Steaming individuals

There hasn't been a lot of new stuff coming off the presses at my house. However I have been steaming individuals for my landscape pieces. It has been really uplifting (excuse the geological pun) to listen to what words people use as they view my work in progress 'landscape', 'hoodoo', 'organic' and other words that I have used myself to conceptualise my work.

I have also been thinking about the way some artists need to get a deep and meaningful (and often disturbing) message across with their work. That is the point of their work. I guess I am a more spiritual, peaceful person and I am happy to express in my work, my own experiences of the natural world and perhaps draw others to see the wonderful contours, shapes and colours that we have around us. That's all. I could turn the piece darker and indicate that the destruction of all these environments in imminent. But why labour the point it is getting plenty of press as it is... let's also give time to enjoying what we do still have.

I have, once again, been studying Shibori (reading Wada's book) and was stimulated to try a new (to me) binding method. From this I have produced a few pieces that are just sweet. They have the suggestion of sea lilies and hydroids about them, which is great, as they are very closely related to corals and anemones... it all ties together. Or as Richard Box has said - I have learnt my lines... (as in color, tone, line, shape and texture). I intend stitching these with fine fuse wire to imitate the skeletal structure of the organisms, this will also assist assembly of the landscape they will grow into.

In researching hydroids I found myself back at Nudibranchs.. I love them.... so stimulating in an artistic way and so bizarre that they allow me to go very abstract. They are exciting don't you think?

I have got to do something with the shadows that these organisms create... whether it is via the lighting of the landscape I intend building, or by printing up the shadows or using photosensitive paper, I am not sure yet. A shadow (such as the one below at top right) could prove to be a wonderful backdrop.