Inspiration and a confession - the jot-wall

Just having a think about my sources of inspiration (as someone has asked me recently).....hmmm, where to start? Inspiration for me, I realise,  is more or less everywhere. There is no shortage of ideas, there is always a shortage of time!

An artist friend of mine and I had a hilarious five minutes drawing a mental cartoon of all the ideas that are stacked up in our heads. We saw them all forming a long queue - one that swings from orderly to disorderly to rioting, attention-seeking misery! Think about the idea which has been there the longest and keeps getting parked - "what about me?", it wails, "you promised you'd action me in 1992!". We placate them all and promise them liberation in the murky future. 

Here are three tiny(5x7cm) monotypes waiting patiently to get turned into paintings 

Laughter aside it did make me think. How do I prioritise ideas? Are there recurring themes to discover? (yes, more later) I don't over-analyze what I do, but there are questions that I ask myself all the time:
does it work? if not why not?
what did I learn? 
what don't I like?
what do I like?
where is this leading me?
what do I want to keep?
what shall I drop?
what is doing this?
what do I want to pursue?
why did I do that?
what has ruined it?
is this a happy accident?
what shall I do next?
what shall I do different?
what can I try next?
can I be patient enough to get through this period of nothing happening until something sparks off again?
nah, shall we just let this one go?
what do I need to get better at?

It's not a pedantic list, more an instinctive mind scan......and in my head is a lattice-like, interconnecting grid of all of my ideas. Some are shinier than others (Is this a mind palace?  -  Sherlock?)

It's non-stop really ....so maybe I do over-analyze after all! But it has given me an insight as to why, CONFESSION......... I rarely use a sketch-book. (A tremblingly terrible confession for an artist; it's tantamount to saying out loud that you are not a real artist and can never be taken seriously) Even at art school I didn't, I had to make one up to get through the end of year critiques. It didn't come naturally AT ALL, because my sketch book is in my head. And I don't really like working in books. There, I've said it. 

In my studio you will see the occasional scrap of paper pinned to a wall documenting an idea that I don't want to forget, but it is more likely to be in written form than in drawing form. It's more like a jot-wall, which suits me better.  Here is the current state of my jot-wall.

I have looked on in envy at amazing sketch-books, tried my best to start them at various times - it never works. But I don't rule it out. I have only just become interested in gardening, - who knew! -  so I may well take to working in sketch-books sometime in the future too!

I have recurring themes, it's true.  But somehow, these are private, perhaps the viewer's to discern. Perhaps best not written about after all. 

I love the sound of cutting glass

Its a unique sound as you pull the tungsten carbide wheel over the glass..... you can hear the molecules re-arranging themselves (well, that's what it sounds like to me) as they all line up ready to break apart with the slightest encouragement. How does it work? I know the science behind it, but it still is a pretty mysterious thing to witness.

Recently I have been working on a large mosaic commission made entirely of glass. It has been a great experience. I have become much more intrigued with glass as a medium. 

Here is the start of one of the panels. 

Like most art forms once you delve into it there is a wealth of history, skill, tradition and innovation attached to it. 


I have always wanted to learn stained glass techniques. When I do I will let you know! Here is the Matisse's work in Chapelle du Rosaire de Vence, so simple, so beautiful.

And here is John Piper's work at Coventry Cathedral

There is something so awe-inspiring about light coming through glass. Religious or not, I suspect it affects everyone in a similar way - perhaps tapping into the age-old thrill of seeing a rainbow? (still gets me every time).

I have just been practicing cutting curved lines and will definitely incorporate some hand cut glass into my next mosaic project.

Here is a great short video on how to cut glass


how to cut glass