Painterly

The presentation of my body of work included:

...a triptych - acrylic on linen, large painting titled Indigo Skies & Sodden Earth' acrylic on linen, three rolls of canvas (collaboration with nature) and handmade canvas sketch book and tools of my work, three jars of carefully mixed tones deepest indigo blues, darkest earth and dense forest green, and the found and fashioned branches that replaced paintbrushes.

Little Saviour

At the end of this module I was away clearing all my equipment from my outdoor studio (my garden) when I heard a kerfuffle. Two bluetits flew past my shoulder fighting in midair, missed the hedge and slammed into the garden fence. One ricocheted into the hedge and smaller one bounced in the dustbin and landed of the handle.

It stood motionless, dazed with it's beak wide open two feet away from me. We looked at each other for a short while and I gently said "what was all that about?" It was still motionless so I quietly walked away out of sight around the nearby garage wall.

A minute later I peaked at it still in the same spot, with it's beak wide open looking around as if to say "what the hell just happened!?"

Our garden is a thoroughfare for the local cat population so I began to get worried that it would not end well for the little bird so I began to to approach it. I spoke to it softly and gently as it held onto the dustbin. It did not move.

It did not move when I carefully scooped him up in my hand and softly cradled him. We stayed like that for a few minutes, him protected in the warmth of my hand and me in a calm awe. I didn't quite know what to do next. He still seemed dazed. His beak was now shut and he was looking around so I opened my hand for him to fly off. He still didn't move.

I walked over to my kitchen window hoping to find my husband there. Some more minutes past and when he finally saw me and what I had in my open hand he took our photo. All the while I was talking softly to this little bluebird as if he was my small child. My husband even came out and sat on the garden bench with us.

I tried to place the little bird near the rosemary bush thinking he would find it familiar as we regularly feed our garden birds. He still sat in my hand, not perched. Sat with his legs dangling through my fingers comfortably looking around as if to get his bearings. I turned him around to face the peanut feeder and another hedge I know all the birds frequent thinking he would find that a familiar sight and in the blink of the eye he was off!

Week12. Group Crits, presentation -body of work Individual Tutorials

Instead of group crits at the university a fellow local artist visited my home studio. Diane Kirby is a hyperrealist nature artist who uses high grade coloured pencils came to my indoor studio for a coffee and a catch-up and to check up on the progress of the commissioned wedding book. We have lots of things in common; the love of nature, being outdoor and passion for creating artwork but our style, approach and practice is so different so it is good to get some constructive criticism from my peers.

By this stage in the module I had left the embrace of the coppice after working in there for 2 weeks. Each time I left, between the sessions, the canvass was left stretched out in situ for the elements, fauna and flora to do their work before being rolled up and put into storage.

In the last couple weeks of the module we had some gorgeous spring sunshine and every blossom tree sprung into action. I set up camp in a wild section of my own garden and began the same process again.

Week11. Visiting Lecturer Dr. Zuzanna Walas, Polish Japanese Academy of Information Technology

It was I really useful lecture and workshop. Taking part with my peers in the workshop I have a much better understanding of how to prepare a foolproof brief for any future collaborations. We used roll play to stage meeting with clients which I found really insightful (and hilarious as my character).

The workshops also reminded me of a complete failure of collaboration because of a design brief that wasn't thoroughly discussed at any followup meetings.

In short , a Community Youth club Leader visited one of my workshops with a group of youths. I was facilitating workshop session was inside Zion Arts Gallery, Hulme, Manchester as a lead project manager. The youth group and Youth Leader were really impressed with the workshop and work produced - mural on the inside gallery wall. The Youth Leader asked if I would collaborate with her. She would facilitate art workshops at her community centre based on my work with her youth group and when they had their sketches complete I would come over as artist in residence and with the youths I would "paint their sketches on the community centre wall". We agreed a fee, day and time.

I turned up after an hours drive with my equipment and acrylic and emulsion paint, enthusiastic to get started. What she failed to tell me was that it was an outside wall!

And I failed to ask her that it was an inside wall not outside in the carpark of the community centre.

She obviously had not done a risk assessment for work in a public carpark and I assumed that because she had visited my workshop inside that she understood what she was asking of me.

I still did the work with the youths and still got paid but the work washed away with the rain the next day.

Moral of the story - make sure your design brief is water tight, foolproof with no room for misunderstanding and lack of communication.

Week10. London Visit/ Gallery Visits

At the Tate Modern with my eldest son to see Máret Anne Sara, Goave-Geabbil Installation at the Tate Modern. It was a special moment as I have not seen my son for over 6 months and my mood has been very low. I am lucky that he loves visiting art galleries as much as I do. The installation was an immersive piece where we were encourage to walk around, touch, feel, sit, smell (raw & earthy) and listen to a talk.

"....shaping the relationship between people, lands and animals."

Triptych painting by Joan Mitchell.

