"Catherine's face was just like the landscape--shadows and sunshine flitting over it in rapid succession; but the shadows rested longer, and the sunshine was more transient..." Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights.

The country side, hills, rivers, wind, rain, mist, fog, strength, flesh, soil, romance, loss, love, fear, claimed, retreat. I like these words.


Places of retreat: Everything I have been reading seems to be in these drawings but in equal measure they are drawings made while I am distracted by other things. Working in the evening when the telly's on. They are leading somewhere, I am almost nearly certain.

But that's what The Reside Residency is all about, right? Yes!

                          No obvious figures. Surprise!

Drawings: pencil on paper, 21x30cm

Other News:
What's been happening? well, the cat is fairly spritely at the moment, rather naughty actually. Scratching at things she shouldn't and using me as a jungle gym in the mornings. And I have been ok, splitting my time between drawing and reading texts about romance and dramatic landscapes while making more paintings for The Collector series. If anything I am finding it difficult to drag myself away from drawing, once I get going I find it jolly addictive which has meant that I haven't been collaging, which I had and still plan to do.

It has been an exciting month already. I took part in Transition Galleries' Pulp Fictions. The private view turned out to be a great evening, I was a bucket of nerves, but I was among friends so there was really no need. I also met some more twitter friends which was excellent. I love it when that happens. Anyway Pulp Fictions is on until 25 September. Its brilliant.

Bad news: My significant other went toTransylvania. I did not.
Good News: I have souvenirs.

Hopefully the next post will have some more experimental drawings and collages and will probably be the regularly scheduled October 1st post. Unless something fantastical happens.

Currently reading
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte
Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami
Georges Bataille, essential writings- Michael Richardson
Fanny Hill - John Cleland
Circus and Victorian Society - Brenda Asseal

(there are some 'classics I really should have read already' cropping up. I'm getting through them).

Drawings based on romantic and erotic literature. Some background info on this post can be found here

As well as drawing more than usual this month I have been reading, a lot. I devoured Lady Chatterlys Loverover a weekend. This read reinforced the theme of the romantic in much of the work I have been making lately and it stretches right across the different painting projects. Always aware of it in my reading material (and while the notion of Romantic can mean different things to me at different times) I have been allowing Romance to roll around in my head unaccompanied by a self-conscious sneer...I have been able to relax a bit. And above are some of the results.

Talking of drawing, there is an interesting drawing project currently on line:
Drawing the subconsciouswhich really made me think. I have been drawing with purpose for a long time now, and I rarely sit and absently move a pencil or pen across paper and yet its a really important thing to do, its working on your drawing muscle..... So I owe thanks to Drawing The Subconscious for un-sticking me this past week or so. Have a look and submit your own drawings.....

So anyway, I am still drawing and reading and will post again soonish with, hopefully, more images.

*I know it was a lot of drawings to post. I should have advised a tea break at the half way mark. It just feels like the right thing to do at the moment...umm biscuit?*

oh, I should mention that these drawings are on  white paper, but in my badly lit house are a pain to photograph.

Currently Reading
Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
Lady Chatterleys Lover - D.H Lawrence
Fanny Hill – John Cleland
Georges Bataille, essential writings- Michael Richardson
My notes from A new description of Merryland. Containing, a topographical, geographical, and natural history of that country. - Thomas Stretzer 1841