Okies this is another 'wow where has the last month gone?' post! Not sure what happened to November or December but suddenly it is Christmas Eve - albeit a damp, quite Victorian one judging by the fog we woke to this morning! I only wish the snow from earlier this month had remained ..... our car had provided 'found materials' and finger 'brushes' to create 'en plein air' art at its very best!!
It has been a month of major change for Wylde Oake - a shape-shifting and fracturing within the artistic practice as we look forward to 2022! We have exciting plans ahead - at least one planned exhibition and a new marketable line now moving forward at quite the pace and ready for publishing on the site! The fracturing and shape-shifting has come about due to ongoing MA Fine studies - new directions created by giving myself permission to play - not something I tend to do but play creates innovation and inspires creativity through visual research. The playfulness and freedom without thought, concept or any pre-planned directions leads into un-chartered waters - a wonderful exploration of techniques, materials and qualities with no preconceptions on outcomes thereby allowing abounding expressionism - which you may have seen on our Instagram page. These new works are so unexpected they are catching me off-guard as I find myself emotionally and physically invested in them during the making process itself - a new experience as this only usually happens when complete. The making is so absorbing that contextual research that forms a core part of both this practice and also the MA is being a little neglected shamefully - a 'must be rectified' aspect for the New Year! The research is a little frustrating as it is something I quite frankly adore as I am able to get lost in finding new lines of enquiry, reinforcing current ones and rediscovering often forgotten ones! In the meantime however new pieces will continue to be worked -Christmas festivities often provide pockets of time when sneaking off to a home studio for quiet creativity albeit with a glass of something nice by our sides! The planned additional sketchbook page will now happen too in the New Year, or over the Christmas period itself, documenting both this play and the collage samples mentioned in my previous blog - that project fell by the way side a little but is now being re-instigated and worked with fresh eyes and renewed vigour! The fracturing is something I will talk about in a later blog - a watch this space project but one that I am finding highly exciting and again completely unexpected .... The MA studies themselves are going incredibly well too although I am still finding them a little daunting - lectures/seminars that speak of philosophers I am not aware of due to our textiles background, but ones whose names will become familiar. My descriptive writing and terminology feels as if it is moving at quite the pace - my search for synonyms and antonyms that fit what I am trying to say means an ever increasing academic vocabulary that also speaks of critical analysis! Reading material that still confuddles and befuddles me is further introducing new terminology that is rapidly becoming part of everyday usage - it seems incredible how, even at a more 'mature' age our brains are still sponges absorbing this new information! In terms of brains though - my final undergraduate degree results came through and I am absolutely delighted to announce I achieved a BA Honours in Textiles with a very respectable 2:1 just 1 short week ago! To say I am cockahoop is an understatement - the euphoria of graduating with the adrenaline and the endorphins have now settled into a warm satisfied glow that I am happy to bask in for a while longer! This was a wonderful Christmas present and also belated birthday present (just 2 days earlier) that has really made this festive season just that little bit more sparkly! It also removes a slight feeling of imposter syndrome within the MA cohort too and gives the expected confidence moving into the New Year, continuation of studies and planned exhibitions too! However, these results could not have been achieved without the loving support of my fiance, partner in life and business better half who no matter how low and frustrated I have got has always believed in me and in doing so taught me to believe in myself too. But for now Christmas Eve is calling - pulling out the delicious goodies from the freezer, precooked in advance and new recipes trialed, pre-festive walks to be enjoyed and drinkipoos to be poured to be drunk during Carols from Kings this evening! From both of us at Wylde Oake a huge thank you for your support this year and we wish you a very Happy, safe and preferably healthy Christmas.
Comments