Pushing my personal practice forward

Work in progress 1

Work in progress 1

Work in progress 2

Work in progress 2

Work in progress 3

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.

Free flow experimentation, gestural mark making, salt

Experimental work done after the strict discipline of the Zen workshop, playing with salt, pre-wetting the paper, and using large watercolour sheets

Experimental work done after the strict discipline of the Zen workshop, playing with salt, pre-wetting the paper, and using large sheets of watercolour paper

  

 

 

Taking Part in the Sketchbook Project Volume 17

Polish_20201013_131621525

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

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

Remembering Past Successes

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

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 The153rd Annual Open Exhibition at the Mall Galleries London. Princess Michael of Kent and then Director Sue Jelley

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

Forthcoming Exhibition: Chalk + Cheese

Flyer front CHALK AND CHEESE

 

Detail from kinetic sculpture 'Horse and Alter Ego - Shadowplay' by Andie Clay

Detail from kinetic sculpture ‘Horse and Alter Ego – Shadowplay’ by Andie Clay

 

Detail from installation 'Fires in the Mind' by Dave Clay

Detail from installation ‘Fires in the Mind’ by Dave Clay

Dave and I had always planned to have a joint exhibition called Chalk + Cheese. Sadly, it didn’t happen while he was alive, so I’m going for it now. It will showcase his installation and sculpture work and a range of my own mixed media work too. There’s also an opportunity for past students of Dave to participate digitally.

The exhibition will take place at The Corn Exchange Gallery in Cardigan from the 15th – 20th February 2021.

Further details nearer the time.

Four paintings selected for the Society of Women Artists 2020 Exhibition

Really pleased to have four paintings selected this year. Unfortunately the exhibition is not able to go ahead at the Mall Galleries due to the current Covid-19 situation.

The Society of Women Artists thank the Mall staff for all their support and look forward to showing there next year with a stronger show than ever.

The exhibition will be open online from Tuesday 22nd September until Wednesday 30th December 2020.

www.society-women-artists.org.uk

Ebb and Flow 2   Ebb and Flow 3Ebb and Flow 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vertigo Surf 2

 

 

Background to ‘Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain’

Embrace Tiger Base Imaage 030215

This film was shot on location at Rhosygilwyn mansion. The following quotations are taken from the DVD cover, further information about Glenn and Sean is below.

“Taiji is so much more than the physical form-the energy, chi, flows through and beyond the body filling the space around. Andie’s work reflects the ebb and flow of that energy in a way that no other medium can, giving a sense of that continuous stream of universal energy that we can all immerse ourselves in.” Sean Dowdall

“What interested me here was the contrast between Andie’s rapid energy and the measured concentration of Sean’s slow movements. The situation crackled with creative intensity-which even a sudden downpour failed to dampen. Indeed, Andie incorporated this chance intervention into the work.” Glenn Ibbitson

“The quiet energy of Sean’s Taiji, together with breathtaking vision by Glenn resulted in a Zen-like experience that was far beyond my wildest expectations. Thank you both.” Andie Clay

Further details about Sean and Glenn below.

Tai Chi, Sean Dowdall. http://www.dragontherapies.co.uk/

Glenn Ibbitson:

Painter and Film-maker. Worked as a scenic and storyboard artist with BBC before turning freelance to work in film and theatre. Moved to West Wales to develop his own painting and  film projects. “Tatsuko” [2012: silent; B/W] has been shown in London and Tokyo. “A hauntingly beautiful, dramatically gripping yet enigmatic film ..the shots breathe the artistry of Antonioni, while the enigmatic yet intense story echoes Tarkovsky.” -Gillian McIver-Tanbouli: co-director Studio 75 London

www.smokingbrushfineart.com

Short filming showing me painting a scroll, depicting movement through Tai Chi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxWY-c3jA88

embrace tiger return to mountain youtube image

This short film called ‘Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain’ was filmed as a three-way collaboration between myself, Glenn Ibbitson (film maker and painter) and Sean Dowdall (Tai Chi). The film was used in support of my recent successful application to the RWSW.

 

 

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

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.