4th July: The end of lockdown and how I survived the pandemic!

Today is the 4th July. The lockdown is easing and pubs are opening again. There is a feeling of freedom in the air! Today is also the day that The Frome Festival was to open. Usually my studio would have been tidied, repainted and open for visitors. This year the Frome Art Trail is online and visitors are invited to look at the artists' websites instead: https://www.frome-open-art-trail.co.uk
          During Lockdown I have continued going my studio. My life-line has been the Artist Support Pledge instigated by the artist Matthew Burrows where artists sell work for a maximum of £200 and pledge to buy an artwork from another artist on the scheme when they have raised £1000. This has raised millions of pounds to support artists in their work and for me personally has kept my head above water for the time being! I was also lucky enough to sell work outside the scheme too, mainly thanks to the powers of Instagram. Below are images of some of my sales during this time. Thanks to all of you who have supported me and bought my work. It has been a strange time but at least it’s been productive!

The Wishing Tree at Black Swan Arts Open

I am very happy that my painting "The Wishing Tree" has been accepted for The Black  Swan Open 2016. 

The Wishing Tree refers to the widespread practice of hanging ribbons known as “cloughties” in the branches of special trees to symbolise a prayer or wish.

It is also in memory of the Holy Thorn Tree in Glastonbury that was cut down by vandals in 2010.

The opening is on 20th October and there are quite a few prizes to be won! The exhibition runs from Friday 21st October until the 19th November.

 

The Wishing Tree- oil and copper leaf on linen

The Wishing Tree- oil and copper leaf on linen

Paintings on copper leaf

During the summer I started work on some paintings on panel using copper leaf as a base.

The first one was "Hedgerow Venus", so named because during my research I found that copper was associated with the goddess Venus in mythology and alchemy. This was owing to its lustrous beauty, its ancient use in producing mirrors, and its association with Cyprus, which was sacred to the goddess. The elemental alchemy symbol for copper is also the planetary symbol for Venus. 

Appropriately it was also the symbol of Eternal Life. The Ankh was the symbol of Isis, the goddess of Motherhood, healing, and immortality. The Ankh was also carried by many of the Egyptian Gods/Goddesses.  The flowers in the painting were ones I found on the wasteland around my studio. 

And this is work in progress… 

I am working with animals which are significant in stories and myths and can lead us to understand more about our connection to nature and our ancient past.