Ta' Nikol

Down the winding back streets behind St George's Basilica  lies Ta' Nikol, a tiny gallery space behind red doors. The former stable has been transformed into a lovely light and airy space to house local art. Local abstract artist Richard Bourne produces contemporary works based on concepts that include numerology and colours conceived from sport and random meetings of people. Oliver Cook is well known for his ink and pen drawings of local scenes and of course some of my work is beginning to creep in too !

I love to be in the gallery and actually manage to get some work done while I am there. Passers by often pop in to see what I am working on and it's nice to chat about my art...or just art generally. I am usually in there on a Monday and will be there on a Saturday too, starting next month. Richard is there the rest of the time and always ready to talk about his work.

The gallery has an atmosphere that lends it's self to relaxation and just sitting around chatting and enjoying the work without pressure to buy ! So if you fancy coming in for a coffee and a rest as you wander around the the streets of Victoria, pop in. We also stock cards, jewellery, prints, and other small pieces. As from next month we will be open 5 days a week 10.30-3.30.

'Salt pans' on driftwood. I am still working on my flower dyeing and wind drawings and hope to get some of those in there soon. 

Immersing myself in Gozo

The wild flowers are in abundance at the moment and the hills look so green and pretty. This is such a lovely Island and I feel very happy to be here. My daily dog walks are combined with flower collections. I am persevering with the Eco dyeing and just trying out various combinations of flowers and mordants. Some work better than others and some surprising results ensue, My main aim with this project is to immerse Gozo into my paintings and work, through natural dyes, sea water and the wind.

Down the hill from Xaghra.

Some flowers are too delicate to boil, so an overnight freeze breaks down the cells sufficiently to release colour in luke warm water.

Tiny floral bundles.

Such a variety of flora.

The tougher and stronger plants can be boiled for 2 hours.

Laying the flowers in the paper.....

...and tying up with string.

Crocosmia in a ferous sulphate mordant produce this wonderful effect.

Tiny crimson flowers release a blue dye and fuchsia coloured clovers give a brownish tinge.
There is just no knowing what will appear, which is half the fun.

A yellow buttercup like flower on an already stained paper.

'March 1st - 8th   in Xlendi Bay' :

'March 6th, Gold on Ta' Cenc walk'

Some more driftwood found in the bay drying out and getting ready for me to work on. 

Ta' Nikol Art Gallery has re opened it's doors after a sleepy winter hibernation. Beginning with two days a week, Monday and Friday. Open all week from April. You can find us down a little back street behind St George's Basilica in the heart of Victoria. Not only will you find some of my driftwood work in there but also Richard Bourne's fab geometric work and Oliver Cook's pen and ink drawings of local scenes.....So come on down, I'll be in there Mondays and Richard on Fridays for this month. More details on the gallery to follow.

What a view, this is my 8am chilled dog walk...a little stone balancing and a walking meditation to start the day.

And to end the day....

Drawing the wind

When is an idea original ? When an individual first thinks of it or when the very first person to think of it, does it ???? Hmmm. Maybe it's the interpretation that's important.

I was trailing through some very old sketch books and came across notes I had made in the Isles of Scilly. ...How can I draw the wind ?, what colour is the wind ? and as I was sitting in a very windy spot on my terrace yesterday, I was having the same thought. What does the wind look like ?  I thought about how to go about catching the essence of the wind in a drawing. Suspending a pen from the washing line seemed like a good idea.

I have of course since discovered I am not the first person to have thought of this ! But I can see there are endless possibilities on colour and thickness of pens. Sadly paint can't be used as the brush would dry out. The wind drawing took a whole day to complete and while the wind was doing it's work I sat and watched from my hammock. 

It's 15th Feb today and while the British Isles are under water and suffering foul winter weather, I have been today basking in a wonderful 25c and blue skies. Oh joy.

Tiddley Pom

On Monday, when the sun is hot

I wonder to myself a lot:

Now is it true, or is it not,

That what is which and which is what?

On Tuesday, when it hails and snows

The feeling on me grows and grows

That hardly anybody knows

If those are these or these are those.

On Wednesday, when the sky is blue,

And I have nothing else to do,

I sometimes wonder if it’s true

That who is what and what is who.

On Thursday, when it starts to freeze

And hoar-frost twinkles on the trees,

How very readily one sees

That these are whose- but whose are these?

On Friday-

Lines written by a bear with very little brain.

About how I feel today whilst painting....Unfinished... 'Sunset over Xlendi Bay' 

I have lost my mojo AGAIN ! 

I can't leave the Essex pallette behind.and am finding I have lost my way. I mentioned this to a friend who challenged me to use colours completely alien to me., in much the same way I teach people at my 'Expressive painting workshops' (...and frankly I should have thought of it myself !) to use their left hand (or right if that is not their normal preference) It loosens up the mind as there is no history to work with or to stifle creativity with. We expect to make mistakes with something new because this us uncharted territory. Not constricted by things that have gone before. 

Scary stuff. What !? leaf green...yuk. 

This is a new journey and it may take a while but I am loving these colours for now. I'm still experimenting on how they mix together, I love to use them straight from the tube....anyway will see how this progresses.

Songs of uncertainty

My chosen tradition of Zen loves uncertainty: For meditation practice, the three virtues are great faith, great perseverance, and great doubt. Here's a modern expression of this great doubt: When asked What is Zen?, the teacher Suzuki Shunryu replied, "I can sum it up in two words: Not always so."  ( Taken from Awakened Life )

Some nice pieces of wood have been washed into the bay recently. Old doors and bits of boat. All with remnants of paint bashed and weathered by the sea. I have to live with these pieces for a while, until an idea comes. I don't like to paint over the existing colour too much, utilizing it where I can. The blue on these first couple has a muddy look to it, which looks like a stormy sky. The bare wood resembles the salt pans here on Gozo. The seagull is a little bit of artistic licence as I have only seen four since I have been here ! 

I have incorporated some calligraphy, my songs of uncertainty.

The wild flowers and dried seed heads are everywhere and I wanted to mention them in my painting rather than a detailed depiction. Hence the stylised shapes.

Look what the storm brought in !

There are numerous palm trees in Xlendi which shed their bark all over the road. I'm going to try and paint on them....

Making a start on the terraced hills.... More uncertainty.

Trust the process

A few more journal sketches. Doors are so lovely to draw, ( these are very quick ten min. scribbles) I love the wrought iron arched windows above the doors. I'm not sure of the history behind them. Obviously, to let some light in, but I'm not sure why the infinite variety of decoration. Anyway they are very pretty.

The countryside is lush right now. The rain has really brought on the growth. There is wild rocket growing in abundance and other pretty yellow flowers edge the path. I understand April is the month to visit for a display of wild colour. I shall look forward to that.

I have been thinking how to capture the individual plants without a painting looking like a botanical print.

A few sketches in a naive style seem to fit the bill, so I shall try a couple of paintings along this theme.

Espradrilles  on 13th Jan can't be bad !

I have been revisiting some work done in Essex. The colours are so muted, lovely and beautiful in their own khaki way. 

so different to here. I'm very much trusting the process as far as finding my arty feet here on Gozo. I spend much time sketching and scribbling in the hope it will all come together ! I haven't felt brave enough to start on a canvas yet ....

Trusting the process is explained quite nicely HERE