I’m an artist. I realise my ideas using different media that includes; painting, printmaking, performance, installation, video, public workshops…. I collaborate with other artists on projects, most recently, The Do Nothing Club and Home Residency. I’m also a Creative Coach.
What I wanted was an empty space to unscramble my head of thoughts that were undermining my art practise. An idea come to me that seemed to fit my intention….. garage – cars have an annual check to see if they are road worthy. Artist MOT it was…..
I brought some tools and materials to assist the process..
- A box of coloured pencil crayons
- A box of empty boxes I’d been collecting. I’d used some in a previous body of work.
- A box of porcelain figures. I’d made these a few years ago and they appear like film extras in my projects.
- Paper, a mixture of quality cartridge and sugar paper and newsprint, notelets.
- Blue masking tape, a stocking trade medium of mine.
- A tool bag; scissors, stanley knife, pens, felt tips, tape measure, pencil sharpeners, and other assorted things.
- Packed lunch, tea pot mug and loose herb tea.
- Camera, tripod, mobile phone and charger cable, yoga mat.
Intention- to be playful, see what happens, follow through, avoid censoring, make notes of the process; audio, photographic, written ( for me and to share).
My first action was to sharpen my pencils… I experienced joy, excitement, relief, frustration, anger, confusion, being stuck, being open, I cried (head in hands), I laughed, I was playful, I was serious, I had conversations with visitors, I made connections, I worked figuratively, abstractly, metaphorically, conceptually, contemporarily, realistically, imaginatively, I worked hard physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
My last action was to throw a ball of used blue masking tape into the air.
I confirm that I passed the MOT, with minor repairs, asap – make time to reflect, make a record of the residency for sharing. Monitor and repair:
- Do more of…. Following through……. being playful in approach
- Do less of….. over thinking….
- Stop ….being over critical
- Start …..sharing and engaging with like minds – both artists and others
