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A New Collection of Paintings

A new collection of paintings is en route to Morgans Gallery in Falmouth, Cornwall and will be part of their new show, opening on the 3rd of March. There’s no better feeling than carting your paintings down to the Post Office, heaving them onto the scales and posting them off somewhere new. Although not entirely without stress (I had to carry the huge, heavy parcels around the building to the super-sized scales in the back). During the last couple of weeks, the paintings have been sat in the studio, where I’ve been making all of those tiny decisions about colour, arrangement and line. It’s always a relief to have them out in the world. After a while of staring at the same collection of paintings, they tend to take on a life of their own.

WINTERING

I’ve decided to call this new collection of paintings Wintering. In part inspired by the book I’m reading of the same title, by Katherine May. I loved the way she described Wintering as a slowing down of the seasons, with the ability to pause and reflect before life speeds up all over again. This period, between January and March feels similar for me. I always take a moment to reflect, plan the year and see what’s inspiring me. This often isn’t obvious, and it takes time. This year, I’ve opened up time to read, which in itself has inspired my new collection of paintings. After trying to cram in as much as I could, actually stepping back and making time for those quieter moments, has meant that I’ve had time to think my ideas through.

ROUTINE

For instance, although we’ve always taken Peggy on a morning walk, I make it part of my routine to take her out for at least an hour in the morning. Although I’m usually still waking up, it gives me time to think about the  day ahead and a whole host of other things. It means that when I come to work, I’ve already done most of the thinking and planning beforehand. I of course will always stick to writing lists, but it’s been wonderful to think things through before just simply ploughing in.

I think I work best like this; working to a theme, and then finishing the project and moving on. Even if I haven’t got a specific deadline, for me, deciding a theme and running with it to produce a collection of work keeps me focused. I mentioned in my last post that I’d focused on hibernation and Spring. Branches that were not yet flowering featured, as well as pinecone branches I’d picked up on my walks. I’d gathered shells from the beach, and had been eagerly watching the hyacinths I bought, awaiting their opening. Their heady scent now fills my studio.

SPRING

This time of year always brings with it new life, and rather than wishing for the flowers and bulbs to open, so I could paint them, I began to gather up the things around me, taking note of the seasons, the weather, the blue light. All of this features in this new collection of paintings, which will be showing at Morgans Gallery from the 3rd of March to the 5th of April. You can have a sneak preview below and view the whole collection here.

Thanks for reading!
India x

 

Author

I graduated from Newcastle University in 2018, with a degree in Fine Art. I went on to train as a weaver in Orkney, and now teach weaving workshops at Orkney Creative Hub. I am a painter and have my own business, The Orkney Cloth Company.

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