packed...

Busy and exciting times...

A long-held wish to be invited to lead an arts project for Bristol Eye Hospital seems as though it might just come true. 

For their 200th anniversary, the Hospital is refurbishing the building and have asked me to set up an installation of my work (with a real chance of them actually buying some!) and to lead a staff project to create a piece of new work to celebrate this milestone.  The proposals are in the process of review by various Boards and sponsorship being sought from companies, so nothing signed yet.  But it really does seem likely to happen...

A chance meeting with the head of the Medical School at Bristol University in December led to my writing a short piece on creativity for the students - and I have now been asked to make a video about my working practice for inclusion in the course materials and online.

Yesterday, I was invited to be part of the very prestigious ReCollect exhibition in May and some new and rather fragile work has just gone off to Singapore as part of a touring exhibition that seems set to globe trot for the next six months - let's hope it survives.  

And, in the meantime, have been ploughing on with the research for the RCA - a big tutorial on Thursday kept me burning midnight oil for most of the week.  Seems to have gone ok, but, although I am making piles of samples and learning a lot, it's not yet entirely clear where it's all headed. 3,000 words to write in the next two weeks and a formal presentation the week after - need to find out who on earth are Derrida and Deleuze.  Keeping me on my toes. 

hot glass test...

lamp work test

rhino test

Plus the Bristol house - still not sold, but apparently lots of interest.  A group of young men move in on the 12th to help  with the mortgage. Let's just hope they do the washing up from time to time and don't scare off any potential buyers. 

And Frome - a wonderful if currently rather cold and scruffy refuge. Getting through the logs at an alarming rate. Finally got a first coat of gloss on the windows last weekend and hope to get up a ladder again later today to get a second coat on - weather permitting... Hoping to get the broadband connected too so that I can skype and surf in my beautiful light and airy study. 

Frome...

Off to the Mall Galleries to collect work that was rejected for the Originals exhibition.  Feel disappointed but there is plenty to be getting on with...

back to school

It's hard to believe a whole month has passed since last writing this. 

A blur of biting cold, broken boilers, heavy boxes and bed with raging sore throat. 

Plus some magic moments - London Dungeons with the Desbons, roaring fires with friends in Frome, bombing downhill on a sledge with the Bartons and light airs on the Levels. 

Heartily glad to be back at college - and some exciting plans afoot - potential project with the Eye Hospital to create a display of recent work in the new building and to create a new piece with all the patients and staff to celebrate their bicentenary. Plus a chance to work with one of the nurses there to create a series of new artworks to help her to explain how the immune system works. 

And a film with Medical School at University of Bristol to consider how art and science can work together. 

Plus college stuff - getting to grips with lamp working, learning about the history of glass and my very first rapid prototyped model using the Rhino software all on my own!

Much to look forward to - and now back home to Frome to get some green air in my lungs.