Vidya Wolton

Yesterday’s visit to Quarr Abbey was rewarded by a couple of prime photo opportunities. Firstly, there is the demonstrative and persistent cat which causes great concern as it follows visitors along the path. It turns out not to be missing (as indicated by helpful poster). The other great feature at the nearby cafe has to be the birdlife, including a limping Pheasant and the cheeky Robins coming as close as they dare. I was able to do a few quick sketches of the Robin and am very much centering on bird images at the moment back at the studio. It seems to be a time for consolidating on past work in the run-up to my exhibition at Quay Arts at the end of April.

I have to say that today did seem like the first day of Spring and beckoned me out to the wilds of the Medina Estuary for a spot of birdwatching. To my delight there were Brent Geese congregating at the water’s edge and although a regular feature over the winter, they looked most striking today. The highlight of the walk was a seemingly insignificant wading bird which I thought was a bit out of the ordinary and my instinct was telling me it might worth further enquiry. Fortunately, hubby was equipped with his camera and we managed to get a snap for verification. I’m awaiting expert opinion, but it looks to be a Marsh Sandpiper, which is a Eurasian migrant putting in an appearance about a month earlier than expected. I am in a state of anticipation as I await confirmation. The footpath was breached in several places and finding the path not always easy, as seen here in an attempt to get to the footbridge.

Art Book: Portraits of the mind

About this time last year I was producing ‘Artist’s books’ as one of my creative outlets and feature one here, continuing with the theme portraiture, both of myself and others. The image on the right is of me in the characteristic head gear. Again, it was a cold time of year and I was permanently attached to my hat or so it seemed! The middle image is of a client I was working with in the community. At that time I was also watching too much X-Factor and drew a spontaneous image of Cheryl Cole (see left hand edge). It’s a case of drawing on the many and varied influences that impinge on everyday life, which then find their way into my work – not rocket science, more like learning to drive a car. Confused? Feel free to leave a comment.

First painting of myself (dredged from the archives)

I was sifting through the archives and came across an early self-portrait produced some twenty years previously as part of my initiation to the world of Fine Art and art colleges with distance learning through The Open College for the Arts. Last winter, back in about February 2009 I produced this self-portrait in the format of a photofit. Hope you enjoy the contrast: then and now….

Will continue to sift the archives as you never know what might emerge!

Painted during cold snap Feb 2009

Couldn’t resist Mr & Mrs Snowman. Very tasteful I think! Yes, it’s snowing quite heavily as I write and the Island is transformed to white on Wight. Wonder how the Highland cattle are faring (glad of a winter coat I expect). This picture was taken near the Garlic farm on the weekend when the ground was frozen but the air crisp and bright.

Hello, from the roof tops of Cowes for some festive cheer. This winter wonderland looked quite magical from the Co-op car park. It just goes to show what a transformation takes place at this time of year.

News from the studio is that I seem to be having a bit of a breakthrough on the painting front. After the constraints of making my many small art boxes over the past year painting on a grander scale has taken second place. It was something of a revelation to be painting on canvas again and extending my palette back to conventional acrylic to supplement pots of household paint, with which I had become rather too cosy. Colour has become more of a challenge, as has the subject matter, which is ever changing, so let me not bore you with something that seems impossible to pin down at the present time. I hope there is a freshness to my painting which will become evident in my next Solo show at Quay Arts at the end of April. More about that closer to the time. However, for now, let me leave you with Cowes at Christmas on a chilly evening in December and offer my festive best wishes. For any out there wanting to offer a festive toast, my tipple of preference for the Season is Baileys on the rocks. Plenty of ice please!

And finally. . . . . . are we heading for a white Christmas? The bookies are looking to have a big pay out. Keep warm out there in cyberspace. More ramblings in 2010.

Requiring some fresh air inspite of heavy showers, hubbie and I were well placed at lunchtime for a walk along the coast at Seaview with a brief excursion to the nearby birdhide. There is the welcome presence of Brent Geese feeding at the water’s edge and even within a deluge of heavy rain and hail stones we are able to get this shot of the Brents with the Spinnaker Tower of Portsmouth in the background. The light was actually quite interesting for photography and colour in the gloom seemed heightened after a morning stint of photo manipulation in Photoshop.

For the past few weeks I have been attending a course on photomanipulation using Photoshop. I have enjoyed refreshing my knowledge and at the same time am aware of my desire to go back in time to ‘old technology’. To this end I am now the proud owner of a second-hand electric typewriter. I relish this experience in a different and contrasting way to Photoshop. I see my Fine Art practice as embracing the new alongside the old and to this end  am definitely keeping all my options open as well as annoying all around with that relentless tapping of the keys in keeping with traditional forms of communication.

Here is an example of what I did today at the class, based on some photos at the allotment when we were a bit keener to get our hands in the soil.

These Autumn days can be deceptive. The promise of blue sky gave way to cloud by lunchtime. This in turn gave way to some heavy showers. We decided to brave it and headed down to Sandown in search of a new artists’ venture involving the transformation of a shop on the High Street to the rather more fashionable ‘Boojam and Snark’. Unfortunately our timing was not good as it was closed and to add to it all the heavens decided to open upon returning to the car. I was consoled by a trip to the local garden centre for an excellent slice of fresh cream Victoria Sandwich. This rather saved the day in the ‘teddy cafe’ together with a browse around some rather fine, if pricey specimens of Bromeliad. This is a plant I find needs very little attention and is one I have managed to foster for a few years now. Anyway I digress. The drive home was inspiring as the sky cleared and gave way to a mellow light which precedes sunset. I am at present absconding from the studio, having had a break in Barcelona and then spent time getting ready for ‘Art in Woodstock’. I look forward to giving more ramblings from the studio and those all-important ‘away from the studio’ visits which make living on the Isle of Wight worthwhile.

Felt-making is practical, hands-on and I have to say, at times unpredictable! I managed to produce a rather multi-coloured version of the Isle of Wight map, re-drawing certain boundaries and leave a big hole in the middle. Could the later be an environmental degradation? The other piece here is entitled ‘healing of the land’  and I have also shown the earlier stage of development known as pre-felt. I have come away from the workshop with a felt-making starter kit, so it remains to be seen how I will progress. Several years ago, on a textiles course I did a bit of felt-making but found it incredibly chancy. Hopefully now there is more control on my part and a learning from having seen the process through stage by stage

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