2022 in a few paragraphs

Well, my last blog in March was called 'on the road again' and I think I didn't get off the road this year! I love writing my blog but it has been the last thing in a long list of things this year so while I have a moment I will try and sumarise the year I've had.

After moving house and the pandemic things were very upside down along with working two jobs as well it was all a bit much but now, I've managed to just have one job and my art, but we are moving again!

This year started with me having time to create new works with a little bit of colour after spending a few years painting quite dark. Maybe we were all emerging from a dark time? I took part again in the Belper Art Trail, Derbyshire Open Arts, Haddon Hall and the Bonsal Trail and I was happy to be back at Cromford Mills Artisan Market again.

 After Easter I was excited to be approached to create nine commissions, eight of Ashbourne shop fronts and one personal. So, from then on, every week was taken up with those so it may seem I haven't painted many this year to those that are following me but I can assure you I have been super busy art-wise. Please visit Cafe Impromptu  Ashbourne where you can see all eight shop fronts on the wall as prints.

Cafe Impromptu Ashbourne, where you can see all eight commissioned paintings as prints.

Also, this year has been the welcome return of doing art demos at art groups it started off with everyone feeling nervous and wearing a mask but has ended with it being more like old times fingers are crossed it stays that way! 

Finished art demo painted at Hinkley Art Group

The year ends with me working on another commission, this time a house portrait, so I am very happy how my year has gone. It is nice to place a canvas on an easel and know you are working on something special.

Next year's plans are to exhibit with Peak District Artisans again as well as have my own exhibition of recent works at Banks Mill Studios. 

Oh yes we are moving house again! We left Belper a couple of years ago but we have missed being there so much so we are moving back on my website you will see I have painted the streets of Belper many times there is always something new to see so that is a very exciting thing to look forward to in the new year!

Please enjoy the Christmas period and hopefully, I will see you in the new year!
 

Pathway Portrayals and Tales

 

High Peak Trail 1, Middleton Top.

I've started a new series of work, called Pathway Portrayals and Tales all located on the High Peak Trail between Middleton Top and High Peak Junction. A couple of years ago I did a detailed photographic study of the trail and the images have been sitting there waiting patiently for me to get to them. 

High Peak Trail 2, Quarry.

My new studio space is quite tight so I've decided to keep the works in a smaller format and I love this size which is 20 x 50 cm. I have 25 canvas boards all ready to be painted and I'm hoping that I can show them at either High Peak Junction or Middleton Top when they are finished.

High Peak Trail 3, Incline Begins.

There is no rush so I'm taking my time, the trail was opened to the public 50 years ago in 1974 but was in the process of being converted in 1971. So 50 years later I'm celebrating it in these paintings. Keep following my progress on my social media and see how I'm getting on. The tales part of this exhibition I'm hoping will come from the people that interact with the paintings, I've already heard from one lady who had a cycling accident on the trail many years ago and had to be rescued! Id love to hear more tales so leave your comments or get in touch via my website http://www.ruthgrayimages.com

My 2020 moto: Look at what you can do not what you can not.

 I've just had a look back at my blog posts for this past year it started so well I was looking forward to doing shows and finishing my MA I've got a distinction if anyone is interested! It seems odd to graduate with no fanfare no ceremony all a bit of a damp squib really. For myself and every other graduate, I add this is not a woe is me blog!

2020 has been an absolute pants year for all of us and to say I'm doing things differently and rethinking everything is an understatement. It has left me very changed.

My home life is so unpredictable as are many lives this year, in our family, we have mental health problems, caused by covid that will cause massive changes next year but we will navigate through it all we always do. My kids are trying to do GCSEs and are at the mercy of various government decisions. Throughout 2020 I've worked twice as hard as ever before the first half was defined by very long hours studying and writing and researching, this was followed by job searches and the realisation that my idea of getting a museum/heritage job was probably not going to happen since everyone I know who works in one is on furlough or has been made redundant. 

I'm not in a position to be able to rely on my partner's wages to sit it out until something comes along, so alongside my artwork, I've got a local shop job and I absolutely love it. I love the customer interaction and the people I work with and even the shelf stacking is a very mindful task. There is no music no news no phones just the real world with real people actually talking. This last bit is the most important for me, I spent six months this year stuck at home in my house not going out anywhere and I'm not doing it again. Life in front of a computer screen zooming teaming and whatever is not how I want to spend my time. I'm very proud to be working and have a uniform, a wage, and to be able to feed my kids. 

