In the Garden - An Annie Story

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In the garden

One of the places I went with Annie was a garden. It had walls and you could stroll about in it. I was impressed by the range of flowers and the strong mature trees. There was a charming Yew hedge and even a little rose garden. 

 But as we strolled admiring the fine lawns and Annie became increasingly silent, pensive even and I had begun to wonder if there was anything amiss.

 “Annie, why are you so silent,” I asked, “you are like a walking brick.”

 “Well…”said Annie. 

 “Yes?”I said. 

 “Well,” continued Annie, “it is just that the garden is so very beautiful but we will have to leave.” ‘Yes,” I said. “That is surely unfortunate. We shall have to leave and return to our squalid flat in South London.”

 “Mmm…” murmured Annie. sadly. 

 “Hmm,” I responded, in what I thought was an appropriately sympathtic fashion. 

 But as we walked down the path a large monster appeared, like a snake with eagle wings and talons. 

My dear, we fled!

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Garden fork

One of an open-ended series celebrating tools and cutlery. The ones which are most appealing are made of the sort of materials which age, or wear nicely, developing a patina or shaping to the habits of the user.

The Garden City (nocturne)

Here is the complete print (86 x 60 cm).

One of a number of photos of my hands- the full set is here-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28509471@N05/sets/72157612104631101/

This particular image might for a good starting point for The Garen City series. The hand here is an opened container, the shell is itself a home, much like a dwelling in a city.

Today was a very unsuccesful day in the print studio, the second such this week, and I need to start afresh. Oddly, it is often a relief to produce really poor work. It tells me, without equivocation, that I am on the wrong track. Merely mediocre work is much more difficult to learn from.

There is something immensely reassuring about the geometric orderliness of shells which I think might also provide me with a new direction for the Garden City series.

Nocturnes

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The Garden City - Nocturne (details) I shall publish the whole print later this week.

 I think of these with piano music in mind- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkse1g9ibnM

 There is a beautiful tradition of night pictures which I'd like to tap into.

 

 

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The Garden City- more work

Here is some more recently completed work-

The Garden City

The first prints of the new series have dried, and I'm showing them on Flickr.

They're called "The Garden City", as a sort of homage to the planners of the nineteenth century.

I've structured the pieces with an underlying grid, with circles and other shapes overlain.