Bare Cupboard

Usually manage to end the day with some little notes about thoughts and paintings stuffed in the back pocket of my jeans but today the pickings are slim. It is the full moon tonight and I do think it has an unsettling effect on me; not so much what the horoscope people are saying, but definately a mood of uncertainty. I am super spotty, super bloated and itchy; call me crazy but if the moon dictates the tides and makes the sap rise and fall I think it has the power to mess with my structure - there is plenty water in my makeup...

Saw a great book in the charity shop today for a tenner, and still swithering on blowing a bit of budget on it - paintings from the Norwegian Stave churches; seen pictures of the buildings, which remind me weirdly of the Thai Buddhist temples, but not familiar with the interior decoration. Looks like some great 'naive' and kind of folky depictions of familiar religious scenes with some inimitable Scandinavian utalitarian charm. Concentrating on angels this year has naturally lead me to study a fair deal of religious art; largely Christian so far as the Western tradition is the best covered over here, but the Buddhist images are also fascinating and that is as far as I have ventured so far. It's a huge topic and just so many amazing images created over the years. Put that way I feel almost cheeky for dipping my toe in such vast subject already touched on by some of the greatest artists of any time. But hey, my little voice only adds to the amazing bank of images that exist out there.

Looking at moving on next to a quasi-religious image of Madame Tabere in conversation or meeting with some of the angels; a structured image that takes inspiration from church decoration and altarpieces. Still thinking of using mosaic as I did with 'Amanda's dream' - I loved the aged effect that had and have leanings towards the Roman art as well. Nothing like cherry picking from across art history...all of these images are sloshing about in my subconscious though so no doubt some echoes will come out in whatever I do; I don't think it is possible to be totally original in the field of painting now. I guess that is why art shoots off periodically into different media, performance, installation etc. Painting itself as a form of expression has in so many ways been done to death, but still it prevails... That's the thing though really; despite there being so little room for originality, every work is also innately original as it is the creation of a different brain and hand to any other, in a different time and place from anything that has gone before.

But anyway... I think that is probably obvious. It is Stu's birthday today, but as we were both out earning a buck we are doing very little of any difference to any other day. I have procured by barter a great painting by Ritchie Collins which I had framed, so that is exciting - assuming he likes it!! This is also intended as a kick up the butt to get us moving on our living room wall, which has been woefully empty for seven years now! First of all I couldn't decide what to put there; now I have decided to go for a melange of other artists' work and have some great stuff from Vietnam to frame up. Time to get going on that I think as it will be so cool and inspiring once it is done. The studio is all my stuff, (oops, apart from a Picasso from a calendar and a great photo out of a Sunday supplement.. oh, and a bunch of postcards) but even that gives me great inspiration and I love being surrounded by pictures. Sod minimalism, fill the walls!

So, despite an empty back pocket I am pleased to report that this is not necessarily a symptom of an empty mind; maybe a touch of full moon blues and weirdies, but otherwise operational.