When I said it has been a changing year it has I have had a lot of time to work out what I want in the future and it turns out that I know exactly who I am and always have been. A bloody artist! Yes, I know shock horror now I'm trying to navigate a pandemic situation where my sort of line of work is difficult except for the privileged few who have, pensions, or the support and no financial worries. Lowry was a debt collector all his life and his work reflects a deep understanding of real-life, in fact, most of the famous artists I admire are the same. Having a job has relieved some of the panic that I was feeling about having no shows and art groups to do workshops with, and I'm hoping that it will free up my stress and anxiety to be able to just paint and not keep having to chase leads.

Some may look down on me and define me by this moment in time but I'm quite confident that things will get better and opportunities will come my way in the future after all I am the girl who moved to Australia and started off sweeping floors in hairdressers and ended up flying to Sydney once a week teaching corporate trainers in suits how to teach retail. I've been homeless and I've built two houses basically what I'm saying is life sometimes is absolutely hard but get back up again and bloody fight your way out of it!

So far in 2020, I've got my MA I've also got an internship, I've created offline creativity packs for Derbyshire County Council, I've been filmed demonstrating my artwork for the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, I'm taking part in the UK's largest Humanities Festival 'Being Human' I've passed a Level 2 Safeguarding and British Values course I'm completing a Level 2 Equality and Diversity course because I want to fully understand the world I live in. I've also painted a few pictures and hope to have my end of year exhibition but we will see! I'm not going to list all that I have lost because I believe in life things happen for a reason and if we have lost or had to stop doing something then so be it that was not my path. 

My 2020 moto: Stop moaning and use all your skills and get your head down and do stuff. Look at what you can do not what you can not.

I will keep creating and homeschooling and working and hope that soon the galleries, museums, and shows and art groups and all the things I love and I know you love too will start up again. I know Im not without a good future.

Take care everyone Ruth xxx

Painting and Youth!

Painting I just love it! Good job I hear you say as you are an artist! But I realise more than ever that I do love painting its a great way to zone out for a while and I certainly do need to do that occasionally as life lately has been hectic but then when isn't it. I reckon over the years I'd have gone nuts if it wasn't for dabbing away with a paintbrush if I'm ever overwhelmed or sad I shut myself away and paint to take my mind off it if I'm in agony because of my arthritis I paint and soon feel better. But I don't paint just to escape I do it because I love it and that's important.
We should all try and fit something in that we love doing because as I've said many times life is short and one day we will regret spending time doing crap stuff others want us to do. Painting is not the only thing I like doing and this year I've been lucky enough to be able to study and because I'm doing it part time I get to carry on for another year.
Going back to school or rather University has been fun and at times deep! I've been so deep in bloody books I don't know what day it is and as I'm doing history the actual century gets confusing too! But overall its been fun and enlightening meeting new people especially the lovely twenty-somethings who remind me I'm glad not to have to do it all again but also remind me of that fabulous feeling of endless possibilities of where life will take them. They are yet to marry, buy a house, get a job if indeed they want to do any of that because that was what I had to do maybe they don't have to yet because times are different and expectations of what should be done by thirty are different. So I've been listening carefully to their stories and hopes and it has opened my eyes to their struggles and dreams.
I am very aware of my age all of a sudden and realise that no matter how down with the kids I think I am, I'm  just not and can't be because the generation gap is acute what I took for granted when I was young isn't there for our young I had help with my rent due to housing benefit so I could leave home and save for a mortgage houses were cheaper technology didn't exist my phone was down the road in a red box! There's a lot of pressure on the young zero-hours contracts, social media always got to be achieving no financial support from the government its very difficult to get a foothold on adulthood. I wish them all well, to be honest, they are so much more mature than I at that age, the nineties are somewhat of a blur I have to say!
What's this got to do with painting? I don't know really but I suppose I see so many twenty-somethings making a go of social media for their artwork and I think I've probably wasted a lot of my past not doing what I should have been so now I paint when I can, study and generally try and live a full life.
So then what have I been painting well here's two I did this last couple of weeks.

Corner House Chippy Cleethorpes 20 x 20 cm

This painting above marks the beginning of a new obsession The Chip Shop! So let me have any of your favorite chip shops!

Berwick Upon Tweed 16 x 20 inches.

This one above started as a demo at Sutton Colefield Art Group and I've been working on it a while.
Next weekend I will be at Matlock Art Society running a workshop and demoing so contact them if you'd like to come along.
The week after I will be at Stanton in the Peak open gardens 1-5 pm so do come along and spend an afternoon looking at art and gardens.

Mapping it Out, New Work for St John Street Gallery

I sourced an old ordnance survey map of Derbyshire on line, to use as part of a new series of work for St John Street Gallery my intention was to literally tear it up into sections and stick it down and then see what happened next.

