces in their own right, has also been serving as preparatory work for the new idea, and it has really inspired me. I've learned a lot about which types of paper work best, and the different results that different papers can yield. I've now been working with the theme of weathering for just over two years, and it's amazing how the idea has grown and developed in that time. Using paper allows for lots of new possibilities, and I want to keep working with this.</div>
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This exhibition is also significant, because it is likely to be my last exhibition in London for a while. On 2nd January I am going back to Sweden, and this time should be staying for the foreseeable future. I'm looking forward to producing more work, and exhibiting in a new country.</div>
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<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-77540112134578407012014-11-06T07:05:00.002-08:002014-11-06T07:05:31.170-08:00Upcoming exhibitionI've been working on new drawings, and I'm happy to say that I'll be exhibiting some of my new work at Camden Image Gallery next month as part of the gallery's first birthday exhibition. It's really nice that my work was included in the very first exhibition at this gallery, and will now be part of a show exactly one year later.<div>
The theme for this new show is colour, which suits my work perfectly. I'm not really keen to exhibit older work, so I'm starting some similar drawings of body parts in coloured chalk. I plan to build up layers using a variety of colours, to create rich and vibrant pieces. Using a number of colours rather than working exclusively with black charcoal will hopefully create a broad range of effects. I really love smudging and building up layers with charcoal, and I hope that this proves as effective as it has with charcoal. I'm excited to exhibit my new work as it's been a change in direction for me, and one that I find I'm really enjoying working with. </div>
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I've been experimenting with a number of different papers, and I've enjoyed seeing the strengths and weaknesses with each. Currently I'm particularly enjoying working with a thick handmade textured paper. The pieces become textured anyway in the process of weathering, and using a surface that already has some texture adds to this effect. </div>
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The Camden Image Gallery show is open to the public between 7th and 11th December, 12-7pm daily.</div>
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Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-2699033421969341762014-10-07T02:53:00.000-07:002014-10-07T02:53:02.784-07:00Exciting new workAfter a bit of a hiatus I'm getting back into really focusing on producing work, and there's been a bit of a change of direction for me too, which is very refreshing. I've been distracted by other things in my life over the past few months, but this work feels really fresh to me, and has really helped to rejuvenate my motivation.<div>
Recently I've become more interested in drawing than in painting, and this is what I want to concentrate on for now - to the point that I left my paint and brushes in storage in Stockholm! A few months ago I worked on some smudged and layered charcoal drawings, really enjoyed this, and felt that this was something I'd like to take further. As I'm currently between England and Sweden as well, it seems logical to make work that can be moved around more easily than large canvasses. Further to this, rather than concentrating on images of faces, I'm experimenting with drawing body parts, just to bring something new into my work.</div>
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Weathering is still of interest to me, and using paper rather than canvas allows me to explore this theme in a new way. I've been weathering the drawings using various combinations of screwing up the paper, and getting it wet, building up layers of charcoal. I particular like screwing up the paper before drawing, as the textured surface guides the drawing in some ways. I really enjoy working with charcoal and getting quite messy - I see the smudges and shadows in these drawings as a positive, something to build up texture and layering within the drawing. Fixing the images at different stages also contributes to the effect. </div>
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I'm planning to experiment with different types of paper, and keen to also try scratching or scrubbing the image once I have some stronger paper or thin card. I'd also like to experiment with drawing and sewing whilst the paper is still a bit damp - this isn't really possible with the brown paper I'm currently using because it's very thin and fragile, especially when wet.</div>
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Embroidery is still important in the work, and I've been using embroidery as a means of repair, not using it to embellish the imagery in these pieces. To contrast with the smudged, dark charcoal, I'm intentionally using embroidery thread in bright, vibrant colours. I'm full of enthusiasm about this new body of work - it's a departure from my previous work, and feels like it's something a bit new for me. </div>
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Although these pieces can stand up for themselves, they're also preparation for a new work I have in mind, which is very different to anything I've produced before, and which I also feel very excited about. I'm still thinking it through now, but I feel like it could be something quite special. </div>
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I've received a really positive response to these pieces so far, and I'm really in the right frame of mind to keep working on these ideas. I think I needed something new to really grab me and make me throw myself back into my work, and this idea is really working for me now. I think this body of work has relevance to work I've produced previously, but is still bringing in a new angle.</div>
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Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-55956215202156835522014-08-31T16:07:00.000-07:002014-08-31T16:07:06.731-07:00A side projectYesterday I moved from London to Stockholm. The first blog I wrote was during my time living in Finland, and this proved more popular than I ever expected. As a result, the obvious thing to do now is to start a new blog about my experience in Sweden - <a href="http://astrayinstockholm.blogspot.com/">A Stray In Stockholm</a>.<div>
I'm really looking forward to seeing how things unfold here, and to writing about them, and hope that this new blog will be as successful as the first.</div>
Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-38124108150823653172014-07-14T03:54:00.000-07:002014-07-14T03:54:23.755-07:00East Finchley Open<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yesterday I attended the East Finchley Open, an open house event involving lots of local artists. It's a shame I didn't know about this previously, as it's something I would have really enjoyed being involved in. Even more unfortunately as I'm planning to relocate to Sweden at the end of next month, so might not have the chance in the future either.<br />
It was great to see so much art so close to home - one of the locations was literally around the corner from my own home!<br />
