I have been exploring working with the tiny traces which appear almost by magic on the paper when I am playing with the watercolour and the gum arabic, in the early stages of the work. I am calling this one ‘Of Blood and Spirit’… it seems to be about two manifestations of the same being, perhaps complementary aspects, flesh or blood and spirit, feminine, masculine, dark, light, sanguine, aerial…
Yesterday I went to London on the 5am train. It was a great fast service and I arrived in Mayfair before 11 am, to work with Marc Almond on visual material for his new album. He spoke about his childhood and beloved Southport but mostly he sat quietly with closed yes as I closed my eyes too and tuned into him, and allowed the images to come, to flow, to grow. I was amazed by the clarity of the images which came. Really happy with my work, which was such a good feeling. I was making monotypes on thin gampi paper.
Scurrying to Paddington before 5pm (no time for Selfridges or similar!), I found my eyes pricking with tears, as always, as I walked down the platform to my Penzance train. So happy to be coming home! And remembering my Dad who went through Paddington station every day of his working life, and whose ghost now keeps watch over the bike racks, where his skip-retreived-hand-painted two-wheeled masterpiece still is locked….