Playing with light

Today I’ve been playing with light and transparency in my studio.  I’m using one of my Southbank photos as a starting point.

Different tranparency levels on rice paper, lit from behind

Halogen lamp

No light

Ambient light

Natural light

Sheer

BTW, these are the ‘Stuff Your Inner Critic’ leaflets that Steve designed and wrote for me.  I am so lucky to have such a talented and supportive husband!

Oh, maybe I haven’t mentioned this.  I’m leading a Creativity workshop in my home studio during Devon Open Studios 2012.  You can find out about it here.  If you’re interested, give me a shout via the contact page of my website,  pronto!  I already have a few bookings on both days.

Sunny Southbank

We just returned from a long weekend in London.  Steve and I went to do some shopping for our trousseaux and I took some photos around the Southbank, where we were staying.  I adore this part of London.  The Thames was at our feet and the vibe is fantastic.  There is the Southbank Centre – the largest single-run arts centre in the world, the Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern museum, National Film Theatre (currently running a Paul Newman season – we saw The Sting) and lots of restaurants and cool shops.

I also love the architecture and got a chance to take some photos on our way to and from our hotel.

Southbank Centre and St. Paul's Cathedral

St. Paul's Cathedral and Millenium Bridge

Here’s one from Steve

Friday 23rd April is Shakespeare’s birthday and spectators enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine and some of the great wordslinger’s scenes being declaimed in this amphitheatre.

Tower Bridge

I always like to check out the graffiti outside the National Film Theatre where the skaters hang out . . . .

sk8er boiz

After the film, we were serenaded by a saxophone player beneath Jubilee Bridge.

Dérive urbaine

I’m really excited about these two pieces of artmoney.  They are constructed from acetate, rice paper, synthetic packing material and eyelets.  I used photos of reflections on the pavement next to the River Thames in London.

Dérive urbaine, nos. 1 & 2

Last summer I made an A4-size Little Gem quilt from synthetic packing material sandwiched between acetate.  I ‘tied’ the quilt with beads.  I would have liked to have used eyelets, but at the time I only had a plier type eyelet setter which only allowed me to get in 1/2″ from the border.

Suncast Shadows IV

I recently purchased an X-cut eyelet setter, which I can use to place eyelets anywhere, anytime.  I tried it out on my artmoney and it works great!  I’ve been thinking since last summer about going large with this.

I have a huge 4′ x 6′ piece of synthetic packing fabric that our new kitchen table arrived in and an idea about posterizing one of my Southbank photos onto several sheets of acetate, adding some words and layers beneath and fastening it together with eyelets.  Should be challenging and fun to experiment with!

Left Luggage

I’m just back from a long weekend in Birmingham.  Lots to blog about once I recover from jet train lag and all the excitement and social whirl of the big city.

River Street, Digbeth

Digbeth is Good

It’s true and it is also the name of a bloguide to the Digbeth district of Birmingham, UK, encompassing the emerging arts and cultural scenes, the older Irish Quarter and new neighbourhoods of luxury apartments, brought to us by host Nicky Getgood.

I’ve been giving Digbeth is Good a lot of my attention lately to glean some nuggets from the chock full o’ insider info and links to some happening stuff in the area.  I admit that I am smitten, so much so that I am going back for a few days next week to explore some more of the real and quirky Digbeth – Friday afterwork Pimm’s O’Clock at the Spotted Dog, Ikon Eastside Gallery, bacon bap & cuppa at the Moseley Street Cafe, stay in a Japanese-style pod bedroom and who knows what else I’ll come across?

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Satisfied customers

Digbeth Graffiti – no smearcats here

I’m always on the lookout for graffiti and Digbeth did not disappoint. There were no smearcats here.  Pascal Wyse defines ‘smearcats’ as posh, pretentious graffiti artists who go to work in parts of town that were previously edgy, but are now swarming with hipster geeks.  A big cartoon cock and balls, or a spot of tagging, will no longer do, and walls become daubed with philosophical turdlets such as, ‘Solid configuration of chance events’

My first port o’ call was the back wall of a building site next door to the Custard Factory.  I felt a bit shy at first, but then just walked past a couple arguing near the entrance and the huddle of youths smoking weed in the corner.  One of the Irish scaffies came down for a chat and told me that they’re gutting the original Bird’s office premises but keeping the facade.

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Under the arches

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The Grand Union Canal runs behind the warehouses and factories in Digbeth.

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Canal Lock

It’s a lonely, atmospheric place.  Many of the factories are still in use and I could hear the clanging and whirring of machinery as I walked past.  But it was dead quiet on the outside of the walls.  This was the only time I felt a bit nervous on my travels around Digbeth.

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Discarded

This place reminded me of the railroad yard in Charlotte, NC where I photographed boxcar graffiti last summer.  Real lonesome and empty, somehow echo-ey even though it was wide open.  The feeling of people being around, but just out of sight.

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Grand Union Canal and Buiding Site Graffiti Album

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My last stop was a graffiti covered house at the corner of Andover and Fazely Streets.  I don’t know who tagged this building but it was cool to get up close to and see all of the different sections, colours and styles.

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I really liked the far right hand panel which was stenciled Brasilian newspapers and posters flyposted and collaged onto the walls.

Digbeth Graffiti House Album

PS  I promise, promise, promise that I will write a post real soon telling how to embed a Picasa slideshow into a WordPress blog.  I’m exahusted after doing two of them in one!