25th November 2010
Zinoba, Norway
Type: Pine
That inspired feeling. When you’re making. When parts of your brain that never met before join forces. When fusion occurs in the grey matter. Silent creation inside. New elements are formed in that place. (or does the brain actually make a noise when you’re thinking?)
This project it’s been feeling a bit like, ‘I’ve done it now’. After 6 months and 190 odd trees… I now know what it’s like to climb a tree. I’ve already said / stated my position on world affairs. I’ve already stated that I’ve stated my position. It’s all a repeat of my self and the same tired loops that I’ve already talked about. So… it helps when there’s a day of collaboration. Janicke Schønning is an old friend and one of my favourite ‘undiscovered’ artists. She’s recently found a new studio space in the nature around her cottage. There’s kind of a cool story in this. She moved into her feller’s cottage, – they have two kids together, and so finally gave up her flat and studio in town…
She discovered the forest and the landscape could be a giant studio on her doorstep. And the discovery was a weight off her. It may have seemed like the winter would close the door on this studio space but it’s only presented new opportunities. Working with inks that freeze as she works creating new effects, painting in the line of fire of a snow canon’s mock blizzard, the blank canvas of the whole landscape snowy white and ready for her.
She’s been working with trees and nature… I’ll let her write something about her thoughts herself. Far more eloquent and with a different passion and sensitivity.
But anyway.. today we worked and played at the same time. Following ideas. Following them through. Experimenting. It’s one of the best feelings. Being frivolous in that way. In a way serving each other’s projects and both projects connecting. Doing this kind of work is both physical and mentally involving.
The body works the blood and the brain drives new pathways, opens new channels where rivers flow. It’s that flow you are on. You do something, an activity and something is made. The river is the journey and the destination and you don’t quite know where it will lead.
It was a wrench moving out of the ‘bright lights’, and kind of a creative depression set in. Being cut off from what had been a big part of her nourishment, the net works and places, and above all her studio… then when the energy is gone you can jump out of the boat or the current you were creating and observe what you did. Something new exists. I like that; floating on a current of your own making. The river exists when before it didn’t, it flows onwards in your mind until one day you have time to pick up the tools again – get in the current and see what is down stream. The ongoing evolution of an idea. The shaping of a landscape inside…. and out. If it works this adventure is most exciting when it is shared. Inspiration is unfolded, together.
The blizzard pictures are great but I won’t post them until Janicke has used them for her purposed first.
I was going to talk about hibernation. Hibernating the project and the amount of energy I’m investing in it for some of the winter. Climbing every day but not reaching out as much. Not making such an effort to connect. To make it all so colourful for you – and for me. That time will come. Soon. An artist needs to consolidate, take stock, Allow the field to fallow, let the seeds appear to die in the cold before warming them again for new life. For all that potential contained in such a small little thing.
That time will come but not quite yet. Maybe tomorrow. I may have said it before, ‘I think the ultimate conscious state is to be inspired and at peace at the same time’. YES!
