January has been pretty grey and a bit gloomy to be honest, so the photo above is from a particularly wonderful early morning walk, crisp and fairly clear…..feeling the sun was such a welcome change and I loved the slight mistiness and the dark shadows.

I’ve been busy getting my work ready for Degrees of Abstraction at the Tarpey Gallery, which starts on the 19th February…I’ll be showing an exciting range of new work from both my Botanic Gardens Collection and also Landscape Geometry. I’m so happy to be part of the show, alongside a bunch of really wonderful artists.

Working with framers, photographing work, labelling and cataloguing pieces etc… are some of the more hidden aspects of working in Art, and they take up a surprising amount of time. It’s all about a professional approach and taking care about every aspect of your work, from initial idea through to sealing and varnishing, framing and labelling the back of a painting.

Consistency about how you present your work is important, especially for galleries and collectors. It doesn’t really matter what your personal formula is, but it does really help to stick with it. For instance, I always sign my paintings in paint as part of the final paint layer, on the bottom right hand corner of each piece. I will also sign the reverse of the stretcher or cradled panel, as well as the frame, just in case the frame ever gets changed. Then I’ll add a title and usually which collection it belongs to/ or any specific inspiration behind the piece. I always add an art card, scaled to the size of the painting as a finishing touch.

I’ve been trying to have a quiet, reflective month; making small studies in sketchbooks, playing with colour combinations and swatches, and generally mulling over ideas for new work….there is a distinct rhythm to making art, it needs and takes time, and I’m learning to be more patient of the thinking stages…well I’m trying at least!

Being totally honest, I realised how tired I was, and how much I needed a bit of a break….our house purchase fell through so we’re in a bit of limbo, and that had an unsettling effect too. I worked out that I didn’t need pressure to make finished pieces…I had everything I needed for Tarpey, so there was no need to heap more pressure on myself. Anyway I think the mindset change is beginning to do the trick, the mental fog is lifting, and I’m beginning to see some new avenues for enquiry, and which existing ones I want to keep exploring.

Alongside all the thinking and prevarication, I did manage to put the final few touches to a painting I was working on in the run up to Christmas. This one relates to an ongoing collection derived from walking around lakes and reservoirs, and shows a deep dark lake in winter, gently lit by moonlight. It relates to a very specific experience and a particular lake, but I don’t think that matters, it’s more about the atmosphere.

I’m fascinated by the way that your process in making a piece has to reflect, the way you want the piece to feel, its character and mood. I wanted this to have a slow, soft gentleness, and the only way to try to make that happen was to build up the painting very gradually in glazed translucent layers, each one building strength and texture.

I don’t want to say too much about possible new work, as I’m far too early in the process to know where they might be going yet…but I am pursuing an idea around an Inner Landscape; personal and interior as opposed to the landscapes that normally act as inspiration for my work. I’m thinking of a kind of abstracted still life. I have no idea whether it will work yet, but it seems like a concept worth exploring. I’m also looking back at sketchbooks and thinking about some coastal landscapes based around the beautiful coastline of Dumfries and Galloway.

^ Two Bowls: Inner Landscape in Acrylic and Oils on 30cm canvas panel. ^ Sketchbook page exploring coastal putty colours from Galloway

*The rather wonderful Authentic Obsessions Show continues hosted by the James May Gallery on Artsy, with a beautifully curated and eclectic mix of work. Visit: https://www.artsy.net/show/james-may-gallery-authentic-obsessions?sort=partner_show_position

The painting below is: On Zennor Head

**Degrees of Abstraction at the Tarpey Gallery runs from 19th February-27th March online and in person…it’s a lovely gallery and well worth a visit if you get the chance.

***I’m also really delighted to be a featured artist in the next edition of TUBES magazine which is available from the first of February. Painters Tubes is a fantastic resource for artists, gallerists and collectors, with wonderful online content, virtual exhibitions and regular magazines with a print as well as online edition…check it out if you haven’t already! https://www.painterstubes.com

Well that’s about all from me this month!

As always a very big thank you to everyone who takes an interest in my ramblings and my work, follows me on Instagram and Facebook, and reads my newsletters! Special thanks also for all the lovely feedback and enquiries, they mean such a lot.

Until next month take good care,

Jo xx

All text and images copyright ©️Jo York 2022