Week9. Formative Feedback

I really value these feedback sessions. Sometimes it seems as though I am not doing enough or other priorities such as my job and family get the majority of my physical & creative time. I seem to be always exhausted since this virus & feeling low & anxious. Not seeing my sons for over 6 months has not helped & the looming threat of OFSTED has put more pressure on us at work.

The support from the Formative Feedback was a good reset, positive words & great encouragement:

"Keep blogging", which I am terrible at

"Keep up your sketchbook", which I am making a new one

"Keep making work", which I enjoy, creating

And "invest in a gorilla grip for your camera" which I will do, as I actually like filming now!

Two small muddy canvass I left in the meandering brook just to see what happens after a couple of weeks.

Week8. Transdisciplinary/ Interdisciplinary Practice: Positioning Practice/Individual Tutorials

After walking & wandering around for days in the really wet boggy land, the day I was available to set up camp was really unexpectedly sunny. It was if nature grabbed this long awaited opportunity & finally came alive.

The sodden earth, indigo skies and sparse turf began to realise it was actually spring & they were late to the party! I was prepared to work outside for hours on end in all weather but was secretly pleased that it was dry as my health has been steadily getting worse. I have just recovered from a horrible long virus but still not feeling right.

Week7. Blue Sky Research/Group Crits: Body of Work

My collaboration with Nature took me out of the familiarity of my studio and my practice to unknown territory both literally and metaphorically.

I had no real plan, no particular goal and no idea if this collaboration would work.

My only challenge to myself was to not use paintbrushes. Just myself, three pots of paint, some canvas immersed and in nature for however long it took.

Blue Sky Thinking:

Failure = redirection

Failure = opportunity

Failure = resilience

Week6. Facilitation, Participation and collaboration/tutorials

Reflecting on how collaborations work and the arts research collaboration/evaluation by recreating my own Spectre of Evaluation based on Thomas Hirschhorn 2010.

To prepare for my collaboration with nature I have searched for the optimum position and after finding it the weather has finally decided to change for the better. I was prepared to work outside in this awful weather we have been accustomed to even struggling through this illness. I have been working on making a sketch book that I would not only collect my mark making but my foraging whilst out on my field trips. I have been designing & making a concertina sketch book with pockets made out of fabric instead on paper. The hard board covers were recycled from Amazon packaging that I covered in hessian. I made 28 A4 'pocket pages' that would be secured with leftover green velvet ribbon from previous book making commissions.

I have an upcoming commission for a book for a wedding present to be completed by end of June. I am using the same design format but with linen sourced from Belgium for the cover & recycled handmade cotton rag paper from India. The cover will feature my artwork inspired by my collaboration with nature.

My tricolours for this season prepared in jam jars a special mix of paint to create a deeper indigo representing the heavy skies, a concoction of sodden earth browns and the darkest of forest winter greens. I have a gallery (Goose Green Gallery, Altricham) interested in my current work and I will be using my research findings to create a collection in view of exhibiting after completing my Masters.

Week5. Examples of Interdisciplinary Practice and Social Design collaborations/Student-led Round Table dialogues + workshops.

Unfortunately due to work commitments I was unable to attend this lecture but after reading through the uploaded PowerPoint on Moodle decided to reflect on my own experiences with collaborations over the past 20+ years. Until doing so, I hadn't realised how varied they actually were in retrospect I very much appreciate the skills and knowledge I have gained. In hindsight, there are many interactions I would do differently now. The obvious difference, as I have previously mentioned, is our use of digital technology in art and business.

The perfect place to stop, reflect, collaborate. During this module my physical health hasn't been good which has had an effect on my mental wellbeing. To be able to take myself out of my studio (and busy school workplace) and take advantage of these beautiful suroundings will produce some pieces of work.

Finding the a perfect place to completely surround myself in nature without coming into contact of humans was not as difficult as I first perceived. I walk around this land (perimeter of a walled section of Lord Derby's estate) in all weather conditions three or four times a week for the passed 8 years. I have observed the fields and wildlife change throughout the seasons.

Week 4. Group Crits. Statement of Intent Proposals - body of work/Postgraduate Artist in Residence.

Postgraduate Elissa Madin held a talk about her own work & experience since graduating.

Her embroidery work focuses on social history, culture and women's work. At the end of the lecture we took part in a workshop creating a group needle piece.

During this week I have been facilitating my personal collaboration with nature & the natural world.

Week 3

Race Equality Charter: Introduction to Transdisciplinary Practice: 5 minute Presentation

Whilst I am unable to attend Thursday lectures with my peers due to work restrictions I am able to come in to my studio space on Tuesdays where I can meet with the first year students.

This has been of great help to me to be able to answer any questions they have about my work/progress on the course. It is my "5 minute Presentation" and their feedback has been appreciated.