There was quite a variety of different media and styles, which I really think was a positive. I didn't manage to visit every single house, but did go to more than half of them. Each one had quite a different atmosphere, which was interesting. What I particularly liked was that there seemed to be quite a lot of fibre art, and I did meet one artist who was a felt maker and had a really nice conversation with her about felting and her work specifically. She incorporated other materials into her felt pieces, and the results were really visually interesting. In the first house I visited there was another artist making textiles based work, which really reminded me of Natasha Kerr's work, and I found it really impressive. Seeing the work in a home environment was a great alternative to a more traditional gallery environment, and I could see how her work in particular could really work in the home.<br />
I obviously can't speak for the houses that I didn't visit, but I would have liked to see more painting. All of the houses had a mixture of different styles and media, and there was plenty of ceramics and jewellery work too, but as painting is of particular interest to me I'd have appreciated seeing more of that. The first house I visited had some amazing paintings, and the artist was really experimental with the way paint works and what it can do.<br />
It was really great to see the diverse range of work being made in this area, especially as Finchley probably isn't somewhere that immediately comes to mind as an artistic hub. Maybe things will start to change with events like this going on. I personally loved the fact that I could access so much art without having to really go anywhere, I managed to visit multiple locations just by walking in a big circle from my house.<br />
The event is also on next weekend, with some slight variation in the artists involved. I strongly encourage people to visit the open houses next weekend, especially if you're in the area, as it was a really worthwhile day. I might even venture to some of the houses I missed out on. It was a really enjoyable afternoon and I met some interesting people too. I'm really pleased that something like this is going on in my area.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-11262585710322186272014-06-23T15:40:00.000-07:002014-07-14T03:56:48.505-07:00My European Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I recently got back from a trip away, where I visited Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Barcelona. It was particularly nice to go to Barcelona as it was the only place on the list that I hadn't been to previously. A lot of people told me beforehand that I'd love Barcelona because of the art and architecture, and they were absolutely right.<br />
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Whilst I was in Stockholm I visited Moderna Museet, the modern art gallery, and it was brilliant. When I go abroad I really enjoy being able to see work by artists from overseas who may not have actually reached England - this is something I really loved about visiting galleries in Finland. This was definitely the case at Moderna Museet. The show at the time was by a Swedish artist, Nils Dardel, who I understand is very well-known within Sweden, but was not someone I had heard of before. I found it really interesting, as the artist had worked in a range of styles throughout his career, but with consistent themes, and it was interesting to see how the style had changed and developed over time.</div>
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Added to that, the permanent collection was very impressive, with work by some very famous names. It took quite a while to get through the entire gallery but it was very worthwhile and I would definitely visit again. The museum is set in a lovely park area by the water, and outside the gallery there were some sculptures that were also really exciting. The area was very green, so the colours of the work outside cut straight through the environment and really stood out.</div>
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I didn't have a chance to see any exhibitions in Amsterdam, but when I got to Barcelona I was particularly excited to visit Fundacio Antoni Tapies. Antoni Tapies is one of my favourite artists, and was a significant influence for me when I worked more with collage. His work still inspires me to be bold and expressive within my work, and this feeling was renewed when I visited. Unfortunately I actually found the gallery quite disappointing, as I had expected it to be bigger and to contain more work. Perhaps part of it was shut whilst I was there, but there was only one room of Tapies' work, and another with a temporary exhibition by another artist. I enjoyed what I saw but felt quite let down by how little there was of it. I understand that the pieces by Tapies are shown on rotation, which leads me to think that it literally is just the one room. I would probably visit again to be sure, but the whole thing took about 20 minutes to get around and was a bit underwhelming.</div>
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I obviously saw a lot of Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, and I loved how vibrant and colourful it made the place seem. I'm really keen to visit Barcelona again in the future as I really enjoyed myself and would like to see more.</div>
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Whilst I was away I took a sketchbook to document my adventure, and this has become an ongoing piece of work now that I'm back home. I always have a sketchbook with me, and working in sketchbooks is something I really enjoy doing. As I have a large number of sketchbooks, some for my own practice and notes, some more like this to document particular experiences, I'm considering exhibiting these in July. This isn't something I've done before but they do represent a significant aspect of my practice, and it presents an alternative to pieces hung on the wall that the viewer can't touch or directly interact with. Now that I'm home and settled I need to get back to the felt pieces I was working on prior to going away, as these could be an additional element to an exhibition. My holiday was absolutely amazing, and I'm glad that the actual experience has given me something to work with at home.</div>
Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-60032813264929631232014-05-13T09:44:00.001-07:002014-05-13T09:44:21.700-07:00Current thingsI've been a bit quiet lately because I've had so much to do, but I'm still alive, and have a couple of plans at the moment. I'm exhibiting at Art Splash at Trispace Gallery on 30th May. It feels like a while since I've exhibited, even though it's not really long at all, and I'm looking forward to this show. I haven't yet started thinking about what I'll actually exhibit, but I'll get to that soon. I think it'll be an interesting event, with music and art.<br />
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The above is a collage, made this afternoon, for Art House Co-op's 5 minute challenge. It was made with materials found around my home, and I think that it sums me up quite accurately. I like it, and I think it's a good reminder of what it's possible to do in only five minutes. I think that sometimes doing a piece of work that is completely unrelated to my general practice can be really useful, and just enjoyable rather than something done for a specific purpose.<br />
