The Free Art Project. Week 50 : Not Giving Up.

In the next few days, the We Are All Artists free art project turns 50. The next art drop will be the 50th consecutive week I have made and given away art in our neighbourhood. The project continues to provide surprises, enjoyment and learning in so many ways, thank you to everyone who supports it.

This 50th milestone is being noted with a special collaboration, featuring the singer and guitarist, Chloe Ray. Chloe releases a new EP on March 17th, and we have agreed to make a double art drop together. One of the tracks on Chloe’s new EP is titled ‘Not Giving Up’, which as well as being a great song title, is coincidentally a really neat way to mark 50 weeks and going strong on the free art project.

I’m going to paint ‘Not Giving Up’, and the painting, and a copy of Chloe’s new EP will be hidden together for someone to find, somewhere in the local community next weekend.

Chloe and I would like to ask you for some inspiration and help with the painting please. When you see and hear the words, ‘Not Giving Up’, what imagery comes to mind? Please message me your thoughts and ideas and I hope to use some of them in the artwork which I’ll be making this week.

Morning Coffee

The past week has been really tiring. Preparing for, and delivering the Art of Resilience took quite a bit out of me, and in addition, work’s been tough this week. We’ve been analysing the fallout of an unexpected, and pretty toxic resignation from a partnership I work with. More of that another time on my other blog.

I arrived at the end of the week feeling drained, yet needing to make art for the free art drop. Inspiration had I none. In conversation with one of my colleagues, I said I needed more coffee, and Jenny suggested that maybe, the coffee pot should be my subject this week.

I took a few minutes to look at the pot in situ, before bringing it to my desk, and drawing it.

I was concentrating on my observation skills – I took my time over the drawing. On reflection – it’s a bit tight. I was trying too hard to capture the detail of the pot, and you can see this in some of the lines – they lack confidence and directness in places. I’ve also drawn the pot taller and narrower than it is. This observation stuff is hard work!

I added some silver leaf to give the effect of age, and added in some fineliner to make one or two elements stand out a little more (this photo was taken before the fineliner was applied. This art has since been hidden and found as part of the We Are All Artists free art project.

It’s not my usual style of work – but I like it, I might make another to hang in our kitchen!

An Apology

Last week I answered a call from a friend who wanted my help. Would I step in to a conference slot and give a short talk on resilience? I agreed unhesitatingly, a friend in need and all that, and since then I’ve been preparing and practicing, preparing and practicing. Focused on the task at hand.

Today’s the day, the big event. I’m off to London soon, nervous as I always am before speaking in front of an audience. Yet something much bigger than the event has stopped me in my tracks. Today is International Women’s Day, and even though as a card carrying member of the Women’s Equality Party, I like to think I keep equality in mind at all times – my awareness is heightened…

I’m staring at the speaker line up for today’s event. It is overwhelmingly male. Of the seventeen people listed, including chairs, panellists etc, two are female. Yes – you read that correctly. Two. Awkward.

Usually when I am asked to speak, I make enquiries about the line up and specifically how I will complement and contrast. This time, win all my haste to get ready, I forgot. Today, of all days, on one level I am simply adding to the white maleness. Sorry. I promise to look harder next time, and do better in my endeavours to develop and sustain greater equality.