Saturday 27 July 2013

Artists, Exhibitions and Inspirations

So, yes, I realise that there's been a bit of a hiatus between my last entry and this. So I best get on with things then...

I've been checking out other artists and open exhibitions within the locale as I'm interested to see the type of work that's out there and how my art compares. Today I visited the Herts Visual Arts (HVA) Summer Exhibition which is held in Harpenden, a very pleasant leafy Hertfordshire town in England, UK. So not only did I have the opportunity to peruse art and chat to artists - I also enjoyed lovely afternoon which absolutely required a visit to one of the charming pubs in the area!




Temple of the Moon by Sue Wooky
This exhibition is akin to Hertfordshire's answer to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, albeit on a somewhat more local scale. There were two rooms of art displayed - one for paintings, 3-D/sculpture and the other for prints. The art was very varied and generally of a high standard, but of course, not all of to my taste - art is subjective. I find for me, the art that stands out, because of my own interest and calling, are those that use soul-inspired symbols to portray meaning and that are perhaps sometimes slightly whimsical. I'm starting to note the local artists that stand out for me such Sue Wookey, whose art I love - her art is heavily based on symbols, myths and legends. To me they are wonderfully uplifting and just purely fun and very illustrative.

Circle of Life II by Kim Major-George
An artist that I hadn't seen before, or infact, met, was Kim Major-George who is a well known collagraph print maker, and her art is some of the most fascinating and original I seen recently. She is very inspired by wanting to express the positive, gaia, looking at our spiritual nature and our relationship with the Earth and there is a distinct energy that erupts out of her work which is very inspired by Taoism.


She was so enthusiast about her work and explained her unique printing technique to me. I had lots of questions about her work - I feel if I pick the brains of the artists I meet it might help me move forward in my own art - I wanted to know what inspired her, how she created her work, her techniques, and she was most forthright in chatting to me - so thank you! These photos really don't do the work justice - she uses gold leaf which lifts elements in her prints, and I strongly suggest that if you can see her work, and she exhibits widely, that you do. People understand the world in many different ways - and although some of their beliefs are not my beliefs - I appreciate that they are looking to express their own ideas of spirituality through art.

The New Shining by Kim Major-George
Whilst chatting to another artist, I mentioned that I was a budding artist too and he strongly suggested that I should join the HVA and then perhaps for next year, I might be exhibiting my art! Who knows what the future brings - only that I travel there with God as my inspiration. I think it is about time that my next post should be about one of my own art pieces.

No comments:

Post a Comment