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Recently I've been working on some writing rather than actually making art. I'm working on more cut ups, this time inspired by being able to see into the windows of so many of my neighbours. I hope to eventually work on some book art making use of these texts.<br />
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Next month I'm also going away to a few places in Europe for a couple of weeks, and I hope that this opportunity to see art in several countries and have some time to relax will inspire me. At the moment I have ideas for a lot of different pieces of work, and need to focus a bit more.<br />
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<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-83769701406138377082014-03-22T05:08:00.001-07:002014-03-22T05:08:23.436-07:00Coffee Art Project Opens Today!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Coffee Art Project opens in Brick Lane today, and I'm really looking forward to seeing it later on today. I really enjoyed working on my piece for this show, and I'm pleased that I took part. I've seen a video of the exhibition being installed and it looks great, I'm excited to see how other artists have interpreted the theme.</div>
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The show is on until next Sunday, and definitely worth going to see as so many artists are involved.</div>
<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-69287691151206902562014-03-06T09:36:00.000-08:002014-03-06T09:36:16.124-08:00Current work<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This week I've been sketching in charcoal, which I haven't done for quite a while. I've really got back into using it, and I'm particularly enjoying smudging lines or areas I'm unhappy with, and then reworking them. I find this really adds to the character of the sketch, and I find the results to be much more interesting and atmospheric than completely clean lines. I like the build-up of layers and intensity in this image, and I'm keen to work a lot more in charcoal now that I've rediscovered the medium.<br />
I'm also planning some new fibre pieces, having unexpectedly discovered a quantity of unrefined wool amongst my materials this morning. I'm planning to felt the wool and use this as a surface for embroidery, and will most likely also weather the work once it's completed. It's been a few months since I worked on a completely embroidered piece, and I'm feeling a desire to do this again.<br />
<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-45087357064308422792014-02-23T04:54:00.002-08:002014-02-23T06:30:25.612-08:00My art fair experience<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Parallax Art Fair finished yesterday. This was the largest exhibition I've been involved in as of yet, so it was a new experience, and provided great exposure for my work.<br />
Due to other work, including curating a show, I feel that I didn't prepare as far in advance as I should have for Parallax, and I've certainly realised that something on this scale needs more preparation than other shows. I think taking on other shows and responsibilities since agreeing to be part of Parallax might not have been the best idea, and I've realised that in future I need to be more mindful of the workload that I take on.<br />
For consistency, the organisers of Parallax have very specific requirements for how work should be hung. I was under the impression that this wasn't very flexible, and this was the element of the show that caused me the most difficulties, but upon attending the show I noticed that very few people had actually hung their work in the way described by the organisers. If I exhibit at a Parallax event in the future I think I'll be less concerned about<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfZBjIyld-5nRqPG0KJ8Edt0MMF9A1TzSE8lAu-0LS7qZwv2j1qjiJUnsIbDJjEfyOf3MvqOxKw3NZnLgGkSPeZlKHHMpyEhXulS0_whzH0cp6qld2FDf0bSYf84-YUREc04pBN23Xs8/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyfZBjIyld-5nRqPG0KJ8Edt0MMF9A1TzSE8lAu-0LS7qZwv2j1qjiJUnsIbDJjEfyOf3MvqOxKw3NZnLgGkSPeZlKHHMpyEhXulS0_whzH0cp6qld2FDf0bSYf84-YUREc04pBN23Xs8/s1600/002.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>hanging the work in a way that suits me better.<br />
The show was very busy, and during the private view it was difficult to just walk around because it was so crowded. Not every single person at the venue would have seen my work, but I was pleased with the number of visitors. When I attended the fair yesterday a lot of other artists commented to me that it was quieter than they had expected, but there were still a lot of people coming through. The fair was held in Chelsea Town Hall, which is a great location with plenty of foot traffic.<br />
I was really impressed with the huge variety of work and styles in the show. Understandably, not<br />
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everything was to my personal taste, but I feel that anyone could have found something they liked. I really enjoyed being involved in a show that was so diverse. The artists showing encompassed so many different styles, backgrounds, and interests, and for me it was great to be part of a show including artists I doubt I'd ever exhibit with otherwise. I feel that my work was exposed to a really diverse audience, and probably to people who would never normally see, or choose to see, my work. In relation to my own tastes, I really liked that there was so much vibrant, colourful work in the show.<br />
It was interesting also to meet other artists, particularly artists from outside of London. Generally artists were friendly and supportive of each other, but one thing that I found really disappointing is that some artists were perfectly happy to leave their flyers in other artist's spaces, stand in other artist's spaces blocking their work whilst talking on the phone or to a visitor, or leaving their belongings in another artist's space. I noticed this happening quite<br />
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a lot, and a couple of the artists near to me were culprits. I think that one person in particular was just ignorant rather than genuinely rude, but I was quite surprised that some artists had so little regard for others. Perhaps they were just very concerned with promoting themselves and ensuring that they were seen, but I feel it's a poor attitude to do this at the expense of others.<br />
When I saw an artist putting her own flyers in front of my work and business cards I quite happily moved them into her own space, and I hope that others who found this happening took the same approach. The fact that this was happening is probably just the luck of who I was placed near to, and may not have been an issue with other artists or in other parts of the venue. I don't think this would put me off exhibiting at an event like this in the future, it's just unfortunate.<br />
Sitting in my space yesterday was great because I met a lot of different people and got plenty of feedback and comments from the public, which was really positive for me. Many people asked<br />
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questions about the work and made comments, which made me happy. I had quite a good position in the room as my work was at the very back, whereas there were aisles going up the room towards the back, meaning that some people may miss work in one of the aisles, whereas my space was fairly unavoidable.<br />
