Thursday 12 June 2014

Relaunch of my website!

So I'm getting back into my artsy passions and relaunched my website and I'm quite proud of it. Yes, it needs a little proofreading and the gallery needs some extra attention but after a whole afternoon suffering with a cold it's looking  pretty damn good if I do say so myself. 

www.audreyatkinson.com 

Friday 6 June 2014

Time to start making again.

So with all my discoveries, adventures, and general 'finding my feet' journey through the adjustment to country living something  terrible has happened...I kinda stopped making art. 

It wasn't intentional, and it's nobody's fault but my own. I got caught up (and to some degree still am) trying to pay the bills, advance my career, and care for the family. 



I like my job, but it's not exactly what I had in mind as my main purpose in life. Being an artist is part of core. Sometimes I wish it wasn't it would make my life so much easier, or at least less dissapointing - but it's part of who I am and when I am making it gives me so much joy and fulfilment it's difficult to find anything else that makes me feel content.

So, I've decided to take a few baby steps to get my making back into gear. 

1. Carry a sketchbook with me
My commute to work is a long one so it would make better use of my time to make a pit stop and do a bit of sketching. And with the Ring of Kerry as my daily drive, what better a place to be  inspired. Plus the coach busses are only going to be slowing me down anyway this summer.


2. Get some quilting tools.
I've got a whole weardrobe of old clothing that I can't seem to give up and if really like to find a decent method of recycling it. I'm scouting through my local craft supply shops to find the best rotary cutting tools. Suggestions (particularly finger safety information) are welcome.  

3. Go to class.
Maybe I'm still in post-college institutionalised mode and find it difficult to make without a tutor giving me that dissapointing look for being late or playing hookie the week before. Now that I already have the little price of paper, I don't do couses for qualification - but now I can do them for just finding an outlet to carve out time in my busy schedule to make again. 

4. Find my peer group.
Ever since I left Cork, it's ever more difficult to stay in contact with my art school peers. I'm aware of the amazingly talented creative people living in my own town, I'm not making the time to really get to know them, and maybe that's part of the problem - I'm not surrounding myself with other creative souls and therefore uninspired myself. 

I think 4 steps is enough to start with for now. Hopefully, I will start making art and textiles again. 

Monday 2 June 2014

Possible blog re-birth?

Like a phenoix raising from the ashes, I might be reviving the blog. I also need to focus this summer and building my new website that will require some tender loving care. I hope it will be a 'grass roots bottom up' kinda development as I haven't a notion of where to begin or how to get started. Watch this space.