Well that didn't quite go as planned. Full of enthusiasm, admirable optimism, and an unrealistic expectation of the amount of time I could find to work at home in the holidays, I had hoped to achieve something exciting and relevant, and enter it in the "inside Quartz" competition. It hasn't happened, and I am temporarily deflated.
My drawings are a disaster (though to be fair, this is often true of the initial drawings for a new project); photographing clear crystals by the light of a Christmas tree is far from ideal; and I can't find time to work through enough ideas before refining the most exciting ones to move them forward. While working on the quartz drawings, I realised that the sense of aesthetic in my work is vital. My drawings and ideas were far too complicated, and the beauty of the found objects I was using, had become lost. I want the audience to pause, and find the space to breathe in deeply as they look at, or wear my work.
At times like these I envy musicians. When learning to play an instrument, a piece, or part of a piece, will be played many, many times. Each mistake exists for a split second only, and is replaced by the correct note. There is no evidence of failure, no reminders of what was wrong, and nothing to deter you from trying again. Instead I am sat here, surrounded by shameful drawings, poorly exposed photographs, and half-cocked ideas that taunt me with potential, but alas no time to do anything with them.
I need to find opportunties as they are published, rather than a week before the deadline. My practice falls in a relatively small genre (contemporary jewellery); I live in the wrong part of Europe (Germany, Holland and Switzerland all have much stronger art jewellery traditions than the UK), and I am studying in a non-specialist university (rather than on a jewellery specific MA). I must work hard to avoid isolation. Thankfully the internet goes some way to bridging the gap, and researching and hopping between websites is something I can do quite successfully!
I have found another opportunity that has a more realistic timescale ...
Space2 Gallery, Watford ... thanks to a nudge from a colleague (thanks Davina x), I have submitted a proposal, along with Davina Thomas and Tanya St Leger for an exhibition entitled "Re:" (recycle, reuse, renew). We are three makers who all work with or on discarded, recycled and unwanted objects. The potential for collaborative work alongside our individual pieces is exciting, so fingers crossed.