The pieces I showed were made between 2011 and 2013, including the paintings made in Iceland, and I don't intend to exhibit the same work again in the near future. I have more recent work that I'm pleased with, and I feel that the work with weathering is continue to develop in new ways, so I'd like to focus on that for now. Furthermore, I don't want every show I have to be repetitive and only show the same work. These pieces have all been exhibited at least three times, and I feel that this is enough.<br />
Unfortunately I didn't make any sales at the show, but I feel this was a really valuable experience in terms of exposure for my work. The fair was quite different to the exhibitions I usually take part in, so it was a new experience for me. I'm really pleased that<br />
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I was given the opportunity to take part, and I hope that the exposure my work gained will pay off in the future.<br />
On the whole this was a really positive experience, and I would be interested in exhibiting with Parallax again in the future. I really enjoyed seeing the other work in the show, and will definitely attend future fairs as a visitor. It's exciting to see so much work in one place, and to be exposed to so many different artists all at once. If I exhibit in the future I'll definitely prioritise this show over other work and be more sensible with my preparations. I've been working towards this show since December, and now that it's over I'm looking forward to working on new exhibitions and projects.<br />
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"Expression", the show I've curated for Camden Image Gallery, opened on Saturday night, and I got a lot of really good feedback from both visitors and the artists involved. It was a lot of work but I'm really pleased with the quality of the work in the show, and I think it looks great. The show is now open to the public until 1st March, so please do go along and see the variety of work.<br />
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I'm also exhibiting at Parallax Art Fair later this week, and am now preparing my work for hanging there. I'm really happy that I was offered this opportunity, and I'm looking forward to setting up and the private view on Thursday night. Tickets are free of charge, and can be ordered <a href="http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/parallax-art-fair-tickets-4109694206#">here.</a> This is the last time for the foreseeable future that I will be exhibiting certain pieces, including the pieces made in Iceland, as I'm focusing on progressing and developing the work with weathering, so this is a chance to see these works one last time.<br />
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Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-50509166730435647402014-01-30T04:02:00.002-08:002014-01-30T04:31:11.310-08:00Upcoming exhibitions and work in progressThere's a lot going on at the moment, I haven't had time to update this blog for a while. I finally have a couple of days to focus on actually producing new work, which I'm quite excited about.<br />
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A couple of exciting exhibitions are coming up for me. I'll be showing at Parallax Art Fair in London from 20th - 22nd February, and I'm looking forward to the exposure that this will give my work. Tickets can be purchased at <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://parallaxfeb2014-eorg.eventbrite.co.uk/">http://parallaxfeb2014-eorg.eventbrite.co.uk/</a>. This will be the last occasion for now I'll be exhibiting the work I made in Iceland, as I've shown this extensively since I got back to London. I'll also be showing a couple of older pieces that complement this work, it'll be nice to see recent work shown alongside some pieces that were made a few years ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">I'm also currently curating a show for Camden Image Gallery, to take place between 15th February and 1st March. It's a lot of work but I'm enjoying the process, and have been sent a lot of really great work. I'm really happy with the line-up of artists I have so far, I feel that the works are going to be very cohesive together, whilst also showing each artist's individuality very clearly. There are still some spaces available at an affordable rate, if interested please email me at tamsin@camden-image-gallery.co.uk. Any style/media is considered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">I also have some work in progress at the moment that I'm getting very excited about. A couple of weeks ago I started a piece on a slightly larger scale than usual, with 10 layers of painting, drawing, and weathering, using a combination of natural and deliberate weathering. After painting the background colour blocks I immediately started intentionally weathering the canvas, and was really impressed by the effect this had on the surface. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">Whilst the piece was naturally weathering outside the frame was damaged quite significantly, and now the canvas is kind of twisted and asymmetrical, which brings a brand new effect into the work. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 15px;">I'm not sure how the work will look when hung, as the canvas isn't straight, but I think this will really emphasise the weathering aspect of the work.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;"> I'm ready to start painting the actual portrait now, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this piece completed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">The effect of weathering the surface before the paint dried has really inspired me, so I'm going to work on some abstract pieces made in the same manner over the next couple of days. I loved the background just as it is, so I think these pieces will turn out well, and will also really emphasise the use of weathering in the work. These pieces, along with the portrait piece, may be exhibited at the upcoming exhibition in Camden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">The final exciting thing at the moment is that my work was featured on the Artpromotivate website earlier this week, which has surely exposed my work to a much wider audience. I'm really pleased about this, and the artist spotlight can be viewed<a href="http://www.artpromotivate.com/2014/01/tamsin-spargo-portraiture.html#more"> here.</a></span></div>
Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-7796051215458779262014-01-08T10:42:00.004-08:002014-01-30T04:22:43.075-08:00Call for artistsI'm looking for artists for a group show I'm curating, the gallery is spread over two floors and located opposite Camden Road station in Camden. Any style/media will be welcome, you do not have to be London based to participate. The show will take place between 15th February and 1st March. For more information please contact me at tamsin@camden-image-gallery.co.uk.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-35112776380666696642014-01-04T03:11:00.002-08:002014-01-04T03:11:39.534-08:00Upcoming Solo Show - Interior<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxT8JiWeO6zI5bNyLyxuUrQOC1JeG-rNPS3L0tun5hiPbTIYJht_uZUA-u_0oxNT6yJdvFKMAB0nVvlijg-NnMljkEyAMxPReE9JY0TI932EtVV0KyDNBCBCehWNSAO_nchotBSGldysw/s1600/New+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxT8JiWeO6zI5bNyLyxuUrQOC1JeG-rNPS3L0tun5hiPbTIYJht_uZUA-u_0oxNT6yJdvFKMAB0nVvlijg-NnMljkEyAMxPReE9JY0TI932EtVV0KyDNBCBCehWNSAO_nchotBSGldysw/s320/New+Flyer.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm very pleased to announce an upcoming solo exhibition on 18th and 19th January, titled "Interior". This is a pop-up show in my own home in North London, which will be really different to exhibiting in a conventional gallery setting.<br />
