Monday 17 March 2014

Studio Refit

Studio Refit

At last, my studio is finished and I can get back to work. Just in time for the longer days and the warmth of the sun to come streaming through.  I now have a proper work space, storage and a painting wall. Thanks to Elaine for her clever design of the space, and to Peter for his help in putting the whole thing together.

work bench & shelves

work bench


storage
painting trolley

bookshelf & planchest

Saturday 24 August 2013

'Don't Forget To Breathe' Launch Party

The Foundry Gallery, North Street, Lewes  Artemis-Arts
Show continues until 8 September 2013.

Finally after months of planning and making work, the show is up and open.  We had a lovely welcome opening by the Mayor of Lewes, Ruth O'Keeffe, and a wonderful opening speech by Art Historian Marcia Pointon.  The event was really well attended, and we have received some wonderful comments. I especially like the one that says 'It's the Tate Modern in Lewes'  - thank you to everyone who made it along. The show continues until 8 September.
 




Marcia, Michelle, Jenny & Carol



viewing the films


















The Visual Culturists

















Sunday 4 August 2013

Expansion


The expansion I feel during the hot weather, as the warmth relaxes my muscles and soothes my bones is both soothing and invigorating. Working on a large scale feels wonderful, to reach and stretch and to work on the ground outside. May this glorious summer go on and on...




Saturday 3 August 2013

Puglia Love

Over mid summer I spent some time in Puglia, Italy. It has since become one of my favourite places, so much did I love it there, I'm now learning Italian and taking inspiration from my photographs and memories to create a new series of paintings for my next exhibition later this month.

The exhibition is called 'Don't Forget To Breathe'. It is a joint show with Emily Ball and Jenny Shaw at The Foundry Gallery, Lewes. It is on during Artwave in Lewes - 24 Aug - 8 Sept.  My paintings are large scale and vibrant, reflecting the warmth of Italy, the vibrant richness of the earth and abundance of such wonderful architecture and food.

Trullo Noce




Masseria della Zinghara


The ground, Lecce



Old doors near Martina Franca


Monday 20 May 2013

BareFoot ArtHouse 2013


Pots & paintings in the Yoga room

















Pictures from the BareFoot ArtHouse this year. All paintings by Michelle Cobbin, and pots by Anne Meg Griffiths (www.megonthehill.co.uk )

Both Meg and I are delighted with how well our work goes together. We hadn't any idea about what the other was making and the day before opening Meg arrived with a car load of pots and plants. As soon as I saw them I knew they'd look stunning at BareFootArtHouse.

Paintings and pots in the Bathroom

Pots & a painting in the Yoga room

Paintings in the Bathroom


Paintings & pots in the hallway



















It's great that so many visitors really get the no shoes ethos of 'BareFoot ArtHouse' and are happy to wander without shoes around the house. As this is how we live in the house, it didn't seem right that we'd allow visitors to wear their outdoor shoes in the house when we wouldn't do that ourselves. It is a shame that it has been so cold though, and people have had to grapple with boots and laces rather than flip flops and sandals. Where is the summer?













































Monday 20 August 2012

Interbeing

Aren't deadlines just great at focusing ones concentration.  I'm working on a new series of paintings under the working title of 'Interbeing'.  I had hoped to get the four that I'm working on completed by this weekend to take to Chalk Gallery for the new hang.  Actually only one was finished enough to take, so I've had to rely on my back catalogue to make up the others for this hang.  Still, the deadline does focus my attention to painting rather than gardening, painting rather than lazing on the beach...

The series is about interconnectedness of things, both in the process and materiality of painting, and in how I experience life. It brings me back to my 'Emptiness is Form' series and contemplations of impermanence. They are taking a while to produce, lots of layering and contemplation. Colour is important, and finding the zing where the colours buzz and yet rest comfortably together. I look to Patrick Heron, the master of colour zing, for inspiration.

Interbeing (acrylic on canvas) 40x60cm approx 

So, there is another six week until the next gallery deadline. Time to do a little pottering in the garden before the tension of a deadline pulls me back into sharp concentration in the studio and I finish layering these embryonic paintings.

Monday 11 June 2012

Unit 4 Commission



I was asked to make a painting for studio1 to cover what was once a hatch between two rooms. The dimensions and situation of the piece were determined – approx 100cm x 140cm, otherwise I was given free rein with the work. 

Initially I thought I would paint it as a mural in situ, but realised that the studio is too busy for that, and I therefore cut a piece of MDF to size, and have had it on my easel, on and off, for the past six months. 

This was my first commission and site specific piece of work, and was a more challenging project than I envisaged. The main challenge was my familiarity with the studio, I’ve taught a yoga class there for the past several years. I am aware of how the room is lit by sun and artificial light and how the painting is likely to be seen from the yoga mat at varying angles in the room.  All of this is a help and a hindrance – the hindrance, my self consciousness and concern about how the painting would be received by Pete, the commissioner of the work, and by the numerous students.  I found it difficult to bracket this information and just paint, I kept wondering how it would look in situ and whether it would be liked. Each Monday at my yoga class I would look at the space and try to imagine the painting there.

Over the months it has had many, many coats of paint. Many attempts to create something that would sit well in the studio and not appear incongruent with the nature of Unit 4.  It had layers of floating colour – very Rothko-esque but not right, it had drips and misty colours with circles floating – very lily pad Monet, definitely not right, it was taken into the garden and sloshed with calligraphic marks and shed loads of water, but still it wasn’t right and I feared all the water would warp the MDF. Eventually I settled on an abstracted anatomical theme and predominantly monotone colour scheme.

The result is called Acetabulum  which was installed yesterday with the help of Richard and Peter M with the drill and hammer and lots of support that all would be well and look fantastic.  Hoorah! It hadn’t warped too much and was easily fixed in place.  A smaller series of five works to complement Acetabulum have been made for the hallway, and were also hung yesterday.  
Acetabulum  102cm x 136cm, acrylic on MDF 2012






















I’m delighted and relieved to finally install the pieces and complete the project successfully.
.
Epicondyle 70 x 50cm acrylic & charcoal on canvas
Sacrum 60 x 40cm acrylic & charcoal on canvas