NICOLA YOUNG

I’m really pleased to say that I have come through the other end of my creative block. It has taken weeks. But, having played around with collage and completed a couple of paintings, things seem to be back on track.

End of the Year

As we head towards the end of the year its time to reflect on 2021 and also do some planning for 2022.  I’m not the greatest planner when it comes to my art.  Maybe it’s a reaction to having to be so planned in my day job?  Possibly a lack of time and head space?  Or maybe it’s just laziness?

Whatever the reason I want to buck the trend.  So, this year I signed up to Alice Sheridan’s Connected Artist Club. And I am slowly making my way through some of the planning tools she suggests.  I can’t claim to have spent much time on this yet. But her suggestion for an art planning notebook did catch my eye. And I made a start.  I’ve even earmarked a few days over the Christmas break to really get into this.  Despite being just early stages, I’m surprised how many goals I have for 2022.  And I’ll be adding more over the next two weeks.

Some of these are more ‘things to do’ but as someone who doesn’t usually do much forward planning, once I started I found myself doodling away.  Hopefully the act of writing these down will encourage me to get some done.  Who doesn’t find it satisfying to tick things off a list?

Getting a Bit More Forensic with Data

I am also going to bring the data analysis skills I use in my day job into my art.  I have sketched out some social media tracking pages and have popped diary reminders in each month to complete these.

Once I have a better sense of numbers and trends I will set myself some targets.

Spring/New Year Clean

Aside from planning, I need a studio tidy up as the room is back to being a mini obstacle course.  Actually I need a full study clear out, but I’m not great at being ruthless, so need to build myself up to that.  I have so many art supplies that I’ve bought over the years and either will never use, or have used and didn’t like. I will in the meantime spend a day over Christmas to just have a good tidy up.  The pile of collage papers under my table is over flowing and needs to be sorted.  And it’s always a good opportunity to take stock of part finished boards that have been abandoned over the year.

In preparation for the tidy up I made a start on getting my dog sculpture completed.  This project was something I started back in the summer but it has stood half done in front of my easel for about 6 months.  After creating the initial shape and wrapping it in plaster bandages, the air dry clay I wrapped him in was a total disaster and peeled off.  I didn’t quite know what to do next, so he’s stood there abandoned, taking up floor space. 

The prospect of a tidy up prompted me to purchase some good old fashioned plaster of paris.  So, over this week I’m hoping to get a few coats of plaster on him and then leave him to dry over Christmas.  Once he’s properly set I can paint him in the new year.

Kitchen Update

The renovation is still ongoing.  Its been a slow month as our builder was called away to work on homes that had severe storm damage.  But I’m pleased to say work started again last week so we now almost have a roof and the old kitchen cupboards have gone. 

We do still have two backdoors, one of which is now in the middle of what will be our new kitchen. Hopefully this wall will come down soon and the last of the steel work will be installed. It still looks like a building site and the house is bloody cold but excitingly you can start to see the shape and size of the new kitchen. And a big bonus we’re losing those awful red tiles!

In the Studio This Week

I finished my second commission at the weekend.  It’s a harbour scene with numbers and colours that have particular relevance to the buyer.  I’m hoping to drop it off after Christmas and start my third commission in the new year – more about that in a later post. 

And I have also just finished a 60 x 60cm panel which I need to photograph and get on my website.  Although I’m struggling to give it a title so any suggestions welcomed. I’m toying with ‘Lockdown’ which seems apt for the final painting of the year and ties in with the idea of self contained boxes.

Will share a bit more about my planning for 2022 in my new year post so for now I just wanted to say ‘Happy Holidays’, ‘Merry Christmas’ and stay safe!