The Glass Menagerie - MIRA Residency, Martignano Italy

Week 3

…and so I listened to my heart – looking for some truth and connection to what I was exploring with the Roman glass as a subject (see my previous blog “home is where the art is”).  I worked through all sorts of imagery and textural qualities in an attempt to capture the essence of history and contrast of materials (glass and stone/earth). Venturing around the area helped me connect more with history, colours, and textures – especially a trip to Otranto, and the Puglanese stone of the city walls and architecture. Upon returning to the studio, I tried to add this into the paintings, with some success.

The paintings still have my 'stamp' (style) and interesting cropping but there seems to be something missing – that certain personal emotional connection that I get with my other work. There is no point for me in doing these paintings if they are only just colour and texture. This is when I trusted that it would solve itself. I shouldn’t think about it too much – just let the natural process of exploration happen…

Trying to instill emotion into inanimate objects is difficult enough and something I recalled that Matisse had written when I saw his work in Nice,

“(the object) only says what one makes it say” XXe siecle #2 Janvier 1952

encouraged me to keep up the challenge. Then one morning it struck me – these objects don’t have to be still – I can give them a life, and retain a connection to my previous work through movement!

But the objects themselves are so removed from the museum settings that now they seem to have lost the characteristics of ancient Roman glass pieces that I was seduced by on the first place. Does it matter??

No .

Now they have become something else and taken on a new life – now they have become personal and reflecting my life in many ways – a truth that I didn’t expect, but welcome. A nice realisation and opening up more doors for possibilities… the challenge continues – at least for a while