Painting, talking and listening between work.

Now that we're back in the studio I'm aiming to paint a lot more and really get some work together. Managed a few minutes with this between work and the visiting artist.

This prompted a conversation with Kite as I like how this feels in terms of being a portrait inside a drawn character - I like that the body language and the reaction to the "costume" is there, and the colour makes it feel more contemporary. It's not overly convoluted and I'm not killing myself to make a perfect picture - its made from decisions around what I like working with and the woodgrain showing through lends to the natural connection that sits behind my practice.... I'd asked Kite if she had photos of being dressed as a witch but she said she never had, (She dressed as werewolves and vampires at halloween) Thinking about Mona Chollet, when she says everyone remembers their first witch from a book or tv series, I asked her about her first encounter...She did have memories other first experience of witches through film. The Wizard of Oz green witch had really scared her but the Hocus Pocus witches were great - and when she was older, she considered them and their differences - but at the age that she was introduced to them - they were presented in very different ways.

Made me consider again, the young ages that we're introduced to these characters.

Considering doing a few of these alongside text from Salem (or another trial) to put historical and contemporary together. And considering bringing in the witches hat to take photos to work from. .and maybe the baby .. or both...

We talked about the witch as a religion or connected to spirituality, history, horror, feminist icons, modern societies versions of witches that have discovered their powers from matriarchal lineage... Kite flagged up the Satanic Temple that provide legal advice and support for women seeking abortion in America, which uses the power of Religion to defend their rights in reaction to the prolific Christianity that intersects with the American Courts of law... found the associated art gallery on Insta ..in Salem.

I don't consider my beliefs to be religion - I have natural beliefs - but don't feel pinned to a systematic framework. 

She also raised the point of witches being considered as women and wizards as "wise old men" - I've always considered wizards to be more fantastical - and gender when related to witches I feel, is entirely non-binary, despite them being considered to be "old crones" in contrast to how wizards are perceived.

 Wizards - are entirely magical (magicians) - drawing from different sources - and would take my practice in a completely different direction - although I probably need to educate myself on them as they're grouped into descriptions which include witches.

Emily Speed was todays visiting artist, and she was really informative. She has a gorgeous practice around space and structure and how we operate, combined with a consideration of who lives in the spaces and how care is relevant. I'll look more at her work. I think I was slightly distracted by the financial advice that she provided in terms of the fees and amounts paid to herself, and her set of rules for each new year. A valid insight into the industry. 

Chuffed that my lil posters been well received and now shared by Emily after the talk .. little things :)