Saturday 23 November 2013

on notebooks and writing and revisiting things




sitting by candlelight this morning
feeling very grateful to the Oregon College of Art + Craft
for having gifted me this residency

an opportunity to slow down, contemplate, revisit
and apply myself solidly to the work of making
with the possibility of working in other media

exploring some things i had begun a few years ago
during a series of classes at the Jam Factory in Adelaide
except that at that time i became completely seduced 
by the exquisite luminosity of blue glaze



being in one place for a period of time
allowed me to make things that need time 

as well as wander back through notebook pages
re-read and re-examine
although i WILL say


that my chillun are right.
my handwriting is appalling
[unless i am writing in upper case architectural style lettering,
then it goes into auto-pilot and looks much neater - although i won't vouch for legibility]

it took me a good nine minutes to work out that the word i had written near the top right [just under the line] of that image was supposed to be "timeless". the words are from Sandra Brownlee, let fall during her "Tactile Notebooks and the Written Word" class that it was my joy to participate in during my recent stay in Scotland.

which brings me to some exciting news for my compatriots
Sandra Brownlee will be teaching a class at Goolwa in South Australia
during the last week of October next year
at Jenni Worth's beautiful [former*] brewery home

if you'd like more information on this
please drop me a line through the contact page on my website
and i shall forward you email to Jenni

meanwhile i'm going back to my notebook
to practice writing with my non-dominant hand
it seems to be more legible than the one i usually use


* 'former' applies to the brewery bit, not the 'home' bit...

4 comments:

  1. Each day before I start my work I say to myself, "accept the gift nature has to offer today". It keeps me from wanting things to be a certain way. It helps me focus on what I have, what is before me, instead of wishing and hoping for what I don't have right now.

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  2. I'm giggling at your comments regards the legibility of your handwriting --- maybe it will make you smile also to learn that my 'ordinary' handwriting is even less legible than yours...... really.... I kid you not... its very very (VERY) bad!

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  3. Cannot begin to imagine the gift of having that kind of concentrated *time* ... such intense immersion ... oh my, the rewards. As for your [and ronnie's] handwriting, don't they say illegible cursive handwriting means you were supposed to be a doctor? ;>]

    Enjoyed clicking on the "some things" link from way back in 2009 and all the left-hand, right-hand stuff. You can really sew with BOTH hands?! Only thing I can do with my leftie is toss the ball for the woofies!

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  4. india, funny, i have to have my kids help me decipher my own notes. why is it that the writing just degenerates? anyway, i'm wondering where the new media have taken you!

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