By chance I was left with a small corner of the map of the Staffordshire Moorlands and after layering ink and mediums on to the initial layer of maps I again tore up the corner and placed that on to the canvas and from that I looked at the names on those pieces and found some wonderful locations which I have painted below.
The surfaces are full of texture and character of the maps it was certainly an interesting way to create new work.

Near Calton Green

Detail of Near Calton Green

Devils Staircase

Detail For Devils Staircase

Ipstones Edge

Detail of Ipstones Edge

Near Kingsley Holt

Detail of Near Kingsley Holt

Weaver Hills

Detail of Weaver Hills

You can view the new pieces at St John Street Gallery Ashbourne from August 1st. They are all 30 x 30 cm on box canvas £300 each contact the gallery to make a purchase.

My last show before summer is a charity event at The Belper Games where I will be selling a range of greeting cards and my #100dayproject cards.

Be a bit more Rock n Roll!

This weekend and last weekend Ive been attending some big concerts first one The Rolling Stones and then Alice Coopers new band The Hollywood Vampires and tomorrow The Foo Fighters.

The audiences are so old I am happy to take my kids along what they make of it I'm not sure but I think they just take pity on us for liking these Dad bands.

As I was watching Alice and Mick on stage it made me think about the need to keep on keeping on why do these multi millionaire rockers put themselves through night after night of this, they don't have too they could be putting their feet up and toasting a job well done and watch the clock tick by.

But that's not very rock n roll bloody boring actually I listen to folk who cant wait till they retire and I'm like and then what? Do what you should be doing now why wait?

Alice's new band is cool they sing only the songs of their dead drunk friends Keith Moon ,Lemmy , The Doors etc.... the list goes on all those who wasted their talent or fell by the wayside too early.

I'm sentimental and seeing a photo of Bowie while Johnny Depp sang Hero's was too much heartbreaking actually.

So much talent still to share so much creativity not yet unleashed.

Here's the thing we all die yep amazing revelation huh! But seriously what are you waiting for get the knitting needles ,out cross stitch , make music ,paint, make stuff , draw stuff who cares what you do , what it looks like just do something that is for you and not logical or has great depth.

The thing is by making and creating we are giving something to the world adding layers , happiness and increasing the possibilities of meeting other people who also share in your madness. When we meet other creative souls it enriches our lives up and down the country there are folk sitting in village halls doing alsorts of mad creative stuff of no consequence having a great time doing it. It takes effort to get out of the house it takes effort to change it takes effort to create but its a beautiful thing.

It doesn't have to be serious you know all this art malarky is brilliant we don't have to have huge meaning behind everything we do. Don't worry that your workshop leader will think you are rubbish they don't they are terribly grateful you booked on the course so they can buy more paint. 

Imagine the buzz Mick Jagger gets when his songs are sang back to him he keeps going because its a beautiful thing to be heard and to be creative, sod the ageist naysayers who would have him retired what a loss to the world. All the folk Ive been watching on stage have had their fair share of bad press and criticism but the core thing that keeps them going is creativity they would do this anyway it just happens they made it and the critic's are jealous because all they can do is write about them.

I see it on social media too jealousy what a pointless exercise be happy for that friend who makes it help the ones who need it be a bit more rock n roll don't wallow in misery get up and enjoy the party that creativity will bring you life is for living NOW!

Some Thoughts on Loyalty

Its half way through January and I've weaned myself of mince pies and am learning what vegetables are again, we have had Angus's birthday and this week is my 15th wedding anniversary of which I am rather proud.
The first seven years of marriage was all about who could wear the other one down and dominate as well as have some children and build buy and sell about five houses we crammed in a few losses too parents, aunts, uncles and our own son, as well as moving abroad and back oh and I did a degree started around six different jobs and gave up a career.

It was exciting but also exhausting and we came back to the UK a shadow of our former selves.
Here we were back in the UK freezing to death in one of the coldest winters living in a house on a steep hill having to push a screaming baby around being smacked on the head by a toddler too.

Unhappy oh you bet we were it was like war of the roses on steroids everything was bloody difficult.
We had some time apart about 18 months but we saw more of each other than when we were together and the distance gave us space to recoup and work out how we wanted our life to be.

The thing is we never gave up on each other at all not once we could easily have killed each other many times over but we never gave up and these days I see so many people give up.
Its easy to imagine that the grass is greener that if you run away everything will be solved, that if we knew this person instead of that person it will make your life better, but sometimes you already have everything it just needs work and understanding.

