A BLAST - MY LATEST COLLAGE

"Contemplating the Nature of Triumph",
copyright Vivi-Mari Carpelan 2011

The open studio is still on, we are open this week 13th - 16th October. There has been a reasonably even stream of visitors, and where there has been interest in my stuff, I have certainly enjoyed connecting, talking about what I do but also chit chatting about life in general. Many visitors are artists themselves. It has been more worthwhile than I expected I think, and possibly a good thing that we have not been inundated with visitors. I have over 50 pieces on show, so it's really a kind of retrospective, and because it's in our home we get the benefit of hearing what people like and how they see the work. It makes me feel less invisible and more encouraged to go on creating. The things people ask the most are whether my pieces really are original rather than prints, because they seem so seamless. It's nice to hear, that people are keen to look at the technique while they try and figure out how it was done. People also often ask whether I exhibit a lot, and of course I tell them I have only lived in this country a year. It is also not easy to get galleries interested in these difficult times, they already have their best selling household artists and are not often eager to take risks. It will take time to get the art out there.

Beatrice is adamant that she should be part of my collages...

Bea has been in the studio all throughout the arts month, looking very cute
and amazingly tolerant towards the guests (even when there are several in the small space)

We also wanted to be working on our more concrete projects during this time so I have been sketching a bit for the big collage with all the men that I scanned out of one of Jim Harter's books, but I also wanted to do something turquoise and did in fact manage to complete a piece in a couple of days. Here it is - a blast! I don't seem to be able to help myself as I feel very attracted to the joyful and playful Indian imagery. I hope Indians can see that I respect their Gods though. It's good to go for lots of colour every once in a while, I think it is beneficial to one's state of mind. Perhaps I am really trying to defy the Welsh weather!

I got this big man's shirt from the RSC sale and am now using it for work!

Please read more about our open studios here and here!
Soon I have to refconfigure my computer and send it off to service... It will be hard to be without it.

THE OPEN STUDIOS ARE NOW OPEN!

Robin has diligently been keeping his position as studio cat in my studio throughout this weekend when we've been open to the public as part of  Powys Arts Month. So far we haven't witnessed any enormous interest but it's only the beginning as we will still be open the two following weeks from Thursday to Friday. I've been a bit ill this weekend so it's just as well... A couple asked a lot of questions about my art, it was lovely and refreshing to have a reason to talk about it all again. We do question whether maybe Powys just isn't the greatest place to show art, and when we have time we will be looking elsewhere for a public. We think that the beautiful catalogue should have been more widely distributed, across the borders.

We also need to work, it's funny how hard it can be to find the time sometimes. This is the startup of my own project: I'm working out a figure from the photos, and have also scanned and printed a huge amount of old copy right free images seen to the right that will feature in my new work.

This is how full our walls are of my work... there are 46 pieces on the walls as well lots of old work that I am selling out very cheaply. Prices vary from £ 5 - £ 700.

Postcards and a browser full of bargains...

MARTIN'S ART:

Original oil paintings in Martin's studio

Lots of prints of Martin's earlier work in our living room

The 11 dragons for Llanidloes in our (half renovated) dining area -
where guests can also have tea and cake and write name, comments
 (and e-mail address if they wish to receive our newsletter),
in our guestbook

Martin's alchemical laboratory...
Small prints for sale.
On top, the plane model that British Airways sent Martin
when he was short listed for the Great Britons.

MARTIN GIVING A DEMONSTRATION AND TALK...

On Friday he did a talk and demonstration at the Ceredigion Art Society in Aberystwyth (a big university town on the coast, not too far from us).

Martin is explaining how he makes a print of the kind of gradient, e.g. a sky, that he wants to paint,
and then matches the oil colours with it.
This is the print he used for the painting of a sky that he is using as an example.

Martin is talking about some of his art work.
To the right, the gradients that he has started to paint
as a demonstration.

In this picture,
Martin is demonstrating how you create smooth gradients
(using oil colours)

I am also available for talks, namely about the symbolism of my art and symbols in general. 

POWYS ARTS MONTH AND OUR CONTRIBUTION (EXHIBITIONS, OPEN STUDIO)

This is the Llandrindod Wells Museum
 where part of the exhibition is on show

Both Martin and I had artwork accepted to the Arts Engine Open Art Exhibition for artists of the county of Powys at Llandrindod Wells, unfortunately we didn't realize you could enter three pieces for the entering fee of £ 12 (which was quite a lot for the two of us). Oh well, at least we were there and had an enjoyable evening. The general standard wasn't as high as it was at the national open exhibition at Machynlleth where we just picked up our works from. However, our work were well hung for once, in a really good place with good lighting. It's also an opportunity to sell cards, it's great! There is also a catalogue about the artists and their statements.

I talked a bit to one of the artists, John Wragg, who does translucent sculpture with lines that indicate a strange perspective or optical illusion. He was upset that the piece (Fourth Commandment) was not placed so that the translucency and the lines were more evident. I said to him that in passing his piece I was dead scared to spill wine on it! It was placed so low. It's a shame when these things occur because of lack of a bit more consideration from the curators.

My small mixed media collage "Where There is Hope - There is Life"
 is hanging to the left of Martin's large oil painting
"Give Me the Head of John the Baptist" in the middle. 

OPEN STUDIO!

Our (Martin Herbert and Vivi-Mari Carpelan) studios will be open during the Powys Arts Month in October 2011, please see catalogue for details. A lot of art will also be on show on the walls of the house and older art at greatly reduced prices in a browser. You will probably be seeing us working on our current projects (drawing and collaging). Tea and applecake (from a recipe from the Finnish archipelago) will be available. The address is 14 Shortbridge Street, in the centre of Llanidloes down the road from the old  market hall. Our house is open roughly three prolonged weekends in the afternoon in October.


Read more on Martin's blog!

My studio - please see previous blog entry for more photos

Our walls are full of artwork for the visitors too see

We will be working on our art projects