The idea is to provide a more intimate experience, for both viewers and myself as the artist, than a traditional gallery environment could. As my work is quite personal I feel that it makes sense to exhibit it in my private environment. The show will be revelatory, and give viewers an insight into my life. I'm really excited about doing this.<br />
I'll be showing work made between 2011 and 2014, including experiments and pieces that have not been shown before. I'm planning to hang the work like a salon exhibition, and include as much as I can. I'll also be showing some brand new fibre pieces. All work will be for sale.<br />
I'm really looking forward to the show, and I hope to have a good turn out. Refreshments will be provided.<br />
<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-37075858385478494202013-11-24T08:43:00.004-08:002013-11-24T08:44:26.446-08:00Visit to the Saatchi Gallery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_36kHiNH1rsRthzgrjlyZDfcf1mkc9MCJQ7v-siUNe1BxMckLsWDpNxn_OKwPgYzzWi5dGJcOb9laNYhyphenhyphenMdI_t5zzkoC3hhPgwcgyaaHZVXeFRjA4clWnV1GmMElseVqGWkZb9L7o3E/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_36kHiNH1rsRthzgrjlyZDfcf1mkc9MCJQ7v-siUNe1BxMckLsWDpNxn_OKwPgYzzWi5dGJcOb9laNYhyphenhyphenMdI_t5zzkoC3hhPgwcgyaaHZVXeFRjA4clWnV1GmMElseVqGWkZb9L7o3E/s320/021.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
On Wednesday I went to the private view of "Body Language" at Saatchi Gallery, and really enjoyed it. I always enjoy the shows at the Saatchi, but this one was of particular interest to me, as my own work deals with the human form. I always like the fact that there is so much variety within the show, and there's always a number of pieces that I really love. I particularly enjoyed the gallery with the installation on the left, the images on the wall were of engraved headstones, and the wooden headstone sculptures in the centre of the room really made an impact as soon as I walked into the room. I loved a lot of the work, but I found this installation particularly impressive. Definitely worth a visit, and I think I'll probably go back to see the show for a second time.<br />
I really enjoyed seeing the human form described in so many different ways, and I came away with a few things to think about in relation to my own work.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKKWWPEoW95uWrsdg7m8jvWagXt4-vCcGSkugzp5ChIFPqUWjH8bWxqbkMrPH2zlJRFE2wPlOCL0Yh3uN0Di1PZ_FUZq2g5g0sRv1UCPTuC2cri2KGN03sFMjiPEXSDIcvmPyUMaCUsw/s1600/022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKKWWPEoW95uWrsdg7m8jvWagXt4-vCcGSkugzp5ChIFPqUWjH8bWxqbkMrPH2zlJRFE2wPlOCL0Yh3uN0Di1PZ_FUZq2g5g0sRv1UCPTuC2cri2KGN03sFMjiPEXSDIcvmPyUMaCUsw/s320/022.JPG" width="240" /></a>In regards to my own work and shows, I'm in the final stages of a new piece for the exhibition in Camden, and I'm quite excited about it. I'm planning to show this piece alongside the two smaller pieces that were made in Iceland, and I'm looking forward to<br />
getting my work into the gallery on Friday. This week marks the start of a very busy period for me, but I'm pleased that there will be so much going on.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-26763423268216367802013-11-15T04:57:00.000-08:002014-01-30T04:22:57.675-08:00Vibe Gallery exhibition and other shows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<br />
The exhibition at Vibe Gallery was, I understand, a great success. Unfortunately I wasn't able to attend as I was in Edinburgh, but I'm told that the private view was very busy, and there was a lot of good feedback about the show. My friend Alison curated it, and from what I can tell she did an amazing job. I really wish I could have been there, but nonetheless I'm really pleased that I was able to be involved. The space is great, and this was my first opportunity to exhibit the two canvasses I brought back from Iceland.<br />
I have a couple of other exhibitions in the pipeline that I'm really excited about. From 7th - 17th December there will be the first ever exhibition at <a href="http://www.camden-image-gallery.co.uk/">Camden Image Gallery</a>, a brand new gallery opening in Camden Town, owned by one of my friends. I went to see the space for the first time on Wednesday evening, and I'm so impressed. My friend Elena has worked really hard to get this together, and I'm so proud of everything she's done. I'm really looking forward to exhibiting in this show, alongside a really varied selection of artists, I think it's going to be really successful, and encourage everyone to come along and see the gallery and show. I'm also acting as Promotions Manager for her, so I'm hoping that lots of people come along to see the gallery for the first time. More details will follow soon.<br />
I'm very proud to announce that in January I will be having my very first solo exhibition, a pop-up show in my local area. I'm still in the planning stages as present, but I can confirm that this will be happening on 18th and 19th January. Again, this is a great opportunity that I'm really happy about.<br />
I feel that things have been really exciting, and moving very quickly, since I came back from my residency at the end of September. The residency gave me a lot of time to reflect on my work and how things are going, and I definitely came back feeling extremely motivated. To a certain extent actually making work has taken a back seat for the time being, as I have a lot of work to do in terms of setting up shows, but from January onward I'm planning to get back to focusing on this, as well as continuing to exhibit as frequently as possible. Things are going really well at the moment with my work, and I feel that a lot of excellent opportunities are coming up. My renewed motivation has probably helped to actually bring up these opportunities; yet another benefit of my residency experience!<br />
More details will follow about both of the upcoming exhibitions. At the moment I feel quite snowed under with work, but I have no doubt that it'll be very much worthwhile!Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-13529266491478730752013-10-20T05:10:00.000-07:002014-01-30T04:04:19.179-08:00Current Works in Progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVGWJB9ICxGembOoBE4Iziaw0CneccmzYIh6o2BB_fGWZqaBdL3bsDtJ9fmqxmm9d1K8RWKW9OWbN-wp-HGbdonh2qK4MvTVHgUZyFglsNph5NDYR4hWYqqnl5Fa6gV4Px2RAn_nDTBY/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVGWJB9ICxGembOoBE4Iziaw0CneccmzYIh6o2BB_fGWZqaBdL3bsDtJ9fmqxmm9d1K8RWKW9OWbN-wp-HGbdonh2qK4MvTVHgUZyFglsNph5NDYR4hWYqqnl5Fa6gV4Px2RAn_nDTBY/s320/009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm really happy with how the fibre piece is developing. It's been outside for about a week now and is quickly becoming stained. I really wasn't sure what to expect from this piece, as it's brand new for me, but I'm liking the progress so far. I wasn't expecting the pigment from the thread to bleed onto the fabric in some places, as the embroidery has always come after the weathering process, so this is really interesting.<br />
