hackwork

Posted on July 6, 2025 by iansblog

Hackwork

Another New Studio (although its getting old now)

This last month was not nearly as frustrating as last month but hasn’t involved a lot of development of theory.

Beginning with the completion of the ‘Circus Horse Model’ with the acrobat.

Circus Horse 09 06 2025

Tumbler 020 06 2025

Tumbler 04 06 2025

Tumbler 06 06 2025

Tumbler 09 06 2025

Tumbler 18 06 2025

Tumber Detail 20 06 2025

Tumbler 20 06 2025

The ‘Tumbler’ was taken to a finish by the 20^th June, the finish inspired by Picasso’s ‘Harlequin with Glass‘ from 1905.

The previous images show the process as it continues through sanding, filling and priming before the paint finish and eventual varnishing.

The effect I want to achieve is that the rough finish with an imprecise pattern and a messiness that reflects the character of the figure.

Most of the month was spent on this sort of hackwork.

The next set of photographs show the building of the ‘Large Harlequin’ and the simpler parts of the installation.

Large Harlequin 06 06 2025

Large Harlequin 09 06 2025

Large Harlequin 18 06 2025

Large Harlequin and Bowl 25 06 2025

You should always look down on a circus 27 06 2025

More views of the Circus development and drawings are on the website

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The June drawings can be seen here

Draw Every Day – June 25

Draw Every Day - June 25 Continuing to draw every day in Book 22. I've continued to use the ...
See photo »

…and the May images here

Draw Every Day – May 25

Draw Every Day - May 25 Continuing to draw every day in Fabriano artist's Journal with ...
See photo »

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

Or you can go the Galleries page on the top menu

The drawings are posted to Instagram each day.

Massive Doubt

Posted on June 3, 2025 by iansblog

Massive Doubt

Another New Studio

‘You don’t know how paralyzing it is, that stare from a blank canvas that says to the painter you can’t do anything. The canvas has an idiotic stare, and mesmerizes some painters so that they turn into idiots themselves.’

Vincent Van Gogh, letter to Theo from October 2, 1884.

‘Learn to say “Fuck You” to the world once in a while. You have every right to. Just stop thinking, worrying, […] Stop it and just

DO’

Sol leWitt, letter to Eva Hesse, April 14, 1965

The vissicitudes of April 2025 continue to exert an influence on my ability to recognise what I’m doing as having any value whatsoever. With my massive doubt I’ve spent part of the weekend reading around artists’ responses to the black dog that hangs over us all from time to time and the quotes above come from this reading courtesy of the Marginalian [https://www.themarginalian.org/]. On Friday I chanced across a friend who has a studio in the same complex as me and she expressed her post exhibition ennui and I sympathised suggesting that I had made the error of revisiting past work and found myself limited by being unable to remember, if I ever knew, why I was making this set of work. She noted that we are surely all making the same thing over and over again and that the reasons will emerge in time.

Maquette for Circus Horse (after Seurat) 2nd may 2025

I’m not sure I’m entirely convinced but it reminded me that reasons are only important when you’re trying to sell the concepts rather than exercise them.

White Horse (larger model after Uffington) 12th May 2025

The work illustrated shows the progress I’m not making and points up the amount of judgement I’m applying as I move.

Circus Horse (larger model after Seurat) 14th May 2025

So the large horse is progressing and the figure for the acrobat is made.

Circus Horse Maquette (after Seurat) 14th May 2025

Circus Horse larger model with Acrobat 16th May 2025

Circus Horse Maquette (after Seurat) with maquettes in progress 16th May 2025

Studio 19th May 2025

While I’m suffering this massive doubt and trying to find out why I’m doing this I came across this nice little presentation by David Thomas about the “circus as metaphor”

Larger Circus Horse with Acrobat 21st May 2025

The reference images have been created over several years, the original circus drawings were made in 2003/4and the A1 drawings and newer versions were made in 2021. The drawings can be seen together in this gallery.

Circus Ring Drawing 21st May 2025

I started a new cirucs ring drawing and it pointed up the limitations of the metaphor. There is no chaos in the circus but there is movement and distraction and a seeming riotous randomness that is in fact carefully choreographed. As with anything that is characterised by movement a still image can appear to suggest a lack of action.

Circus Ring Drawing 23rd May 2025

The drawing, to date, is trying to suggest a continuous movement whilst simultaneously reflecting the intended appearance of the piece as a sculpture. Scale is everything.

Large Tumbler in progress 28th May 2025

At the end of the month, while I’ve still got massive doubt, I’ve started to get the tumbler built at life size with the intention of building the complete piece – which will mean a life size horse – from styrofoam. The drawback to this is the amount of sanding required and the dust that gets everywhere while you’re sanding. I cut the basic shape with a hot wire but there is always a good deal of smoothing to be done.

Large Tumbler in Progress 30th May 2025

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The May drawings can be seen here

Draw Every Day – May 25

Draw Every Day - May 25 Continuing to draw every day in Fabriano artist's Journal with ...
See photo »

…and the April images here

Draw Every Day – April 25

Draw Every Day - April 25 Continuing to draw every day in Fabriano artist's Journal with ...
See photo »

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

Or you can go the Galleries page on the top menu

The drawings are posted to Instagram each day.

Even More Space in the Garden

Posted on December 13, 2024 by iansblog

Even More Space in the Garden

Another New Studio

This is a very late blog recording November’s activity because I’ve been suffering from seasonal rubbish. Sometimes you reach what you think is the end of something and find yourself struggling to move past that point and that’s where I’ve been. When in this state every distraction is grasped with alacrity and time that should have been spent resolving things disappears.

I did manage to complete an application for funding from Immersive Arts and will find out if I’m successful in February,

Flowers 10 01/11/24

At the start of the month I began a new drawing, Flowers_10, and prepped the boards for a couple more. At that point the other artists in the building were considering an open day before Christmas and I was hopeful of joining in.

Subsequently the Romanian elections taking place in the building stymied us and, as they were going to use three consecutive weekends, we were unable to progress. We’re now thinking of an exhibition in the Spring.

Flowers 9 01/11/24

Flowers 1,2,3 and 4 01/11/24 backview

I finished the second drawing of the existing set up with ‘Flowers 1,2,3, &4’ and then got the opportunity to get some more free material to help complete the piece.

Studio 04/11/24

This meant I had to move everything around so that I could see what I was doing. Never mind space in the garden I need more space in the studio.

Storage Space 04/11/24

I moved my projection booth towards the door so that I could make a storage space against the wall.

When I was finished I started the 6^th November with this setup.

Studio 06/11/24

Flowers_10 06/11/24

Flowers 11 06/11/24

Between the first and the sixth of the month I made these two drawings, Flowers_10 and Flowers_11 towards the ‘Woolgathering’ project. ‘Woolgathering’ has grown out of the exploration of space in the garden.

Studio at the end of 06/11/24

At the end of the day the studio looked like this.

Thereafter I worked to make the pieces I needed to finish the layout of the flower bed for that piece. First cutting the flowers for the end bed, ‘Flowers_5’.