I recently had the pleasure of visiting an exhibition by artist Karen George. Titled ‘Wild Escapes’, the original acrylics capture a sense of windswept shores and hinterlands where the only sound would be raptors, gulls and the storm wrangling grasses.
Laid out over the restaurant and downstairs bar as well as some relaxation nooks at The Square Club in Bristol until July, the 27 pieces represent four months of intensive painting by Karen, “all inspired by those places I go to unwind – to escape the frantic pace of everyday life. The work is in acrylic or acrylic in combination with acrylic ink using glazing, mark making and scratching back to create depth of interest.”
The one above is titled ‘Heather Beneath My Feet.’
It’s a glorious collection. Even tucked inside the lovely old building, I felt transported to somewhere on the edge of civilisation in the most restorative way.
Have you ever been transported in this way by a work or collection of artworks? Can you use this as inspiration for a tale?
If you write or create something prompted by this idea, please let me know by emailing judydarley (at) iCloud.com. I’d love to know the creative direction you choose.
At this time of year as trees bud and flowers burst into bloom, I can see how easily nature would reclaim these streets if only we did not hold it back.
The other day I glanced at a plane tree I’ve strolled past a thousand times and noticed something strange. In a small nook on the patchy, rugged trunk, a community was dozing.
Water is a crucial ingredient for life. It makes up a large part of our bodies and keeps us well. It carries us from place to place and shows us where to put down roots. Equally, it has a wild side that can rob us of our homes, our possessions, our crops and even our breath.