The fabric has become stained quickly, and as this piece has so much negative space I really want to push this as far as possible, and make the surface as discoloured as it can be. I think this piece could<br />
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potentially be really impressive, so although I initially hoped that this piece would be finished quite quickly, I'm happy to wait to make sure this piece really makes an impact.<br />
Today I've also completed a new shredded piece. I was really happy with the small scale experiment I made in this way before going to Iceland, so I've been keen to re purpose larger canvasses that I was unhappy with. This piece had already been embroidered, and the loose embroidery threads look great with the shredded strips on canvas, it makes the work much more intense. I have another canvas I want to alter in this way, and I love reworking something I was unhappy with into something I'm pleased to show.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-77460362079456267322013-10-15T10:54:00.002-07:002014-01-30T04:04:40.938-08:00Weathered Fibre Work and an Upcoming Show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZGqgOJGIzXyDmuRdZmabvCetjJRWeATlCKH41e2hQggkB29Io4bHw2jG6rJ7TnWD7dxIaCTzfu-PE3NmiQcILZ2fgrynGp9OQtNmfbagB9rg80OrVeriyi7CqEJJoP2l9j3Fl88fgIY/s1600/018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZGqgOJGIzXyDmuRdZmabvCetjJRWeATlCKH41e2hQggkB29Io4bHw2jG6rJ7TnWD7dxIaCTzfu-PE3NmiQcILZ2fgrynGp9OQtNmfbagB9rg80OrVeriyi7CqEJJoP2l9j3Fl88fgIY/s320/018.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
I'm finally back in London, and back to working away. I'm now working on my first ever weathered fibre piece, this is brand new for me and I can't wait to see how it turns out.<br />
The embroidery part of the piece was completed much more quickly than I expected, and the work has been outside for a few days now. I'm very interested to see how the material is affected by becoming wet and drying out repeatedly.<br />
The material is already becoming stained, so I'm hoping the impact will be great. I didn't tidy the edges of the fabric prior to placing it outside, as I'm hoping this might lead to some fraying and damage on the edges. If the weathering process goes as speedily as the initial sewing I will hopefully be in a position to exhibit the work quite soon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FEaxfp_8CxRy7ZVWZCUYknFNqnHL7Po8Xh_s4QsYjB4XxANOozOfBFluc2n1WG7zfZ0kPSrz1jZo8qZsTtxfUHn5PnFnJWI9QYJsmjfLQIBTc5AAbOPEwIbpcd0c7KmPYTdG7GzJbS8/s1600/the+real+reality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FEaxfp_8CxRy7ZVWZCUYknFNqnHL7Po8Xh_s4QsYjB4XxANOozOfBFluc2n1WG7zfZ0kPSrz1jZo8qZsTtxfUHn5PnFnJWI9QYJsmjfLQIBTc5AAbOPEwIbpcd0c7KmPYTdG7GzJbS8/s320/the+real+reality.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></div>
On the subject of exhibitions, I'm happy to say that I'll be showing some work at Vibe Gallery in London next week. One of my friends is curating the show and has worked really hard, I think the show is going to turn out really well, definitely worth seeing if you're in London! Unfortunately I won't be able to make the private view, but I'm really pleased to be involved.<br />
There are a few other shows coming up for me soon, in London and New York. Details to follow in due course...Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-73950432298137828702013-09-24T12:07:00.003-07:002013-09-24T12:07:56.660-07:00Mountains meet the skyHere I have been writing a lot more than usual, I think this is because I've had so much time to think and reflect on various parts of my life, and writing is a useful way to get the thoughts out of my head. Before I came to Iceland I was working on a series of cut ups about various moments from a particular day in July, these are now completed, and I'm planning to turn them into some artist's books when I get home.<br />
I've also been writing on other subjects, and feel that I've refined my cut-up technique. I used cut-ups in my work during the last year of my degree, but the current ones are longer and more detailed. I find that I prefer writing in cut-ups, because they are so reflective of thoughts and feelings, and the way the clauses combine can be revealing. Sometimes the results can be more truthful than what is written in the first place.<br />
The initial texts I write are not structured into paragraphs, and are usually a stream of consciousness on a particular subject or theme. Writing a narrative doesn't really work for this type of writing, as the meaning and chronology can so easily be distorted, and I do not want the real feelings of the text to become lost.<br />
I break the text into lines and sentences, and then reassemble these. Putting clauses back together at random can sometimes lead to very long, drawn out sentences, which I punctuate if necessary. Sometimes the combination of clauses can form a sentence that I do not feel is appropriate to the theme of the text, in which case I will add a comma to break it up and restore the desired meaning. I also insert paragraph breaks where I feel appropriate. Aside from this editing, I allow the text to be randomly reassembled, and I am not at all selective about the order in which the text is put together. To ensure that the reassembly is random I keep each piece of paper face down, only revealing what is written once I've already selected the next line.<br />
Currently the titles for the texts come from phrases or clauses within the work that stand out for me, or which I feel are particularly representative of the theme or mood I am aiming for.<br />
<br />
The following is a text I wrote yesterday, entitled "Mountains Meet The Sky". This is about a walk I took yesterday afternoon in the Icelandic countryside, in a bid to clear my head after receiving some bad news recently. I have written a number of cut ups about my experience in Iceland, and am considering how these could be presented, in the form of another artist's book, or in exhibition alongside the canvasses I have made here.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b>I climbed a, no one else
could be seen. When the path became a puddle I decided to move the occasional
wanted until this point. Everything. Harder than all of the times I have seen
the mountains in the world. The strangest feeling. Was strange. Uneven where
the mountains meet the sky. I through puddles, and really didn’t care if I
looked, how did I ever come this far?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Me there was some comfort in the silence of the for me.
Only nature. Slight crackles as the grass and weeds settled around, I have
stayed by the sea. I saw the whole village, and and as my time some
perspective. For just a little while. Atmosphere. I could have been the only
one left all of these autumnal, the many colours that form it. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> The simple act of sitting out there alone, it was today.
Angle, and appreciated it all over again. Saw something new. Nothing matters,
as long as you are free. But I decided to wander to the mountains. But I had
reached my own, been no sound at all. Complete privacy. But I know it is not.
