This last week has allowed time for an outpouring of crises, all of which have been ridden out on a wave of neurosis, questioning, lamentation and loathing, possibly due to overall exhaustion with the demands I put myself under from day to day. In order for me to gain perspective, I have withdrawn from creating any new work in the last few days, filling my time with physical activity away from my desk.
I have now returned after 4 days away to a feeling of slight readjustment, with fingers crossed that I can stay focussed on the things that are important, rather than than the things that are not. All I can do if try to address the balance on a daily basis and hope that it doesn't implode again. I am therefore concentrating on getting work ready for some possible shows in the US and Canada, escaping in my head whilst floating just above the ground in the UK.

Ok, so last week was taken up with a series of disastrous events and some fantastic happenings coincidentally mixed with a terrific amount of travelling on my part.
As well as a couple of trips to London, I visited with Catherine Hemelryk, the lovely Brantwood House in Cumbria to look at and digest the world of John Ruskin for the last 28 years of his life on this earth.
We were met by Howard Hull, the director of Brantwood House and its gardens, who led us around the site at much speed (due to our returning train) negotiating waterfalls, rocky ground, crystals and jaw dropping landscapes as well as introducing us to the extensive world of the catalog(ue)ing Mr Ruskin.
I came away elated at the discovery of such a place with many many ideas swimming around my head as well as the added excitement of receiving an invited opportunity to develop our ideas alongside the Ruskin Research Centre and its library.
Swamped under only slightly with other work commitments at the moment, I await with impatience the opportunity to get my head buried underneath some serious reading material.
Oh, and I have sold a number of works this week and have been shortlisted as one of three artists from the east to be put forward for an exhibition on the first floor of Arts Council England's national office at Great Peter Street, London curated by Axis.

I have some rather lovely images of 'To taste molten diamonds' at Backlit which is up until 22 May as well as the venture over the wekend of managing a live event of The Gimp at Wysing Arts Centre as part of Wysing Arts Contemporary: Presents, up until later this month.

The show at Backlit is up and opened on Thursday, pics up shortly. I was unable to go, but instead shared a warm moment in time in New York. I am working currently on getting The Gimp ready for his debut at Wysing Arts Contemporary : Presents on 15th May, where he will generally run amuck in the space and outside. I am hoping to get some moving image footage from this event as well as some photographic portraits to send out to people, its hopefully going to be grand.

And then Gloria's Crew in Birmingham at The Vaults on Wednesday 28th April.
Glorias Crew

This weekend sees the opening of The Worcester Open, I have three works selected.
http://www.worcesteropen.co.uk/selectedartistwaw.asp?artistID=368

My New York flight has been rescheduled rather annoyingly for the week I am installing the show at Backlit. I had also planned visits to Manchester and Liverpool, so they have been pushed to one side in order for me to take the trip to the US. Now I have instead this feeling of mild panic in my stomach that I have to give over the control of installing to the technicians and curators at Backlit, whom I trust implicitly to make those deciding factors to how it will look overall. This also means that I will miss the PV, which is a disappointment. I have had to remove the complex lighting show planned in order for the show to become simpler, but hopefully I will be able to install this somewhere on later in the year if it fits.
So, I will spend the next couple of days finishing off the large sculptural pieces which will either arrive in a van complete or in parts depending on transport issues, the rest is manageable...