I am hard at work on the final PhD show. So far, I have done a third of the installation work and most of the exhibition drawings. The Selkie theme has re-emerged in this last phase. It was incomplete when I started the PhD so I continued to the work on the themes in Skin Deep. But after that performance I put the Selkie’s to one side and didn’t expect to come back to them until after completing this study. However, while I was considering what to do for my final show, June Tabor sent me her wonderful new CD “Ashore” and on it was a track she had recorded for my Selkie work. Suddenly I  could visualize how to proceed using the dance piece I directed for Skin Deep, footage of seals on Ynys Enlli, of the sea at Criccieth and the Llyn Peninsula and one of the Selkie drawings I did on Enlli rock in 2008. So the work spans 3 years, and covers the length of Wales from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Ynys Enlli to a beach in South Wales.

In mid October 2011 the School of Art at Aberystwyth will show the work as a curated exhibition of drawings framed and shown in a traditional white gallery space, while the adjacent gallery will become a black box with projected videos showing the process of making the drawings and the source material.

Spanning traditions and forms, swimming between time and tide the show will pool the principle methods, materials and approaches I have been exploring and working with during this period of research.

It’s been a busy Summer and Autumn. I’ve been continuing with my research and have been to France, Cornwall,Vancouver, London and Leeds.

I went to the Dordogne region in France to view at first hand some of the earliest known paintings in the caves. They are wonderful. I then traveled up to Brittany to see the alignments at Carnac and the carvings on Gavrinis.

In Cornwall I saw more megalithic art and more recent work at Tate St Ives and The Barbara Hepworth Museum.

During my week in Vancouver I worked with Kristin Carlson on a dance and projection drawing film which I have now edited – but I’m having problems completing the edit due to compatibility issues. Hopefully these will be resolved soon. The piece is called ‘Raven Dance, Selkie Song’ and is inspired by artifacts, myths and rituals from both First Nations and Celtic culture as well as being an improvised conversation.

Whilst in Vancouver I took part in video eye tracking experiments with Hector Larios at SIAT (School of Interactive Arts and Technology) in Simon Fraser University, Surrey. We looked into how my eye and hand work together in observational drawing, both drawing still subjects and moving ones. The results are very exciting.

In London I had the opportunity to interview Philip Steadman who wrote ‘Vermeer’s Camera’ and Eileen Adams who works for The Big Draw and the Drawing Campaign. In addition I saw the Edwaerd Muybridge exhibition at Tate Britain, plus shows at the V+A, Tate Modern and the National Gallery.

Finally, I have spent three days in Bruntcliffe High School in Leeds working with 6th form students on observational drawing with the projection technology. On day two we had three musicians from Opera North to draw which was both exciting and inspiring.

Now I’m home to the studio and the snow to think about it all and begin to write it all up.

grimm_tales_a4_poster-final

A short production that explores the religious symbolism in the brothers Grimm’s versions of Cinderella, Snow White and Little Red Riding Hood.

The stories (brilliantly adapted by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy) are read by Jeany Spark, who’s currently featuring as Kenneth Brannagh’s daughter in the BAFTA Award-winning TV series ‘Wallander’.

The production includes songs specially written by Nick Bicat and Philip Ridley, and recorded by (amongst others) Peter Knight of Steeleye Span and Maartin Allcock, formerly of Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull.

Grimm Tales takes place at 2pm on Saturday 27 March in Christ Church
Cathedral, Oxford, as part of the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival.
Tickets are £10 and available in advance from the box office on 0870-343
1001 or www.oxfordliteraryfestival.com

Here are some images from our journey. I am currently writing the full report for Wales Arts International who so generously funded the trip. We saw and met some amazing people, things and animals. Although we didn’t get to see the lights, we did see many other things. I am reflecting on the journey to see what direction it takes my work in now, it will probably be North.

4th Feb: Fly to Stockholm and catch overnight sleeper train up to Abisko, Arctic Circle.

5th Feb: Arrive Abisko, check in at Mountain Station then take chair lift. dinner then nightwatch on the mountain.

6th Feb: Leave skystation. Train to Kiruna to meet Prof Sheila Kirkwood. Travel on to Gallivare.

7th Feb: Bus to Jokkmokk for Lapland Winter Fair. Sami cultural gathering. Onto Lulea.

8th Feb: Buses and trains from Lulea to Rovaniemi. Traveling all day and at one point walking over the border into Finland.

9th Feb: Rovaniemi for meetings.

10th Feb: Rovaniemi. Meet Hilkka Likkanen, Director of Art Museum. Meet Elina Hellander Renvall. Sleeper train to Helsinki

11th Feb: Helsinki. Meet Anna Martikainen of K&C Company.

12th Feb: Helsinki. Meetings during day, see Sanna Kekäläinen show: Häpeä-Shame evening. Meet Sanna after the show.

13th Feb: Helsinki to Manchester to Wales.

Packing for the arctic and just testing to see if I can write a blog here from my iPhone. Fingers crossed and watch this space!