Migraine Sketch (untitled as yet)

Digital sketch, 2009

In 2008 I produced two migraine-related works entitled The Way To Lightning Mountain Is The Way Into Me and Vision Of Unity Across 20000 Years. This sketch continues that series and is the result of a recent decision I have made regarding the direction of my arts practice for the next few years.

The Way To Lightning Mountain Is the Way Into Me, 2008
(a work which refers less directly to the mgiraine experience)

Following some positive feedback from visionary artist Laurence Caruana, a man who quite literally wrote the book on Visionary Art, I have resolved to express a deeper visionary intent in my work which exposes more of my soul in the work: being brave and not referring obliquely to the (sometimes) disturbing aspects of the work, but being direct about them, is key here. I have also decided to produce a series of works about migraines and the disorientating, visionary and jarring experiences I have when I suffer them. I have had them since I was a child, so it's important to express their fractured imagery face on.

The Night I Discovered My Bones

10cm x 30cm sketch

The last post for today, I promise. With new blogs I always feel I have to get up to speed with all the current projects going on. Anyway, this is the first sketch for a new series of works (as yet untitled) which will be showcased in an exhibition in April 2010. Long way to go yet. The sketch here recalls an experience some nine years ago when stood in the corner of a room, held my arms aloft and watched my skin peel away to reveal bones. One of the first times I felt the presence of my own organic body-ness. The final piece is intended to be 60cm x 180cm, as are the whole series of works.

And She Whispered Numbers Into Me

30cm x 10cm Sketch

A new sketch based on an early morning dream which was only fragmentarily remembered a few days later on reading the phrase 'she whispered some numbers to me'. It immediately reminded me of a very similar salvia divinorum experience some years ago in which numbers were physically inserted into me through the power of speech. A surreal thought, and a positive one for the creation of this artwork, which has already been marked out on 90cm x 30cm canvas. I intend the background to be mostly dark, and the skin colours to be partially-obscured by arrays of numbers. The long lines are to be bright blue to create a hopefully electric visionary intent...