This week I have spent time sitting.
I've sat in my studio looking at my paintings, I’ve sat on a garden bench indoors, talking to Steffan from Oriel Davies about my exhibition and I've sat on the sofa watching documentaries about artists and their practice into the early hours of the morning.
I love the Louisiana Channel Artist Series and the Dialogues Series by David Zwirner.
Watching other artists in their environments is so interesting, pottering about in studios and sharing ideas about their work.
One thing shines through - the creative impulse to be by oneself.
I love the time I spend in my own studio. I have rituals and routines that set me up for a good day. I listen to podcasts first thing, and then, as I slowly wake up to the rhythm of painting, the space becomes quieter, and the only noise is that of a paintbrush on scratchy canvas and the odd tinkle of brush in turps.
Silence enhances my ability to perceive subtle nuances in my environment. By immersing myself in this silence, I’ve develop a heightened sense of awareness, and it becomes all about my hand, my body, my mind and the act of painting.
I need this quiet for reflection.
It conjures a space for introspection, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of myself and the act of painting.
My mind doesn’t empty as it would if I were meditating, but the concentration, the rhythm and the act of making a mark solidifies, and ideas and emotions reveal themselves as I paint.
This is why I’m drawn to the colder climates so much; it has this velvet silence, where cracks in shattering glaciers and the crunch of black basalt underfoot are slightly muffled. The fallen snow like the noise-cancelling padding in a sound booth.
Watching the artists talk about their work and ideas has led me to think about what sustains my own creative practice. What it is that I strive for when making and exhibiting my work.Embracing this idea of silence is at the core of what I do. I revel in the silence when I create the artwork, which has a tangible presence in the finished pieces.I’ve become more attuned to the natural flow of things. And my work is better for me being 100% present.My exhibition at Oriel Davies has given me much more than the opportunity to exhibit. It’s given me time to make the best work I’ve ever created and to reflect on my creativejourney - what’s informed my practice and what is important to me.It’s been a long and often difficult journey to get to this point, and I’m so grateful for your interest.I’m starting to see how the exhibition will look at the gallery; the meeting this week with Steffan was marvellous. We are both really excited to share the show with you in a coupleof months' time,