April and May(hem) 2010

Hello my little BBQ sausages,

It’s me again,  with a short report from the furnace of my studio.   Bless the sunshine ey? I’m typing away in the intense heat of this beautiful May day.  My computer is in the attic, so the hot air has risen and become trapped, roasting me and my lazy cats, who look just like mini African lions,  languid and  stretched out in sunbeams.

The kittens are growing up fast and this very week, have discovered wasps.  This is unfortunate at the best of times but especially now I’ve discovered a nest just outside the front door.  So my weekend  mission is to try and remove the wasps before it all ends in tears.  I suspect this task may end in tears anyway…but I will see if I can borrow a wet suit from the surfers down at Tynemouth, that should thwart the stinging ones.  I’ll keep you updated on that one.

As you know I like to do little reviews of local art exhibitions, but sadly, I haven’t had the opportunity to see much lately…. although I did attend the preview of an exhibition by LA artist Fabien Perez in Newcastle recently.    I would love to be able to tell you about the show, but I didn’t really look at it (sorry Mr Perez)   I was far too busy chatting to many fascinating people, including a lady who tattoos nipples onto patients who have undergone mastectomy.  What interesting jobs people have!  I am considering having my eyebrows done (not as nipples…as eyebrows) but not sure if I’m brave enough,  I’ll probably just stick with my clinique eye pencil.   My glass was filled up a little too often by the lovely staff…and this led to what can only be described as the blatant theft of the gallery tea towels (nice stripey things) luckily, a close friend of mine manages this gallery and she isn’t pressing charges – this time.

I have occasionally ventured into the studio to do a little painting, but this month I have been very  busy on other projects, including the beginning of work to design and refurbish  3 dementia wards in Bradford teaching hospitals.  It’s a huge task because the scheme is funded mainly by charity and a tiny amount from the NHS,  so what we lack in funds, we must try and make up for in creativity!

I never fully understood how cruel life could be until I came face to face with dementia.  As an artist, I may be unable to help my own mother or other sufferers in a medical way, but I can be a carer, a companion on this most painful of journeys.  Through art,  I can also use the experience and hopefully turn it into something positive for others.  We must always strive to see the brighter side of life amidst the darkness of living.  Laughter, after all, is the best medicine.

If, by the way there are any generous donors among you, who might like to help our project in any way, we would be absolutely delighted to hear from you! I can be contacted through this site.

In the meantime, I shall brave the temperature in my studio and attempt to produce some worthy artwork and resist the overwhelming tempation to copy the cats and stretch out in a sunbeam myself.

I will report back again very shortly (providing I have not been attacked and eaten by a ferocious swarm of wasps) and I will let you know about some gallery events taking place in July.

Until then, have a lovely end of May and Bank holiday.

love,  SJ.