I've had the last week off work and am pleased to report that rather than indulge my procrastination gene, I've managed to get focused and make a good start on a new portfolio of work based on Henley Royal Regatta.
I always feel good when I can start to 'build' some substance to the ideas that have been carried around in my head from when the first spark of inspiration strikes. The way I like to work is to mock up a small test piece digitally and then use this as a guide to build a larger version from with paper and ephemera once I'm happy with the composition. The wall in my front room became a hanging space displaying different versions and once I've lived with them for a bit I chose the version I like best to build!
I like to include relevant ephemera in my work and regretted not buying a programme when we visited the Regatta last year. The queue was really long and it had taken Ben and I nearly two hours to walk a mile because of all the people - it was hot and Ben saw a beer in his future more than hanging around waiting for me!
As the sun was shining, I took a drive over to Henley this morning and had a trawl around the antique shops to see if I could find an old programme. The gentleman in the first shop I went in suggested I try 'The Ferret' and the antique book shop down towards the river. The Ferret was full of all sorts of delights, but no Regatta ephemera - the bookshop though was another story.
The lady in the bookshop had a whole box of programmes going back years "I like to collect unwanted copies so that if anyone pops in and says their children were rowing in a certain year and didn't get a copy I can give them one of mine". She very kindly let me take a couple of copies for no charge. How lovely and unexpected was that?
In the spirit of sharing and preserving someone elses history, I've scanned the pages and will return the copies to her next time I'm over that way - along with a greeting card version of one of the resulting works as a thank you.
I always feel good when I can start to 'build' some substance to the ideas that have been carried around in my head from when the first spark of inspiration strikes. The way I like to work is to mock up a small test piece digitally and then use this as a guide to build a larger version from with paper and ephemera once I'm happy with the composition. The wall in my front room became a hanging space displaying different versions and once I've lived with them for a bit I chose the version I like best to build!
I like to include relevant ephemera in my work and regretted not buying a programme when we visited the Regatta last year. The queue was really long and it had taken Ben and I nearly two hours to walk a mile because of all the people - it was hot and Ben saw a beer in his future more than hanging around waiting for me!
As the sun was shining, I took a drive over to Henley this morning and had a trawl around the antique shops to see if I could find an old programme. The gentleman in the first shop I went in suggested I try 'The Ferret' and the antique book shop down towards the river. The Ferret was full of all sorts of delights, but no Regatta ephemera - the bookshop though was another story.
The lady in the bookshop had a whole box of programmes going back years "I like to collect unwanted copies so that if anyone pops in and says their children were rowing in a certain year and didn't get a copy I can give them one of mine". She very kindly let me take a couple of copies for no charge. How lovely and unexpected was that?
In the spirit of sharing and preserving someone elses history, I've scanned the pages and will return the copies to her next time I'm over that way - along with a greeting card version of one of the resulting works as a thank you.
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