this n that

Distractions

Towards the end of last year we sort a couple of quotes to renovate our kitchen. Anyway 'this and that' happened and finally when a section of the roof on the shed & entertaining area lifted in a strong breeze it took priority. So alas the kitchen goes back onto the wish list for a little bit. The idea of 'this n that' causing things to topple in different directions reminded me of a couple of collage pieces I'd seen last year as part of the Surrealism Exhibition at GOMA.

Ripping  images from various sources and creating art "Distractions" was not only very soothing but also a much healthier option to sulking about not getting my new kitchen. 

Balance

As we were nearing the end of the year one also starts to think about what was achieved and setting new resolutions for the next year and what will the new theme word be. So evolved the piece "Balance".

My word for 2011 was expand, at the beginning of the year I thought that most if not all of the expanding would be from the artistic perspective. Well 'this n that' happened and the expanding also occurred within my day job. I had worked for a retail optical company for a little over 14 years and as of April last year I now work for a Laser Vision Clinic so there has been expansion of eye health knowledge, computer skills and believe it or not even aspects of graphic art. My interests in all things art are very handy as we systematically redesign the clinic's information booklets, website and enter the world of social media. It's so rewarding to be part of a positive and supportive team and to have a much healthier work/life balance. From an artistic perspective I was honored to have both my pieces accepted into SOTA11 (the submission for SOTA12 are due by 1st February 2012)  And very honored to be part of a collaborative exhibition with talented artists Felicity Clarke and Tricia Smout.  I also enjoyed expanding with new techniques, new materials and doing a workshop with Joan Schulz at my first FibreArts Forum. Also continued expanding my confidence with taking my photos and exploring different methods of printing them onto fabrics and other mediums. Another piece of exciting news that occurred during 2011 was the TAFTA board accepted my proposal for an exhibition at Gallery159. So, I have a phrase for 2012 - "Head down & Tail up" as I focus on completing pieces for my first solo exhibition called "Sunday Drives" at Gallery 159, 5th-26th August 2012.