New Studio

The original new studio project had strong materiality components: pruning, cleaning, repairing, restoring blocked openings, PVA, white emulsion, grey floor paint, draught exclusion. Lots of before and after fun, but the result wasn't big enough.  

So a new phase started, which initially made a mess....

 but gradually a new base apeared...

 then walls...

 and a roof...

and then the work moved inside, but not immediately,

 

And and here is the link with Georgics...In the orchard next door a kind neighbour was shearing his sheep, and he explained that these days, especially for small farmers, the value of the wool is so low - doesn't even cover the shearing cost - that it's not worth doing anything with it.  So he gave me a huge sack of wool from 18 sheep to use for insulating the studio.  This needed to be washed first, and then dried, a laborious process when done by hand.

 

The wool, from black sheep and white, was beautiful to see and handle, and working with it brought a closeness to the sheep, the farmer and the shearer and and an opportunity to talk to them about their concerns.

It also helped me generate related art work which was later exhibited at Ludlow Assembly Rooms in  the Rural Amalgam exhibition earlier this year.

 

 

Two more good things: The studio is now warmer in winter and cooler in summer

and best of all no sheep were harmed and they have now grown new woolly coats.