Valerie McLean

Visited Kilpeck Church again yesterday. Time to focus my mind on my book about the Romanesque carvings, due to be delivered to the publishers in six weeks time.

I went  to visit the R.W.A. and view the work at this years show which as the comments book seem to confirm, was of a very high standard. My one small square canvas from my Memory Series seem to hint to me  a different meaning from how I saw it when placed in the grid of nine on my studio wall…Just as I feel a memory can be experienced in a different kind of way when coming to the surface of ones mind at a later date.

 

I have found myself making a new series of paintings about the countryside around May Hill ….for h’Art week 10-18th September, when I shall be opening my studio in Ledbury.  More muted colours this year, -blues and purples.

The Altered book round robin is to finish this month, so all nine artists will have their original book returned to them at the end of the nine months of the project. The books will then go to Hereford City Museum and art gallery to be exhibited as part of Hereford Art Week.

The final book in this project and the title of Veroniques’ book is Alan Titchmarsh’s Avant–gardening , A guide to one-upmanship in the garden. I was not inspired by the book or its title and decided to take the subject of gardening  and try to create an image of my garden. The four double pages of my section were completely painted over in gouache and acrylic paint to reflect the colours from my garden. Each page was allowed to dry and eventually I proceeded to tear and collage, making just one single double page. I then worked back into the image with pencil. The result is a rather abstract impression of my garden in high summer…rather aesthetically pleasing to my eye.

I am so fortunate to have my studio  in the garden of my home in Ledbury. The importance of space to work cannot be over emphasised for any artist – a place to think and develop ideas as well as making finished pieces. Although Life and Community feeds our art, we usually need a place that is ours alone as a retreat, as well as a workshop.  After spending time in the studio making work, we may see the world and situations differently…….a shift of focus that comes from expressing what we feel.

For many years, my paintings, collages and prints were visual memories, relating to the shifting moods and atmosphere experienced when visiting ancient buildings and sacred places in the landscape that are somehow set apart.    The paintings were made from memory, reflecting the season in which they were painted.

More recently my work has focused sharply on ideas around memory –  how memories are stored, linked, modified and organised.

Stained Glass Panel completed at workshop with Nicky Hopwood. The design was inspired by Kilpeck Church and will be included in my book about the Romanesque Sculpture in Herefordshire. Hopefully the book will be published later this year.

Nine Artists from Ledbury participating in an Altered Book Round Robin, to be completed by September 2011 in time for exhibition at Hereford City gallery h’Art Week (September 11-19th) The Nine artists each choose a discarded book to be worked on – collaged, painted, etc.   for a month before passing on to the next contributor.

Molly Rozier’s Book The Illustrated Book of Insects by Derek Whitely, illustrated by Joyce Bee.

The coloured plates were well illustrated and I was struck by the way that creatures are  necessarily depicted as separate specimens in this kind of book. Therefore, in  my section I added no paint or  other material, but cut into the images trying to interweave and make connections, in order to illustrate the interdependence of these creatures.

I have just received this photograph of a portrait that was painted  by me last year, whilst finishing  B.A.  Fine Art top-up at Hereford. I am pleased to know that this painting now hangs at Gwyn’s home. The  time  spent at Hereford during  2010 was a very important time in my development as an artist and Gwyn’s  calm presence in the studio helped to make a good working  atmosphere..

Continue reading Stained Glass around home and studio

An enjoyable and informative weekend spent at  Brilley near Hay on Wye with stained glass artist, Nicky Hopwood. The panel that I made was an image relating to Cam Peak and the countryside in the Dursley area – and was produced as a gift for a family who see the Peak from their living Room window and walk regularly to the summit.

Nicky runs several workshops throughout the year and can be contacted …….nickyhopwood@waitrose.com>

GlassPanel now finished – framed by Miles Meager