Monday, October 21, 2013

chestnut rain

I had a short but extremely intense residency in the Netherlands. The first time I have ever been in residency in the country I live in. I was a guest of the Artist Residence Dalen supported by the family Sanders-ten Holte. I want to thank them for their kind support and their belief in my Tree project. 

Oak tree drawing in progress 
These were probably the wettest 5 days I have experienced in the past few months. The drawing above would not dry outdoors. I had to work on plastic sheeting (generously donated by the interior design shop next door) and I carried this indoors to dry, the paper was so damp it took two days to fully dry out. This hadn't stopped me working.
After three days there was a break in the clouds and in those moments I worked under the shelter of these trees (amongst many).

horse chestnut trees Dalen
The winds meant that all around the trees were dropping seeds and the noise of falling chestnuts and acorns was audible.

snack bar Dalen
Dalen is a friendly, small town. Even for the brief period I was there I enjoyed it and felt welcomed. I would also add on the evidence of the snack bars, outrageously optimistic, it takes a brave soul to eat ice-cream in cool, rainy weather.
another snack bar in Dalen


two recent exhibitions

Suddenly after spending a quiet summer making drawings I had two group exhibitions. The first has just ended last week. I was part of a group drawing exhibition at Art Affairs Gallery in Amsterdam. It was the first chance to show the drawing of the Turner's Oak since its creation in the Botanical Gardens this summer.
Turner's Oak, 2013
Then at the same time I was selected to show in the Salisbury Open Drawing exhibition in Salisbury, Wiltshire. I hadn't been to Salisbury for years and I loved the opportunity. The exhibition is still on view until early November at the Salisbury Arts Centre. Lobster Head Cove was made as a result of my earlier residency with Gros Morne National Park and The Rooms Provincial Art Gallery.

Lobster Head Cove rock formation