Pushing my personal practice forward

Posted on October 23, 2020 by Andie Clay

Work in progress 1

Work in progress 2

Work in progress 3

I’ve always wanted to work on a large scale but not always found the courage to do it. Earlier this week, I spent 3 days on Zoom studying with Katie Sollohub.

She was running a course entitled ‘Embodied Drawing’ at Seawhite Studios. Emily Ball is the owner of this set up and for this course she was participating alongside us.

https://www.emilyballatseawhite.co.uk/

“The course is for students wishing to expand their drawing practice and find new limits, beyond the scale of your average drawing, by working large, freely, involving body and breath. You will be your own model, working on two or three large scale drawings, and guided by Katie’s exercises and meditation…… By connecting the process of drawing to our own physicality, we can harness directly the power and sensations of the body to create marks. The outcome is perhaps not important, it is more about the process than the product in this course. However, the results may surprise and inspire you in your approach to drawing and painting beyond the course, helping you to discover a fresh way of working from the figure, reinventing your visual response to the physical body.”

Climbed a mountain during the course but it was so worthwhile, great group of participants worldwide and we’re staying in touch on social media, supporting and inspiring each other.

My thanks to Emily and Katie and the Seawhite team for putting this on for us. If this description inspires you, they plan to run this course again in the new year.

Latest news from my studio…

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Andie Clay

I have recently started a new body of work based on ideas and experiences that have been rattling around on the back burner of my brain for a while now.

This ongoing series are currently grouped under the heading Fires in the Mind, and make reference to the source of inspiration of Dave’s installation of the same name.

These autobiographic paintings are attempts to portray the struggles and internal dialogues I am currently going through whilst still receiving counselling to help me come to terms with the traumatic event of Dave’s death that changed absolutely everything in my life.

‘Rabbit Holes’ seeks to express the crazy internal unfocussed state of mind that I found myself enter, heightened over recent months by the solitude of lockdown restrictions.

‘Fires in the Mind – Rabbit Holes’

An easing of lockdown restrictions over this summer has highlighted to me the need to find the courage to become more earthed and focussed as the world too begins to feel its way through this pandemic that has changed everything in everyone’s lives forever.

‘Towards Awareness’ expresses the beginning signs of movement towards focus and a more frequent feeling of calm. Still sensing the omnipresent hair trigger of grief that kicks my feet from under me, the slow process of regaining my centre and grounding myself has begun.

‘Fires in the Mind – Towards Awareness’

Taking Part in the Sketchbook Project Volume 17

Posted on October 13, 2020 by Andie Clay

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Excited to have received my sketchbook from Brooklyn Art Library yesterday. Looking forward to enjoying filling it in. Lots of ideas in my head but see where my pencil takes me…

Just to explain the background, Brooklyn Art Library is a non profit art organisation that has been completely funded by participation since 2006. The Brooklyn Art Library crew say

“By buying a sketchbook, you have helped us ensure that we are keeping our physical library space free and open to the public as well as our digital library accessible world wide. Your book will be joining our collection of 50,000 artists books from 130 different countries. This project is meant to encourage creative storytelling, within a global community.”

https://brooklynartlibrary.org/

Society of Women Artists 159th Annual Exhibition now open online

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Andie Clay

Exhibition now open.

The Society of Women Artists

159th Annual Open Exhibition – Online

Honoured to have four pieces of my work selected for this years exhibition which received very high numbers of entries.

You can see the exhibition online from the 22nd September -

31 December 2020

https://onlinegalleryswa.oess1.uk/

Vote for your favourite painting by clicking the Public Choice Voting button below your favourite artwork.

Remembering Past Successes

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Andie Clay

2011: SWA The 150th Annual Open Exhibition at the Mall Galleries London

In 2011 I was thrilled to receive the St Cuthberts Mill Award from Princess Michael of Kent. This was before I was elected to full membership of The Society of Women Artists in 2012.

In 2015 my painting ‘Blues Saxophonist’ won the Frank Herring Easel Award.

2014: SWA The 153rd Annual Open Exhibition at the Mall Galleries London. Princess Michael of Kent and then Director Sue Jell

SBP Sketchbook for America- 88 Form Yang Style Tai Ji sequence

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Andie Clay

sbp drawing sbp second drawing

Have been busy filling my SBP Sketchbook for Brooklyn Art Library in New York (see earlier Blogs). I have drawn the Yang 88 Style of Taijiquan as it was being performed in front of me. No time for details, just focusing on grasping the essence and the energy flow of the form. I have been studying Tai Ji for 25 years now so this is a celebration of my quarter century. I do however still consider myself to be a beginner. It is supposed to take several lifetimes to master the art of Tai Ji.

Sketchbook arrived from America!

Posted on December 9, 2016 by Andie Clay

It’s time to fill in another sketchbook for the SBP in New York. This will be the third time I’ve taken part. Here’s a bit of information about the set-up:

We are an independent Brooklyn-based company that organizes global, collaborative art projects. Our flagship endeavor is The Sketchbook Project, a crowd-sourced library that features 35,418 artists’ books contributed by creative people from 135+ countries. Brooklyn Art Library is our storefront exhibition space in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY where The Sketchbook Project collection is on view to the public. Brooklyn Art Library, 28 Frost Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Open Tuesday to Sunday 12-6.The SBP currently holds around 35,418 sketchbooks by 162,081 creative people from 101 different countries.

https://www.sketchbookproject.com/

Participating in The Sketchbook Project 2015

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Andie Clay

My Sketchbook has started its journey across the Atlantic to Brooklyn Art Library. I have called it Inside Out

“Using the covers of the sketchbook to hide behind, I have drawn a series of intensely personal self portraits. No bells and whistles, just me, a mirror and a 2B pencil. All the portraits were drawn within a 2 week period in March 2015. To me a sketchbook is a safe place where I can just be myself, and talk to myself through drawings and words. I never usually share them with anyone else. Looking back through old sketchbooks I love the freedom, originality and vitality of the drawings and strive to capture those qualities in my painting practice.”

The Sketchbook Project is a crowd-sourced library of over 30,000 sketchbooks submitted by people of all ages and backgrounds from more than 135 countries. Sketchbooks are archived in the permanent collection at Brooklyn Art Library with inclusion in the 2015 Exhibition Tour when sketchbooks are taken out on tour in a purpose built vehicle. My sketchbook is also going to be digitised so will be available to view 24/7 worldwide.

www.sketchbookproject.com

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DSCN2276 copy

New work on the way to Suffolk Gallery

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Andie Clay

colt low res mare low res A selection of new work is on its way to Suffolk including these two horses – Proud Stallion (top) and Calm Mare. To see them in their new setting pay a visit to Seapictures Gallery in Clare, Suffolk where Sarah and Alaric Pugh will give you a warm welcome.

www.seapicturesgallery.com

New Year Open Studio January 2-4, 2015

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Andie Clay

1 open studio 2 open stud 3 open stu

I was pleased to welcome you all to my new year open studio-both local regulars and new visitors from near and far, including a couple who had seen my work on exhibition in London and travelled down to visit me in my studio.