Trying to understand. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Here nears its conclusion, I wanted to reassure pure
silence. One. In a week, which seems so hard to believe. Car passed in the
distance, but nothing and no one and for I had space. I considered where I’ll
be being closer made it hit me, it’s so the ground, absolutely no noise.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Rocky peak, excited for what may lie behind. It wasn’t
even cold, I was the sea, and the mountains in the distance, topped I was the
mountains over there seem ice blue before. Blue sky and the plants surrounding
me. I wanted some I was truly isolated, and that was ok. Ready for home, I
wasn’t ready to give up. Just nothingness. Maybe I should have done this the
concentration of life in the village, a few lonely there was colours in a
winter land. Think that was exactly what was needed today.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Maybe I just needed time to myself, with no risk at all,
I saw this place from another perhaps it was a need to escape. And maybe that
was what I needed. Landscape, which felt so alien to all that I know. Here is
not flat at all. The sea is what I like best. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> I waded through marshy grasses, and odd. I tried to
understand a lot of things very far. The skyline is jagged and here only myself
and the cloudless hit me. The nature of my thoughts is fairly of being
interrupted. To come in, it suddenly seemed like a hub of activity.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Content to sit on that small peak and watch over it was I
was from further away. Alone. This afternoon in the sunshine. Belonged to me.
With snow. At it felt both refreshing and unnerving, no one would see. Break
from civilisation and reality. I am breathless here. As I am not at peace yet,
but I became calmer in this wide open, exposed space, I had the concept of
being outside and obvious at the present time. Maybe the space gave me think
any place has ever hit me harder than I wasn’t how big the world is.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Myself that I had really taken advantage of this it is
peaceful here, but I needed more. Out of place, and really didn’t care at all.
I could see everything. The sun did enough to keep me comfortable. I could
never stay here, but I don’t colours everywhere. I probably looked completely a
stony path that sometimes turned to mud, and I thought about how small I am,
and blue sky. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> A home, but it is somewhere I have come to know, and am high
above the village. All of the space had not planned this walk, but had been hit
I was awestruck as the mountain a was near me. Free. And white, peeping through
the clouds and the situation. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> By the time I returned to the village, tiredness starting
at I could be completely alone time alone, truly alone. Far from the sea as I
could be here, which is still not far removed from this place, which I cannot
really say is through the tall grasses, past the stunted trees. Came closer
towards me, and I could clearly see houses dotted on the outskirts, horses
grazing far below. Little peak and could see clearly in every direction. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><b> Times this place has seemed bleak and grey, but not with
my thoughts, which was never what I really, the contradictions in this village
continue to I gained a new perspective on the place, and one time I decided to
lie down, all I could see was me, but no people, no cars, no sources of noise. With
a sudden desperate urge to just do something. Not seeing any other people is
still strange to me, but I maybe the only time in my whole life when there has.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-56738405033879480322013-09-23T06:50:00.003-07:002013-09-23T11:33:57.707-07:00The last weekI can't believe it's the last week of my residency, and this time next Monday I'll be back in England. The week hasn't had the best start, as I've found that my final canvas was blown away during the night, meaning that only 2 canvasses have actually survived.<br />
I'm not quite sure how I feel, as it is a bit disappointing, but it is a risk I have to accept when it comes to working here. At least I can say that I'm really pleased with the two canvasses I do still have, and I'm keen to exhibit them once I got home. It would have been nice to have come away from this with a larger body of work, and I didn't plan for this happening because I honestly didn't know that the conditions here would be strong enough to make this happen. I'm satisfied with what<i> </i>I have, but it would have been good to have more work.<br />
This week will mainly be spent planning and preparing for future work, in particular the weathered fibre piece I hope to work on. I think I'll also try a couple of works of paper or wood whilst I still have the chance. I've put an experiment on wood out in place on the canvas piece, and hopefully this will last as it's a bit heavier than the canvas.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-64072265541510217192013-09-22T05:17:00.002-07:002014-01-30T04:10:34.095-08:00Final piece is in progress<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My final canvas here is now outside, I can't believe I am going back to England in a week! On this occasion I've tied the canvas with a longer rope, so it can be carried around by the wind and moved a bit more than the other pieces. I'm hoping that this will lead to it being bashed around a bit more than the others, and will produce a new result.<br />
The canvas has already been outside for a couple of days, which should give it plenty of time to become weathered, and then finished off before I go back to Reykjavik and then home. It does feel like a shame to be leaving, as having experienced the conditions here I feel that there is much more potential for this type of work to be made here, and unfortunately I don't have time to explore many more ideas.<br />
However, I've had time here to experiment with using other materials and surfaces that I hadn't previously considered, and this has definitely been helpful. I was already planning to work on an exclusively fibre based piece, and then weather this naturally when<br />
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I got home, and I now feel really excited to get onto this. I don't know why it never previously occurred to me to bring together the weathering process with a fibre piece, and I'm sure this will be interesting as I have no idea what to expect from that. I've been doing a lot of embroidery recently, in sketchbooks as well as on canvas, so I'm really into that at the moment.<br />
I feel that this experience has been hugely beneficial for me, as I am coming away with a lot of ideas and plans, as well as a body of work. I've gained exactly what I wanted to from this residency, and I'm keen to take part in further residencies in the future. Perhaps I will even find myself returning to Nes at some stage!<br />
When I initially applied for a few residencies I was mainly interesting in visiting a completely different environment, any environment, in order to develop the weathering work. But I really think things worked out excellently, as not only is the Icelandic coast completely different to anything I'm used to, but it has been so extreme and unpredictable, and greatly benefited my work. I think this really was the perfect place to bring the work and develop in further. I'm unsure whether I will carry on working with natural weathering once I get home, aside from the planned fibre piece, as the results will definitely not compare to what has happened here. However, if I do decide to do that I have some clear ideas now on how to make the process more effective.<br />
