A Birthday Commission

Now and then I get a request for a commission. Since I love telling stories I jump at the chance to do something for a particular person.

This one, just finished, was commissioned for the 50^th birthday of a doctor. He practices western medicine but was born, raised and trained in Taiwan. Therefore the imagery used is a mix of western and Chinese symbolism.

The picture shows a crane sitting atop a staff. Two snakes are entwined around the staff. The crane is holding a lotus flower whilst clouds swirl around a lantern.

The winged staff with the snakes is called the Cadeceus. It is the symbol of medicine and medical practitioners. In Greek mythology, Asclepius was the patron of medicine and son of Apollo. The staff represents his authority and the snakes signify renewal as they are able to shed their skins. The ‘L’ on the staff is the roman numeral for 50 – the doctor’s age.

On top of the staff sits a Crane. It is one of the most favoured of all Chinese bird symbols. It’s the symbol for longevity as well as representing health, and happiness. The crane is holding a lotus flower, which symbolizes longevity and purity. Interestingly every part of the lotus plant, from roots to petals, can be used for food or medicine.

The clouds symbolize wisdom and nobility whilst the lantern is life giving, a beacon that provides, safety and hope.

The Chinese characters at the lower right are the Doctor’s name and title whilst those on the left say, ‘Happy Birthday!’ Also, hidden in the clouds is the doctor’s Chinese nickname.

I am always interested in taking on new and exciting projects like the one above, so get in touch and lets see what we can come up with.

Cloud

In the beginning there was, well, an awful lot of cloud and ether. The clouds swirled and mixed creating a potent brew of life forms. Out of this biological stew came all kinds of beasts - veggie beasts, pesky beasts, spikey beasts, watery beasts to name but a few.  Some good, some bad, some indifferent to what was going on around them, but all essential to the creative process.

This silk paper cut says more about what's going on in my head than any religious idea of creation. I like the idea of an internal energy constantly churning, never settling. An energy full of anomalies that take the form of a variety of physical forms. Stories give structure to all this, so use your imagination, take a close look and make your own.   

This new piece has been hanging around the studio for a few weeks. Then one day the sun shone and so I hung it and was wowed by the shadows and transparency of the silk. There are two layers of silk paper that hang loosely together. With the light flooding through and gentle breezes moving of the work, it creates an ever changing glimpse into some uncharted cloud or forest. 

Those bugs fascinate me with their minute perfection, coloured bodies, scratchiness and how they can be found in every nook and cranny you dare to look.

These pictures in low light clearly show the intertwined imagery of the different layers of silk paper.

Lost in Forest Wild Part 3

Nearly done!!! This is a project I've been working on for 4 months so far. It's a kind of fairy tale cut out of silk paper. By gluing several sheets of the paper together together, before cutting out the image, the paper can stand by itself. The idea that I can join all the silk paper cuts together into a kind of concertina book. 

The story so far (see previous posts on March 10 and April 24 for parts 1 & 2):-

Daniel idly wanders into a forest where he is attacked by a gnarled, hungry tree. The unfortunate boy (Daniel) is overcome and finds himself being absorbed into the tree's pithy wood.

But Daniel is not as weak as he seems. Despite his dreamy looks there is a strength that dwells inside him. Exerting all his strength he breaks free of the branches (above).

Then he forces his way up through the tree towards the light of the sky.

Once at the top he rejoices in his freedom. The winds come to whisk him away to safety.

Just to make the project even more difficult for myself I am now cutting out a page of text to accompany each picture. When will it ever end!!!!?????

Show Opening

These are pictures from our 'successful' opening last weekend. 100 guests turned up - they drank all the wine, ate all the snacks, created a fantastic atmosphere, but didn't buy much!!! Despite that we all had a fantastic time. We were lucky enough to have Mia and Scott from Moving Sound give a performance.  They were joined by singers Ayesha and Anya. My work became  backdrop to their atonal chants. Truly wonderful music!

This large hanging piece "Lost in Forest Wild' (version 1) seemed to attract most attention. I put it at the last moment just to what it would look like. Other works which I laboured over (especially the framing) didn't get half as much attention.

General views of the opening. 

The 'culprits' (l to R) Debby, Thomas, Roma, Me

The Five Elements

If you are in Taipei this upcoming weekend then you are very welcome to join the opening of the joint show titled 'Five Elements'. 

I'll post pics of the exhibition once I get a chance to take some decent pictures!

The show title is a very loose way to involve all five artists.  We've all interpreted it in different ways. For me the Anais Nin quote sums up my approach best - "The artist is the only one who knows that the world is a subjective creation, that there is a choice to be made, a selection of elements."

Lost in Forest Wild part 2

Here's the second installment of my story, 'Lost in Forest Wild'. A three part tale composed of 10 silk paper cuts (see Part 1 dated March 10 below). It's inspired by fairy tales, nightmares and childhood memories of walking through dark woods as a dare.

The story continues:-

Having wandered aimlessly for a long time, our foolish hero, Daniel, finds himself lost in a forest. It's a dark and hungry place with not a breath of fresh air nor the rustle of a rabbit in the grass. All is dead or that's what he thinks it is. Gradually Daniel becomes entwined in thorny branches and long strands of grass. It's only when he realizes that he is being attacked that he tries to flee. But it's too late. The trees have woken and are desperate for lunch!


One ancient gnarled tree will do anything to get Daniel. With all its strength it quickly encircles the boy, stifling his screams. Shapes in the branches seem to suggest other, equally terrifying beasts.


Sharp scratchy tendrils tear into his flesh and overwhelm the poor boy. They cut down to his bones and greedily drink the life force within him.


Poor old Daniel. The tree has absorbed him into its pithy flesh. He almost looks like an apple as his face becomes ossified and grainy. Does he have a chance to escape I wonder?


Check in soon to find the answer to Daniels dilemma!

Daniel is swept away

I have a real problem finishing work off. I spend hours designing and cutting a piece, then when the cut is almost done I get bored with it (or is it fear?) and so I put it to one side and leave it until another time. This piece has been hanging around for about a year and I've finally gotten around to finishing it. Yippee!
As usual it is a silk paper cut (red and gold silk paper mounted on white). This time I experimented by adding an extra layer of gold silk behind the red image to emphasize the flowing water.


The story is simple, but as yet unresolved. Daniel, the clumsy boy he is, has tumbled into a raging torrent. Swept away, his calls for help are unheard above the roar of the water.

The waves see their chance and crash down on him pulling him deeper under the water.

Daniel is overwhelmed and gives in ... or does he? Is this the end for my hapless hero? I don't think so ... I have some ideas as to how he escapes, but I'm not gonna tell!