Butterfly Creation

October was a month of upheaval as I moved my art studio out the apartment to a bigger place. Of course all kinds of complications arise and, as I sit here in the new studio, I realize that the tool I really need is still at home!

Adding to the confusion is a lack of internet access which means I haven’t been able to blog for quite a while.

Despite all that I've still managed a bit of silk paper cutting. Here is the latest piece called ‘Butterfly Creation’ (diameter 65cm). This first picture is of the work in progress - half cut. It took several weeks to cut as I could only work a couple of hours a day to avoid permanent damage to my eyes.

Here's the finished work hanging in an open space. At 65cm diameter it's pretty big. A giant swirl of butterflies swarm together riding thermals of air or clinging to each other. They seem unsure as to where to go next.

Why butterflies you ask? Taiwan, where I live and work, is famous for the sheer number of butterflies that can be seen...

... but to me they represent a fleeting moment in time. Their lives are short and yet they are incredibly tough despite their fragile nature. Their beauty is intoxicating as they waft along on breezes searching for food and mates.

I hope you enjoy them.

Love hearts

Ahhh! Love! Lovely Love.

As old as humanity itself. Written about, cried over, argued heatedly, said endearingly and so on and so on.

For my art ‘love’ is the passion and the energy which drives me to create.

Here are two beautiful sayings on love. Can you see them in amongst the twisted energy of the silk paper cut?

Love is Blind.

Soul Meets Soul on Lovers’ Lips

Typhoon Relief

August was NOT a good month. Health issues raised an ugly head creating a period of anxiety and worry. Tests revealed no major problems, which brought a sigh of relief. When things like that happen one’s attention becomes very distracted and unstable.

Meanwhile Typhoon Morakot, which though it did not affect us here in Taipei, devastated parts of southern Taiwan. One village with 500 people simply disappeared as the mountain behind it turned to mud and buried the place and its inhabitants. I cannot imagine the pain caused by such a disaster.

Last Saturday to show our support for the relief effort 16 artists spent a whole day creating works of art, which were then auctioned off in the evening. It was a fantastic experience. I’ve never seen artists work so hard to produce so much. By the end of the evening we’d made over US15,000 and was deemed a wild success. I’m so glad I participated.

My silk paper cut took 3 days to prepare prior to the event (I was the only non painter). Titled 'Hope' the tree represents a new beginning. In Taiwan’s mountains once the trees are felled the ground becomes very unstable. Put the trees back and life returns.

A great atmosphere!

Artists working hard

Sophie

Charles

The Shadowed Artist

When I started blogging I promised myself at least 2 postings per month. Sometimes that gets hard, but when it happens and it’s and out there for all to see life becomes a little more satisfying. So, before July closes in six hours or so, here is my second post for this month.

I was always a little nerdy as a teen. I didn’t dare to have my ears pierced or to dye my hair though I secretly envied those who did so. More recently it has been tattoos. I love unique tattoos that tell stories or have a history. A friend, ‘M’, has endless tattoos running up his arms and onto his shoulders. Each of them has a story to tell. Then there is Charles, whose work involves images of crows and dragons. He’s taken it one step further and tattooed his characters onto his arm. I am envious of this life long commitment to art and skin. Another artist who interests me is Rice Freeman-Zachery whose amazing art focuses on journal writing. Not journal writing in the conventional sense but journals woven and stitched onto clothing and quilts and I’m sure her tattoos are part of her life’s journal too.

And there is me. Even as a performance artist in the early to mid 1980’s I was too cowardly to get tattooed, dye my hair or get a piercing. I still am, so what is there left for me to do with my body..?

Shadows!

Here are pictures of me hiding behind some recent silk paper cuts (Cloud). It looks as if I really am Lost in Forest Wild! (which is another recently finished work) The covering of temporary shadows has given me a brief glimpse of what it’d be like to be covered in tattoos. It looks exotic enough right now, but the problem with tattoos is if they can keep their meaning in the future. Luckily for me I can just turn the light off and my shadowed body disappears instantly!

Butterfly Cloud silk paper cutting

Recently I've been thinking of my silk paper art work and my relationship with it. It all started with an interview published on Who Hub (You can read the interview here). Then I bought some spotlights and started seriously exploring shadows and translucency in my work. By hanging the silk paper cuts in space and lighting them in various ways it really opened up a new dimension to what is normally seen as a 2D artform. Now I have discovered a whole new direction within my silk paper cutting work.

As an example here's a new piece I've been working on for some time. Called Butterfly Cloud it is approx 65cm diameter and cut in four colours. Clouds are light as are butterflies. They seem to hang effortlessly in space and yet they are constantly moving and evolving as if possessed by a life giving energy.

The first picture shows the blue version hanging and lit from the front which throws a shadow on the wall behind.

Here's the same one but lit from the back creating a very dark yet graphic image. There are two butterflies enjoying the cloud.

There's a butterfly fluttering in a gap in the clouds. It is almost like a cave with tree roots spreading through the open space.

For these two pictures I layered two colours together slightly off centre and backlit the work. The result is always unexpected and revealing. I like the translucence and the way the colours play off one another.

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.