Amsterdam Art

I spent last weekend in Amsterdam and managed to fit in five museums - the Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk museum and Van Gogh museum were among them. If you're an art lover then Amsterdam has to be on your list of places to visit. 

In the quieter Stedelijk museum we were able to get very close to the pieces and take our time observing them. Without the crowds of the Van Gogh museum and Rijksmuseum we could take photographs of the work without fearing being in somebodys way. I enjoy taking photographs of people and in this case ourselves and the work to show the scale and interaction. 

Admiring a Richard Serra drawing 

Craig and Sol Lewitt

The photographs feel artistic in their own right, like a self portrait in reverse as they show the backs of our heads, an alternative perspective. 

Felix Gonzalez-Torres - Untitled (A Love Meal) and Converse 

I came away from Amsterdam feeling incredibly inspired. Not only by the art in the museums but by the place itself. The bitterly cold air, the faint aroma of cannabis and the lights reflecting in the canal waters. 

In Progress

I've been 'in progress' with the drawing I'm working on for quite some time now. Since completing my MA in August I've gone back into full time work. It would have been nice to try and continue with my practice full time or just get a part time job but I was tired of having no money at all after living on a very tight budget for a year. 

Detail of Bluebell Wood

I try and devote as much time as possible to drawing. Every Thursday evening I speak to my dad on the phone, while we're chatting I'm working on something. I fit drawing in after work and spend lunchtimes thinking about what to do next and documenting my practice. It can be frustrating only making very slow progress but it's better than not making anything at all, it'll feel all the more rewarding when it's finally finished. 

Bluebell Wood - Half finished 

Someday I will be a full time artist and I'll look back on these days and be grateful that I've got all the time in the world to think about my work, I'll spend hours experimenting and playing in the studio making up for lost time. That's the dream anyway. 

Jerwood Drawing Prize 2014

The Jerwood Drawing Prize toured to the University of Gloucestershire when I studied Fine Art there between 2007 and 2010. I remember invigilating the show in the bright gallery that we had on our Pittville campus, welcoming visitors and reading through the catalogue. 

I've kept the Jerwood Drawing Prize close to my heart ever since, each year I look forward to the announcement of who has been accepted and who has won each of the prizes. Last year I took the trip to London alone to see the exhibition, this year I took friends to see it in Cheltenham at The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum. 

I love how the exhibition sparks a debate about what drawing is. This year a few charcoal and oil pastel smudges on paper, hundreds of little pieces of thread stitched into paper and the sound of a womans voice feature. 

My eye was immediately drawn to Vertical Panorama: Oak Tree by Hannah Downing. 

Vertical Panorama: Oak Tree by Hannah Downing 

It's no secret that I love trees, landscapes and themes surrounding nature and countryside. The unusual perspective and the beautiful skill with which the artist has captured the texture in the tree bark grabbed me. 

Detail of Vertical Panorama: Oak Tree by Hannah Downing 

Every piece in the show had something to offer, I was intrigued to hear the sound piece that won first prize this year. The sound of a woman describing an unknown object by artist Alison Carlier.  

Exhibition view of the Jerwood Drawing Prize

There Are No Owls by Gary Edwards also stuck out for me, the working and reworking of the surface in an attempt to explore mark making techniques has left an interesting image with no real subject but lots of depth. 

It was an interesting year to walk around for me as I actually submitted three drawings for consideration and was rejected. It was the first year that I felt confident enough in my work to enter and I'm glad I did even though my work didn't make the cut this year.