Posts Tagged ‘stars’
Peace and The Little Prince
The night before last, I was told to “go and make some art” by James, my husband. It is great to have such encouragement to do the things I really want to do but often don’t do on my own. I have been thinking about the land art project we are doing along the walking routes in the Burren and North Clare, so I went over to the turf basket and started playing around with bits of turf! (one of the walks is on a bog road) First I created this peace sign inspired by James. I have been reading the children “The Little Prince”. I really love the book, it influenced the little stars which I cut out of banana skins.
Banana skin stars on turf in the Secret Gallery between Doolin and The Cliffs of Moher.
Some of the reasons that I put little yellow stars on turf may be because:
I have been reading “The Little Prince”.
The following day we had a conversation with our friend, she was talking about it being the time of stars, as they have more effect on us, maybe because we see the stars more as it gets dark earlier. It is also the time of year that there are more shooting stars.
Stars are very big compared to pieces of turf yet they are similar; the turf is a tiny nugget of the earth which is a planet too.
I remember night time bog walks as a child looking up at the stars.
Apparently there may be some moon dust on the earth after they crash into the moon. I hope it does not upset things too much on the moon or for us as a consequence of us interfering with the mighty Moon.
Maybe because it was playful, and I liked the contrast of the smooth banana skins and the rough turf. Who knows!
Peace to all
Moonbeams, shooting stars and an enchanted frozen Lake!
“Traveller” Marianne Potterton 2008-2009
Oil and Indigo pigment on canvas
“Here now Peace” Marianne Potterton 2008-2009
Oil and Indigo pigment on canvas (Detail)
Moonbeams squeezed under the door the night we had driven back from the enchanted frozen lake, making a wish on on shooting star on our way home. That was yesterday. Somehow all of these experiences filter into my paintings. So as James often tells me it is so important to expose ourselves to lots of powerful and interesting experiences so our art is fed by them and becomes richer. Yesterday I went to Lough Ger in County Limrick, it was beautiful and well worth a visit.
These are two painting that I reworked the other day. Sometimes it is hard to know if you are making the biggest mistake painting over a painting that once you thought was finished. I was never really happy with these paintings so the other day when I had no canvas to work on I thought that I would see what I could do with them. I do like them much better now and feel more confident showing them. Though sometimes I think a painting needs time to be and one day will be it’s time, possibly these could be the best works or it could be that they never really arrived at an interesting place.
The top painting has gone through many different phases, now you can barely make out the astronaut/diver, just their rose coloured visor. The lower painting is staying with the space theme in a way, with planets and stars and down to the activity of atoms and invisible changes. This connects to the 7 Veils of Illusion series from earlier. Saying Here, now Peace.
Paper Poppy Seed Heads
A while ago, I made two paper Poppy seed heads and put some of James’ Juniper berries inside of them, so when they are rotated they make a sound like pebbles being dragged by the tide. After several weeks in the west of Clare, the juniper berries had started to soften and the paper was not so crispy, so the rolling berries made little sound! It was time to be plunged into hot wax, minus berries. Now they hold their shape and are slightly transparent when the light shines through them. I put some of the wax in it’s bead form inside the heads, it makes a great sound!
Last night, I started stitching a new one, it was made with firmer brown paper and I reckoned that some stitching would work instead of wax. I died the white thread with some liquid blusher, another one has lipstick on it! (the nearest one in the photograph). Another Artist who uses stitching in her work is Kirsty Hall and I would really recommend you having a look at her inspiring and informative sight.
The holes that the needle make when I stitch look like little stars when You look through them towards the light! I like to be playful and experimental with my sewing. Before I started stitching I had just been outside and looked up at the stars and they were amazing! Then I looked down at the ground and the line of shells along the garden path had been scattered into a very star-like Milky Way!
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