No body is perfect I've never met anyone who is we all have our ups and downs I cherish friendships and feel grateful to those that stick around through thick and thin, life has a way of bringing people together when the time is right. Loyalty is something I am really into my Dad has been a shining example of loyalty being dependable and honest. Its something I try very hard to be loyal to those I care about.

Its a rather boring trait but something I try to maintain, obviously there are occasions when you are tested by people, pushed around demanded of and even rejected but I always think if I have been true to myself loyal and honest then I have no obligations of guilt.

We can only do what we think is right and we have no responsibility for another persons happiness we make our own happiness and it is for us to share with others to bring them joy.

In the early days of a marriage we think it is our responsibility but it is not, it is our responsibility to lift each other up and support but we cant change a person or demand of them. These are the things you learn if you stick something out, so although we have fought like cat and dog we have come to some sort of unspoken agreement that we are now fairly equal in our dealings with each other and I'm happy to say 15 years together is brilliant we still fight over stuff mainly the washing up, but these are the small things in life.
So here's hoping we have many more years to come life is not predictable but only you can decide whether you are loyal.

So what has any of the above got to do with art?
Well the same principals apply to your work as it does to your relationships if you keep at something remain true to yourself and loyal to your craft you will reap rewards a plenty. If you chop and change reject, make demands , let down ,wallow in misery and think the grass is greener it will all be very hard indeed and often very lonely.

Summer Escape

 A couple of months away from it all its been great just what the doctor ordered by the end of July I was feeling completely frazzled I realised the only thing to do was stop.

Emails have been glanced at social media has hardly featured at all I've no idea really what anyone has been doing except those that have been in front of me even the news has been switched off from what I've caught Donald is still tramping around in various slogan baseball caps and we haven't yet been nuked!

So here's what I've been doing for the last couple of months, a trip up to Manchester to see ZZ Top included a short trek into the city of which I was most impressed so we plan to go back and have a proper look around, the architecture is brilliant I spent most of my time zooming my camera about getting excited by the stark contrasts in wealth and old and new.
 Needless to say ZZ Top were cool.

We then jetted off to Arenal De Castel in Menorca for two whole weeks , its a wonderful clean beautiful island with a lot of history and spectacular beaches. We used the local bus a few times to get us across the island and wandered about the narrow streets enjoying the differences of being in a foreign country.

We spent mornings on the beach swimming in the sea which was mirror calm except for one day where the waves toppled me and submerged me all the way to the shore. Our afternoons were spent snoozing in the air conditioned room. Evenings we walked along the seafront and enjoyed the sunsets all very simple and very hot.

No sooner was we back than I had to wash and repack all our clothes and drive down to Southwold where my Mother had rented a holiday cottage on the harbour. A completely different experience to being in Spain for a start the weather was cooler and the focus of the other holiday makers was more culture than getting a tan!

I spent the holiday reading about the local history of the area and found out that Turner had stomped up the whole coast with his sketch books as well as William Morris and Damien Hurst so I was in good company. I attempted an afternoon of painting but too many distractions....

The area is perfect for a nostalgic holiday there's no amusement parks just boating lakes, circus and crabbing.

Back up north after being pestered to go and see the Tram museum for a year we finally did go funny how something ten minutes away is always the last place we go! But I love it there I have a thing for the smell of old vehicles and as it was the vintage car weekend too there were plenty!

A couple of days later we re-packed and headed off to Salts Mill in Yorkshire for my birthday and took in the wonderful work of David Hockney who's vast back catalogue of work made me very happy to note all the media he has experimented with over the years never pigeon holing himself  to one style or just to paint but everything and anything to convey how he felt at the time wonderful stuff.

We stayed near Bingley and I was in my element with all the chimneys and canal architecture needless to say the family were not as enthusiastic as me but hey its was my birthday! I spend my whole year doing boys stuff motorbikes and cars so this week was mine although I'm not so girly myself, a good rundown bit of industrial building is great as far as I'm concerned!

Bradford was a very interesting city you can see how once it was a powerhouse, we took the kids to the National Media and Science Museum and I got to meet Morph my childhood hero :) There was an amazing 9 minute immersive experience where I sat in a circle of deck chairs looking at a moon disk in the dark with strangers you have to do it to understand!

We came home via Holmfirth and the kids were bewildered at our excitement over Nora Battys stockings and Compos house and then I found an amazing road from Holmfirth to the M1 which I think is at the top of the UK as I could see 360 views in all directions fabulous end to the holiday!

Back to work now see you at Number 28 Belper Market Place September 9th 9-1 pm.