Thoughts - and a Break-through

So, if our clever minds are our best friends (albeit bossy ones) we should treat them with respect and be polite when we ask them to leave us alone for a while. 

Creating an image is a lovely way of doing this. 

I picture myself reaching out and catching a bubble or a feather on the wind. I hold it, name it ("memory", "regret", "idea" etc), thank it for coming to help me and then blow it away. I can then return to the Now.  

If I'm having a hard time quietening my mind, with a whole series of thoughts coming one after another and no time to name them all, I'll imagine blowing loads of beautiful soapy bubbles into a blue sky ~ its pretty good short-hand for "thanks but go away".

Using images, as we're doing more and more in my Meditation classes, is one of the reasons this feels so good for artists, poets, painters, sculptors etc. 

And I'm thinking about art much more in these terms now.  

My preference is definitely shifting away from anatomically accurate figurative sculpture I've been in love with for so long...

Ariel by Kate Newlyn 2006

 and much more towards abstract and stylised work. Its a lovely break-through

Osho

In my sculpture classes, for many years, I've stressed the importance and power of simplicity in images, but somehow I've always held onto the "security" of the complexity of the anatomical structure.  I guess I've just been aware that I've had to make a living and, for the most part, figurative work is more "sell-able".  
But so much can be lost. 

I'm now letting go of this.

My students have now become my teachers.

Couple by Ann Shipobotham

This gorgeous couple, made by Ann a few years ago says it all.  The power of simplicity and understatement.  Just the slightest tilt of the woman's head, and the subtly laconic pose of her partner.  A whole relationship described - and not a care in the world for sculpting their fingers - who needs them? 

Mother and Child by Carol Moule

And this lovely piece by Carole, another student, not an experienced sculptor, just someone who wanted to express the closeness of this bond.  And she's done it.

Celebration by Carol Westecot 

This expressive figure was made by another of my students. Again, a first-time sculptor, (who has since been bitten by the bug and gone on to study at Art College). 

Grief

Another by Carol, another exercise in simplicity.  Feels like I'm attending my own courses now)

The Journey by Miles Thomason

And another piece, by another beginner sculptor, using cloth and jesmonite, and allowing only the flow of the material and a simple stance to create the sculpture.

Yup, I've definitely just enrolled on a Newlyn School of Sculpture Course.  


Odd, but when I look back on some of my old work I had much more of a sense of the power of simplicity. This piece, from 1997:

Apart We Exist; Together We are Whole

and this one too

Mother and Child ~ 1999

Making my living got in the way - well now I'm making my life, I'm back on track.

... I'm stretching figures out of proportion to accentuate tension, squashing them to create a sense of claustrophobia, paying no head to proportion of hands/feet...  

Free again!  Feels good.

~ ~ ~

You can see more inspired/inspiring work by beginner sculptors on my website, they have their own gallery page http://www.katenewlyn.com/