It has also been a week where I have been reflecting on past collaborations that I have been involved in over the 20 years since I graduated with an BA Honours degree from University of Salford. Within a year of graduating in 2001 I set up an community art based company Blue Lizard Arts and worked with many organisations through my work as a Community Artist:-

Zion Arts Centre (facilitator of art workshops for young people)

DIVAS (poetry/public speaker) Domestic violence awareness charity working with GMP, council leaders, refuge centres.

Engage Visual Arts. Working with students from University of Warwick researching young people accessing national art galleries for the charity Engage Visual Arts.

MEM@2K. (Poetry) Manchester Jewish community exhibition.

Individuation. Collaboration of an artist lead exhibition of emerging women artist.

Oxfam Against Poverty: with artist Michiko Fuji

When these collaborations took place in the early 2000's the digital world was in its infancy. The world was still dubious about the total failure of anything digital as we began the new millennium. We were operating in an analogue timescale and mindset, no social media, no group chats on smart phones, emails were not generally trusted as a primary means of communication in Y2K.

How different society is now! I often think how I would have approached my work, as a community artist collaborating with different agencies, if I was in the same position today.

I am in talks with Tina Ball curator and Arts Project Manager with regards to collaborating as curator/artist. My only restriction is my time due to my work as a teacher, but there are projects in the summer which I hopefully will be working on. Kirkby gallery is a council run community gallery that welcome students as part of a volunteer training programme.

Growing Knowsley's Future is a charity project funded by the National Lottery's Heritage Fund. They have collaborated with artists, researchers, historians to put on an exhibition, at Kirkby Gallery,looking at the change of use of farmland around Kirkby, Knowsley, much of the land owned by Lord Derby, Knowsley Hall.

Week 2

Introduction to TrACE talk lead by Catherine Simon with Emma-Jane King and Amanda Derry.

Even though I was not present at this lecture I have remotely taken part via the uploaded PowerPoint on Moodle. As a secondary school teacher I have regular extensive training in Safeguarding for pupils in the school. As all of my training is pupil focused, what this lecture highlighted from my prospective was the lack of support, recognition and provisions for staff in any workplace that have or are undiagnosed ADHD/Autistic.

Tracey Emin's trauma informed practise "My Bed" 1998 is a good example of an artist using a confessional and visceral approach to her work.

"Is it letting go that we find our direction..." Gillie Bolton, Reflective Writing and Professional Development, 5th Edition 2018.

"...a helpless tumble into an abyss actually turns out to be a new representational freedom." Hito Steyerls Essay: In the Free Fall A Thought Experiment on Vertical Perspective 2011

March 2026 Fabric Installation: Pupa.

The inactive, intermediate life stage of insects.

The pupa (plural pupae) is the third stage in the life cycle of insects undergoing complete metamorphosis.

Week 1. Module Launch

Getting to grips with the concept of transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary in collaborative projects.

Huw Davies's lecture about his ongoing work gave great insight to a productive, community based body of work. His close connection to nature & "...the dirt right under my feet" ensured a captivated audience from me. The Bailey Hill bronze sculptures, representing the legend of the Thirteen Treasures of the Island of the Mighty, placed on a nature trail were cumulative of workshops held in schools and the general public.

Huw Davies bronze sculpture in situ Bailey Hill, Mold.

This session also asked us to think about our own transferable skills both personal attributes and that as a practitioner.

In our peer groups our task was to create a mindmap of the values of our practice and our visions for potential collaborations with different artists/industruies/institutions.

My current body of work is centered around the human connection to nature, exploring a visceral approach to the land or our environment.

A deep connection with the natural world and a belief that humans were genetically predisposed to be drawn to nature and all living things was discussed by Edward O. Wilson in his book, Biophilia, published by Harvard University Press in 1984.

I would like to research the hypothese of biophilia through collaborative work with organisations that share that connection with the land such as:

I am interested in collaborating as artist in residence with the gamekeepers of Knowsley Hall. I live locally and am interested in the historic land use of the Hall and the immediate residential area that is also owned by the Earl of Derby, Knowsley Hall. Their current artist in residence is botanical artist Sue McHugh.

I have always been a fan of mindmaps both visually and as an preliminary planning tool. Our first task was to explore potential collaborations with other industries, institutions and individuals. It was also a good exercise in another 'skills audit' stock take, particularly for someone like me who can suffer from imposter syndrome!

Week 9

At the beginning of this module Art718 Transitional Skills Iwas using photography and short videos to capture the change of the seasons of late summer. In retrospect I can see that the white laundered sheet blowing on the washing line has influenced my practise in the studio.

#lastdaysofsummer☀️ #washingline #washday #windyday #weather #goodbyesummer

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO9ZhQ5jAYRPYWkqZzhtnl9ObS7KPCu_5CQmuQ0/?igsh=MXAwZmsycjJlMm41MA==

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO9ZhQ5jAYRPYWkqZzhtnl9ObS7KPCu_5CQmuQ0/?igsh=MXAwZmsycjJlMm41MA==