Slow progress

It's over three weeks since I last posted here, mainly because I have been doing a very intense online art course, as well as keeping up with a painting a day!  You can see some of the results over on my other blog

lynneporterartmatters.blogspot.co.uk

I have been doing some work on my textile project, but sadly I have decided to put the 'Landscape' theme to one side for a while and concentrate on 'Coast'.  At first it was easy to run them in tandem, but I have so little time these days that they were both suffering inactivity.

On a more positive note, I am feeling more and more excited with the 'Coast' project.  I am finally coming round to have some belief in myself and my ideas and abilities, which in turn has made me more relaxed and free with my work.

I am working in several different sketchbooks.  The Coast workbook is the main book.  I write notes, ideas, poetry, and anything else relevant in it, and also paste photographs of any work I may have done.  I have an extreme format sketchbook,  12 inch x 5 inch, which I work open so as to give a 24 x 5 inch spread.  These are loose, mark making exercises, trying to capture the SENSE of the coast.  I also have a small sketchbook 'Coast, Fractured' in which I tear photographs of the coast I have taken, then work into them.

I also occasional work in an A5 landscape format sketchbook, titled I'm Searching, which is mark making with no particular theme.  And I have been reworking into two older sketchbooks, 'The Sea' and 'Coast' both of which are 8 x 8.  These are again very loose, some drawing, mostly mark making.

I have also done some 'painting' on large sheets of paper, with long sticks, brushes and squeeze bottles containing paint.  I love doing these, the action is so free but positive, almost like the sea itself.

As a consequence of all the above work, I am gradually finding my way.  Words and phrases such as TIMELINE,  SENSE OF PLACE, and SENSES, re-occur, together with CONTAINED, COLLECTION, LAYERS,  and HELD.  I don't want to write more at this time, but I feel I am beginning to find my way.

I am also feeling content with the way things are going, an unusual state for me.