SO WHAT IS AN ARTIST TALK?
In this case it was a chance for artists' exhibiting at the Echoes exhibition at the 44AD artspace to chat about the inspiration and story behind their work.  Often if you chat to an artist they will happily talk about the inspiration but the conversations are often fleeting and you feel like you've just scratched the surface. I found it fascinating to listen to the other artists and find that 10 different artists had 10 different approaches to creating their art. 

WHAT PAINTING DID I TALK ABOUT?
I was sharing my thoughts about a small painting of mine called 'Time Stands Still'. My inspiration started with a trip to the north Norfolk coast; as a family we had hired bikes and during our excursion had come across a place called Wells-next-the-Sea. A perfect place to stop to rest our legs and in my case get my sketchbook out. 

Have you ever been to a place and struggle to recall anything special about it? Did you take lots of photos on holiday yet on return find they all merge into one: another seascape, another pretty cobbled street, another restaurant? And at home do days merge together with nothing marking them as special?
In this blog I’ll be sharing how I get under the skin of a place, how you can learn to notice like an artist. I’ll be introducing you to a simple but effective exercise that helps you STOP, NOTICE & RECORD what is around you and then looking back you’ll be better able to recall the day/time/location. It’s a method I use to peel back the layers of a place and what makes it special to me. It is also a brilliant starting point if you’re feeling stuck art wise or don’t feel you are particularly creative as it doesn’t need you to be ‘good’ at art.