'If you make happiness your goal, then you're not going to get to it… The goal should be an interesting life."

Dorothy Rowe

Friday 18 November 2011

I have kept forgetting…

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to post pictures of the book I made from Photoshopped pictures of an early tubes piece, now named ‘Chronicle 1’, as it is made from an old copy of the Hampshire Chronicle [a newspaper, at least nominally]. 

As you can see, I was exploring different paper treatments when  I printed the images. The binding is the drumleaf, which I found in Dorothy Simpson Krause’s ‘Book + Art’, and like very much – it’s firm, feels good in the hand, and looks professional, while not being difficult to do [just slow]. This is destined to be a Personal Cloth, if only because it is too good to be a sketchbook <g>.

I actually finished it a couple of days ago – nothing much college-related has been achieved today due to  a circular tour round the Hants/Berks/Surrey borders.

Sandy kindly alerted me to an exhibition in Bracknell – and regular readers who look at the image here will know why! The tubular piece is by Margaret Hodges, who is exhibiting with other artists from New Greenham Arts – which is another discovery. It is quite a small exhibition, and all visible from outside the gallery if it isn’t open!

We followed that with a return visit to the Watts Gallery, which we haven’t been to since before it was restored. The restoration is superb, but I find the art puzzling. Obviously the allegorical/historical type of subject is of its time, which is not ours, but Watts seems to have painted in so many different styles. Is this more obvious because there are so many pieces by the same artist displayed together? Do other artists change their styles as frequently? [The website seems to suggest that his ‘ceaseless experimentation’ was a bit of a problem.] Some good portraits – but why did none of Watt’s sitters ever smile? 

No time to visit the Watts Chapel, which is much more to my taste, but lunch was good, and we had a pleasant drive home along the Hogs Back, with stunning views because the air was clear and the leaves mostly off the trees.

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