Textures

Just took a month long pause to visit home in the UK. From the sweaty tropical balm of metropolis Taipei to the cool greenness of the deep Dorset countryside. What a contrast!

Here are some textures that I discovered and that will at some time or other appear in my work I hope.

The trip was divide between countryside....

and sea

The skeletal remains of a half eaten but still alive leaf held together by thin sinewy threads.

The energy displayed in the seeming solidity of wood always amazes me. The way the surface flows hints of a time when there was much struggle.

I love this lump of softened mudstone crammed full of rock. You can often find fossils in this grey mud.

Waves

I grew up next to the ocean with all its moods, textures and colors. I’m sure its restless energy is in all my work somewhere, so I decided to cut a piece about it.

This silk paper cut, called Wave, is the fourth in a series of large circular works. It started from a tiny sketch in my sketchbook and I instantly liked its movement and the flow of the lines.

Here are some pictures of the work in process.

Referencing Japanese wave imagery I created two large drawings (this is the second, more refined one).

Once happy I traced the finished design onto the back of two layers of silk and cut it. Here's the work half cut.

Then I played around with the lighting. Here the work is lit from the front creating shadows.

Here's a detail showing the two layers of silk

I haven’t decided on how or if to colour the piece.

Lit from the back the different layers of silk and the luminescence create interesting effects.

When I’ve decided how to colour, mount and light the work it’ll be exhibited in my upcoming show in September.

Nice Surprises!

A good friend came over one day, saw this, my second butterfly lamp design, and promptly bought it for his recording studio. Let’s hope the fluttering butterflies inspire some great music!

I used an existing Ikea floor lamp and fixed my silk paper cut design inside it. This is the second butterfly design for this type of lamp. Nice 'n' moody.

Then along came a commission from a wonderful lady who gave me just two words to work with – Purple & Dolphins. I’ve never used dolphins in my repertoire of imagery and I’ve never used purple before. Therefore the design and cut took much longer than I thought. Despite being late the lady loved it and promised that it’ll go with her to the grave!! (Don't worry she has a looong time to go yet!)

I layered several colors together to create a sense of movement and depth. Doing commissions such as this really do stretch me in a very good way.

News: I have a solo show coming up at the end of August til mid September. Details nearer the time. The gallery is situated in a cool district of Taipei full of interesting shops, galleries cafes and restaurants. I am really looking forward to it.

'Rice, Metal Bowl' Restaurant

I’ve just put up a new silk paper cutting in the window of a restaurant in Luodung, a town on the north east coast of Taiwan about an hour’s drive from the capital, Taipei.

Owner Ben (now ex owner!) gave me the opportunity to create a piece for the large front window of this renovated merchant’s house turned restaurant.

I like this restaurant. I like the spirit and passion that created it. I like its naturalness, the history, the wood, the atmosphere, the people and I especially like the front window!

The piece itself contains many stories and layers of meaning. It is about the year of the tiger and the coming of spring. There are symbols of spring everywhere - butterflies, flowers and birds. It’s a sign of hope and renewal. Trees on either side rise up and support a roof. Look carefully under the eaves and you’ll see two birds nesting. Is this Ben and his wife, Ivy preparing for the birth of their Tiger child?

At the bottom there is food that steams and wafts, its aromas evolving into plants and flowers.

There are the playful boys – they are everywhere! One boy holds bowls of his favourite food whilst another is trapped inside the tiger. Was he eaten?

The piece was cut in a way that the colours are different when viewed from inside or outside. I used a mix of silk paper and coloured paper in the work. Go here to see more information in Chinese about the restaurant.

Thanks to Lee Mooney for helping with taking the pictures.

Daniel and Tyger

Here’s another silk paper cut that was given away as a gift at Chinese New Year. It comes from a new story I’m working on which involves my child character, Daniel, meeting a rather self important ‘Tyger’ in the forest. This silk cut shows Daniel and Tyger at the end of the story. As and when the story is finished I shall show more.

I plan to make the shadows an integral part of the story.

Chinese New Year of the 'Tyger'

Wishing all of you a very Happy Year of the Tiger and Valentine’s day! Hopefully my tigers will roar this year.

Part of the inspiration for these silk paper cut ‘tygers’ is William Blake’s poem

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

My tygers are half hidden in the forest. The gold one is to remind us that this is the year of the metal tiger – this element gives the tiger its sharpness in action and speed of thought. Tigers born in the Metal year like to stand out in a crowd with an inspiring assertiveness and competitive demeanor.

The red Tyger silk paper cutting is made of several tygers stitched together. Each is slightly different so other shapes and lines can be seen. Seen here it hangs in an open space allowing the viewer to look at it from both sides.

Peering through the fretwork foliage allows the viewer to spy on what’s happening on the other side.

Love Hearts

I’ve been making a series of hearts for a few months now. The starting point was coming across Percy Bysshe Shelley’s quote ‘Soul meets soul on lovers’ lips’. Once I found one beautiful saying I found others and the hearts followed. It gave me the perfect opportunity to incorporate writing into my work. See if you can find the quotes entwined in the hearts!

Now with Valentine’s day fast approaching I am showing them all. Each has been cut in silk paper in a small edition of between 4 – 8. They are a perfect gift and reasonably priced!

Email me if you're interested in any of them.

‘A Kiss makes the Heart Young’ by Rupert Brooke (25x28cm)

‘Soul meets Soul on Lovers’ Lips’ by Percy Bysshe Shelley (25x28cm)

‘Two Hearts Beat as One’ from a song title by U2 (35x28cm)

‘Love is Blind’ from ‘The Merchant of Venice’ by William Shakespeare (25x28cm)

‘Love is Friendship set to music’ from E. Joseph Crossman (30x30cm)