Vidya Wolton

I have had the opportunity to attend several Summer Schools in conjunction with Quay Arts including pottery and had the delight today of seeing my pieces in their glazed state from the kiln. This is a truely fascinating process of transformation. I was a bit at sixes and sevens with the various glazes and oxides, not knowing what they would do but am now the proud owner of a plethora of pots and vases. Here is the kiln in readiness for the firing that took place last weekend, representing a variety of student work  and all under the careful guidance of potter Sue Paraskeva whose work in porcelain is nationally and internationally recognised. Sue’s latest venture is the hitting of pots with sticks to distort and partially break the original piece in what is quite a radical action on what would otherwise be perfectly formed pots.

Finally, after five years of trying to entice birds into our small patio garden a flock of sparrows arrived on our carefully positioned bird feeders, together with a Great Tit. This was a momentus occassion and long overdue as birds had been thonging to a nearby buddlea on the other side of our fence and wall boundary just recently. Hopefully there will be more to come. The drawing here is of Sparrows in a similar vein on a friend’s bird-feeder out in their West Wight garden. This is a well established haven for birds, positively buzzing for much of the year.

Inspired by ‘Springwatch’ we went in search of a heronry within protected woodlands on the island. This is a public access nature reserve bordering on marshland and known to be one of two heronrys. Our hopes were high as I searched the treeline to the cocophany of what I took to be young magpies and the melodic warble of a bird that proved completely elusive (much to my frustration). I’m putting it down as a big question mark Garden Warbler and will have to refer and/or differ to someone a bit more in the know. As for the herons, they were conspicuous by their absence. I did however enjoy the colour sensation of this old wood; a wall of greeens into the canopy in the soft evening light. Perhaps we’ll return at another time of day or make a sound recording to play back! The woods are certainly a vibrant place to be this time of year.

Have finally broken the long silence on my blog on what has been an inspirational day of sunshine, sand and mud at Grange Chine on the island. Quite alot has happened over the intervening months, not least my decision to leave Goldsmiths! Far from straightforward and not an easy decision but gradually coming to terms with life back on the Isle of Wight and my new found freedom to branch out artistically. Today was a foray onto the beach where I had a maddening time attempting to create work from found objects and mud. I have to say it can all be quite unmanageable and chaotic but did enjoy the freedom and inspiration of the coast. Here are the results entitled ‘Raft’. This was my husband’s initiative as he had been down to the same beach a week ago when conditions were actually quite wild to make these so-called ‘mud paintings’. I nolonger have a studio which inevitably forces the work in a different direction. I’m still very much a painter working from home with works on paper for the moment.

Wondering how to encapsulate the experience of the ‘double life’ I now lead. London can be an assault on the senses, particularly around the college at New Cross Gate. On the other hand the leafier parts of South-East London where I’m staying have their novelties. The Grey Squirrel is one of them, as are the paraketes occupying the park across the road.

I continue to grapple with the rigours of the course. My art practice continues to take shape in a new environment and the ways that I process the whole experience, both at home and away. There are developments and a venturing into new territory. I’ve decided that art therapy can only really be experienced and explanations are less than adequate because it is only where words run out that pictures begin.

I have to say that the time is fast approaching when I will be leaving the relative sanctuary of the island to head up to the ‘big smoke’ for part of each week.  My MA course at Goldsmiths College in Art Psychotherapy commences in a week’s time and I’m waving goodbye to the relative freedom as an artist of recent years but looking forward nonetheless to the rigours of university life. I will be continuing on with my art practice as part of the programme and it will be interesting to see which direction this takes – a new situation invariably throws up something new and often unexpected. I hope to continue my ramblings from a ‘shared house’ in South-East London (student quarters).

‘Mum’s Folly’ caught my eye on a trip to Seaview, near Ryde today. It gives a convenient run-in to some big changes that will be happening for me as from September. I’m going to be embarking on an MA in Art Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths College in London. This will qualify me to practice as an Art Therapist at the end of three years study. I shall be between two worlds in the sense of moving between the island and London each week. Mum’s Folly, namely myself may prove to be one of my reflections. There will be much to ponder as a lot of the course emphasis is on learning to be OK with yourself in the many challenging situations that may occur. The blog may take a more urban shift but for the moment I am still enjoying sea views!

Here I am, out and about during the Extreme 40s racing which finished yesterday. These mult-hulls have to be one of the highlights of Cowes Week and it is the anticipation and exicitement of the racing that is so difficult to capture. I’m not sure about being the next ‘Kurt Jackson’ who has taken to the water in Greenpeace boats to capture the action (also resident artist at Glastonbury!) It was great fun to share in the occassion of the awards ceremony complete with champagne shower. Olympic champion Shirley Robertson is seen here in the foreground smiling into the camera.

That was my latest entry in the Comments book at Quay Arts earlier in the week. Atleast I have evoked a reaction albeit less than favourable. I’m aware that the exhibition won’t be to everyone’s taste although on the whole feedback has been good and there have been some really well thought out comments which point to an enriching experience. I continue to ponder the whole question of audience and what my role is as an artist.

My exhibition continues in the Rope Store at Quay Arts and today I witnessed a sudden influx of visitors, much to my delight. Firstly, youngsters with behavioural and medical problems were having a session with one of the gallery educators. They were then joined by a group of adults with learning difficulties who were guiding one another around the gallery. I looked on in wonder and await further feedback from those who were there. It would be gratifying to find that some profound learning was taking place for these most marginalised of groups. Bar the Private View, for which quite a lot of planning took place and was well attended, this has to be the next best thing – a public viewing en masse!