Hope is not a strategy

I have made it through my first week of this wonderful retreat (https://vagabondtemple.com) and it has not been without its challenges and surprises – but why else would you do it? I have been meditating on and off for a number of years – more off than on recently and thought it was time to get back to it. I visited Cambodia years ago and loved the people so when I stumbled on The Vagabond Temple I thought it was the perfect place to restart my daily habit and I have not been disappointed. Two weeks doesn’t feel long enough as Patiz and kobi are incredibly knowledgeable – if you are after a clear example of Yin and Yang look closely at these guys personalities and see how different they are and how well they work together to achieve the things they want to do. Their techniques have a strong flavor of India. Yang has open my body, stretching the limbs as far as they will go. Yin has looked into my moon cycle (which men have too). And we have had songs and mantras from Hinduism and Sikhism. It is New Year here, Pi Mai in Laos, Easter at home and Passover in Israel. Its nice to see the world is celebrating. On top of that there is full moon shining upon us.

Purbeck Young artists workshop in mosaics

Bovington Primary are taking part in a mosaic workshop sponsored by PYA this year and this workshop is part of a much larger project. A permanent mosaic window for the school will be made which represents ideas from the Jurassic Coast.

The students will draw ideas that represent images based around the sky, the sea and under the sea and these will be put together into one design. The design will be replicated by the children using mosaic tiles. This project involves every student in some way, from all year groups.

Responding to the gallery space

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During my time here I am going incorporate my rust process, the process of making, not the finished result, into the existing space at 6GINS. Normally I source rusty objects from a specific location and use them to make prints onto cloth and then turn those prints into installation which communicate a message. I had a clear idea of what I was going to do when I arrived…but when I got there it completely changed and I found myself responding to the space.

Part of my proposal requires me to source rusty objects from around the Liverpool and the dock area. I have 2 rusty objects which I am playing with at the moment – one is a handmade funnel which my studio friend gave to me – it was his granddads. The other piece is a bronze jug which a man donated to me out of his van when he saw me at my stall at “artisans in the Palm House” a few weeks ago. Im hoping the bronze jug will print green instead of rust.

When I was photographing the funnel I noticed the textures on the floor and walls. The textures reminded me of the colours and textures I saw on a trip to india.

6 GINS

On my way to 6GINS. An artist space in Liverpool. I have been lucky to be invited to work in the space until Christmas. The brief is….”artist can come into the space and add, remove or generally alter the space to the extent they deem fit”. This is the space as I found it…

6 Gins space

Anne Harild – 2015 Alexandra Reinhardt Memorial Award (ARMA) Artist Residency at the Bluecoat, Liverpool.

The 3D installation that now stands outside in the Blue coat courtyard was created as a collaboration between artist Anna Harild and the adults from Blue room. The project started by playing around with building block structures taken from the Blue Coat architectural building. The adults played with the shapes and created new forms. They drew these forms with simple ink paintings and made miniature 3D structures with paper, tooth picks and cut up photography – they are stunning. Anna was fascinated with how the adults saw and created images in a different ways. She studied their drawings and structures and found common textures and shapes through out the work which she took into the final installation.

http://www.thebluecoat.org.uk/blog/view/who-is-blogging/180