I've absolutely loved having a period of time to concentrate purely on my work without other distractions, in particular having a day job that takes away so much of my time and energy. It obviously will not be the same once I am back in London, but I have some ideas on how to use my time more effectively when it comes to art. This has been a very significant experience for me and my career, and I'm so grateful that I was given this opportunity, I think it was exactly what I needed. I'm sad that the experience is nearly over and that I'll soon be home and back to reality, but I am looking forward to the future.Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-80453834441605551322013-09-18T10:41:00.002-07:002014-01-30T04:14:00.694-08:00Two more finished pieces and an exhibition!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm pleased to say that yesterday was a really productive day for me, and I completed two pieces. The first is a new experiment on paper, which was placed outside whilst the paint was still wet, and I love how gravel has stuck onto the paper as a result. This piece weathered quickly, and needed to be fixed up with embroidery, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.<br />
The director of my residency has invited residents to participate in an exchange exhibition with some artists in New York, the theme being the idea of a faraway place, and the work being a letter to the viewer. I think this piece would be ideal, as it literally contains a small part of Skagastrond, so I plan to leave it with her before I go back to London on 29th September. This particular exhibition is still a work in progress, so more details to follow.<br />
Yesterday I also finished the second canvas I was working on, the same one I needed to retrieve from the cliffs in the morning. When I looked at it more closely it had become scratched from being dragged along the rocks, and the paint also has some fine cracks<br />
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in it. The weathering in this particular piece is more subtle than in the first canvas I completed, but I'm still happy with it. I wanted to the outcomes to be different for each canvas, and I think the subtle effects in this piece contrast well with the bolder first canvas.<br />
This means that I have one canvas left to work on, and I hope to work on that tomorrow. At least by now I'm much more aware of the problems that working in this manner can bring, and I'm more prepared. I feel optimistic.<br />
I'm also still working on some small experiments on paper, wood and foam board, to see if and how the results differ from my work on canvas.<br />
I'm also happy to confirm an upcoming exhibition at Vibe Gallery in London from 25th - 29th October. Details can be found here:<br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/1416556288571477/?fref=ts">http://www.facebook.com/events/1416556288571477/?fref=ts</a><br />
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<br />Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-53851779399045495152013-09-17T05:22:00.001-07:002014-01-30T04:11:49.992-08:00First finished piece!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm so happy to say that I've now finished one canvas, and I am so pleased with how it has turned out. It has been titled "Mud", for obvious reasons!<br />
Embroidering the canvas last night was a messy job, due to the amount of dirt of the surface, but it was absolutely worthwhile. The weathering is so clear here, and I'm still amazed by how quickly it happened. This is exactly the kind of result I wanted all along, so I'm very satisfied with this piece. In Iceland I've been working on a smaller scale than usual, due to time constraints, and I think this has also helped to speed up the process.<br />
I love that there is balance between areas that are built up and intense, and areas such as the forehead that are less blemished, I think that really works in this piece. I also love that the dampness of the environment has caused to chalk to spread and drip in some places, that wasn't a result I was expecting but I think it works in contrast with the bolder aspects of the work.<br />
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This piece has really confirmed for me that bringing my practice out here for a time was the best decision, I've accomplished what was not possible in London. When I originally conceived this idea, about a year ago, this was the kind of effect I was imagining and hoping for. I had to go a lot further than I expected to manage this, but I'm really satisfied now.<br />
However, unfortunately yesterday I found that the piece in the rockpool has been washed away. This really doesn't surprise me, as in the past few days the sea has been very choppy, the waves have been even more violent than they were last week. with the waves being so big I would probably have drowned if I'd gone down to check the painting over the weekend.<br />
It's a shame, but an occupational hazard if I choose to work in this way. I'm glad that I was at least able to document the weathering process with images and film, even though there is no work at the end of it. It has highlighted that I perhaps need to be even more<br />
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careful when it comes to securing the works, so I'm keeping a very close eye on the piece that is still outside.<br />
I am considering bringing it inside today, as it is already scratched, and this morning I had to climb along the rocks to retrieve it, as the winds last night had blown it further down the cliffs, along with the rock it is tied to. I obviously knew that the weather conditions would be more dramatic here, but I didn't understand just how extreme it could be. It's completely unpredictable, and whilst that it great for the weathering process I'm having to work a lot harder just to make sure that I do actually have some pieces left!<br />
Even if the remaining works don't go to plan I'm so happy with this painting, and will be exhibiting it in London next month for sure. Yesterday I also placed a couple more paper experiments outside, and I'm also planning to try out a piece on wood, to see if and how this differs from weathering canvas. I'm so excited about the possibilities here!Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5984711475506617252.post-69731456952462824812013-09-16T07:30:00.002-07:002013-09-16T07:30:34.714-07:00One piece is back inside!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've just brought a painting inside, ironically this was the last one I placed outside, only yesterday! I suppose that's what happens when you put something in a pile of dirt whilst it's hailing. It still needs to be embroidered, but I am so excited about the outcome. I cannot stress enough what a brilliant decision it was to work here, the results are so much quicker and more effective than they were in London. I'm really happy, and I'm just waiting for the canvas to dry before finishing it off.<br />
I'm so fortunate in that this opportunity has also allowed me a lot of time to reassess my work and career, and I feel that I have a really clear direction to go in when I get home in two weeks. I'm halfway through my residency now, and I've already benefited so much. I know what I want to work on when I get back home, and I have a clear idea of how to facilitate that as well.<br />
I also have a few exhibitions coming up. One will be at Vibe Gallery in London between 25th and 29th October, and a couple of others are tbc. I'm expecting to show some of the work made<br />
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in Iceland at Vibe, and probably some older work too.<br />
This period of time has been really productive for me, and I'm also so full of plans and ideas for the future, I feel so fortunate to be having this experience. It's really sad to think that this residency will come to an end soon, but I'm sure that the next two weeks will also be a very beneficial time for me, especially as some works are nearing completion. Soon it'll be time to worry about getting it all back to London!Tamsinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01750296892707646859noreply@blogger.com0