Here I am again, with something unexpected from Ann…
It’s been a LONG time since we last presented a figurative work, so it’s going to be interesting going through the details with you on this one.
What else have we been up to? Well, as I write this on Sunday July 16th, we’re more-or-less half-way through this year’s Open Studios 2023.
The weather has been, err, ‘less than kind’ to us this year, so we’re grateful to those of you, who’ve found the time to come and say ‘Hello!’… We’ve had some great sales, too, which has given us some cheer, so thanks again to all those who continue to support us in our creative wanderings… We couldn’t do it without you.
While I remember, there’s a good chance that a documentary filmmaker will be spending July 23rd with us, in an attempt to put together a ‘day in the life of an Open Studio’ documentary…! Make a note of this, in-case you don’t want to be caught on-camera when you visit…
Last-but-not-least… Thanks to our fabulous new printer, we’re once again offering our much-loved (and much-missed) ‘Mini-Prints’ to all main listings in the store. See below for details…
Okay, that’s enough rambling: Let’s get on with it!
In this mesmerising creation, we see a young woman adorned in a plain calico turban. Likewise, her body is wrapped in simple cotton and she wears neither accessories nor makeup. She is open to receive…
With eyes closed, she surrenders herself to the land of reverie, where the magic of pure thought and limitless possibilities come to life. A celestial dance ensues as a host of monarch butterflies, their delicate wings fluttering with graceful poise, form a mesmeric cloud about her. Each butterfly represents a single idea or possibility.
This is the cloud from which we either find ideas, or they find us! Other butterfly varieties – variations of the idea, perhaps – are entering the group, to create a living tapestry.
Incidentally, some of you might recognise these butterflies as Monarchs… A variety prevalent in California & Mexico, they are known for their extensive and wide-ranging migrations between the territories. We last saw them in ‘A Great Leap Forward…’, where they were bothering the Tiger! Ann was so taken with their rich, intense colouring, that when it came to choosing one for Arrival…, the answer was obvious!
Amidst this symphony of fluttering wings, a small mouse, donned in ornate armour, nestles within the folds of her turban.
If you follow the delicate thread it holds…
…You’ll find a special butterfly-shaped balloon – an emblem of the extraordinary hidden just out of view…
You might be wondering why the mouse is holding onto his balloon so carefully?
In this, the second – or ‘middle’ – painting of the eventual triptych, I wanted to convey the idea that the balloon is acting like some kind of ‘lightning rod’…
You see, the mouse is actively working to draw-down the ‘right answer’ from the cloud of ideas. He’s the conduit, through which everything flows…
It seems he was successful, for perched delicately upon the girl’s shoulder rests a solitary, iridescent blue butterfly – a symbol of serendipity & inspiration.
So. Here’s the all-important question I want you to think about: has it just landed? Drawn down from the cloud? OR, is the mouse little more than a ‘red-herring’? Has the blue butterfly been on her shoulder all the time, waiting to be noticed? Waiting for the girl to become aware of its presence…
Ah, but such questions are what make the work come ALIVE, are they not?
Because of our participation in the Marlborough Open Studios, we will NOT be appearing at any Craft Markets in the Cirencester Corn Hall throughout July…
However, we’re due back in August, so more dates to be confirmed later-on..!
The Herald…
Well, that’s it for now: we hope you enjoyed this Newsletter. We’re in the midst of the Open Studios right now, but we’ll be back before you know it – Stay Tuned!
