Development of ideas for the barn

The last time that I was at the barn, Melinda and I spent the day clearing and cleaning it so that we would be able to use the space for making and presenting art.





I had tried to make a papier mache cast of the trough, but unfortunately it did not work out.





Since my last visit Melinda has moved her studio kit into the barn and is making work in the space.

There are some existing marks on the walls, and Melinda has started to use these in her fresco compositions.

After applying a layer of paint, she has been scraping into the surface to remove the intense colour and make it more subtle.

                                                          

We discussed some of our ideas and made a plan of action.

The barn buildings

After our walk from the barn to East Elrington, Melinda showed me some of the other buildings around the barn. 

Exploring the East Elrington area

As mentioned in a previous post, Melinda McGarry and I are creating work to be exhibited in her barn on the outskirts of Hexham.



We are keen to make work that relates to the site, whether that be the barn itself or the local area. 

With that in mind, we set off to explore the area around the barn.







I am fascinated by some of the farming equipment.



Melinda spoke of the activities that happen on her neighbours farm, and I am keen to film some of these.



She also told me about some of her conversations with the local game keeper, and I am intending on interviewing him. He mentioned that the farming tradition is gradually being lost and that there is a lot of history and knowledge of the local area that will be forgotten in a few generations. I would like to recerd some of that history.

Barn

Melinda McGarry, a fellow artist and I have been in conversation about holding an exhibition in a barn in Hexham. I visited Melinda in Hexham where she lives and works, and took a look at the barn.

It is an interesting space, and has real potential. Our work will start with us having a clear out of the space and a bit of a clean, and then we will get to making some art!

Some studio experiments with Melinda McGarry

Artist Melinda McGarry and I spent a productive afternoon in my studio drawing and experimenting with some found materials.

We had been discussing our approaches to making work, identifying the similarities and differences and strengths and weaknesses. We agreed that it would be useful to spend some time in the studio together, responding to each other, working with each other and supporting each other in the creation of some new work.



Melinda's background is in painting, and it is only recently that she has begun incorporating sculptural elements in her work. I really admire her drawings, her use of colour and line.



After the month of paperwork that I have just had, it was particularly good to get drawing and playing with materials again.

In pictures: some highlights from Newcastle University Fine Art UG Degree Show

Callum Caplan

http://www.callumcaplan.com/

Deanna Smith
http://deannasmithart.co.uk/

Gina Tawn
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/gina-tawn/

Helen Scully
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/helen-scully/

Melinda McGarry
https://melindamcgarry.wordpress.com/

Molly Bythell
https://mollybythell.com/

Eli Samuels
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/eli-samuels/

Anthony Hensman
https://www.anthonyhensman.com/

Sarah Grundy
http://fineart.ncl.ac.uk/ba2017/portfolio/sarah-grundy/