Mary Adam

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Everything is different now

29/12/2016

7 Comments

 
Picture
PictureAcrylic on grey paper, four studies.
Reflecting on the changes that have taken place over the past year since leaving Trinidad and coming to live in the UK. Talking to myself because words come harder than ever. 

The best thing has been the climate, especially the seasons, although the summer was uncomfortably hot and seemed to go on for ever. I had the fan on round the clock.

Spring was joyful, it just blew my mind experiencing it after so long. I moved into my half of a studio space in an ASC building in Hawks Road, Kingston, in the middle of April. I was awed by the cherry trees in blossom in the suburban gardens on the 12-minute walk from Norbiton station. 
I tried to make some art about them. A few painted studies looked promising and then for some reason I embarked on a complicated screenprint with five colours. Because of very limited washout facilities at Hawks Road I used the drawing fluid method. The result was disappointing. I have my own screens and basic tools and had thought I could do a series in that way but abandoned it after the first one because of the practical problems.

Picture
work in progress
Picture
Final prints
I put them away somewhere, don't know where they are now. Since then I've left the Hawks Road studio and have joined a printmaking studio which has screenprinting facilities as well as presses for etching and other techniques/media and which members can use as needed. 

I've been realizing that the work I do depends mainly on what I see. And having made this big move from tropical Trinidad to temperate London everything is different, all the ordinary sights and sounds and smells; the flowers, the birds, the weather, the trees, the people, the roads. Many things I recognize from forty years ago, with pleasure -- oak trees and acorns for instance, and the small white daisies that grow in grass. In fact, nearly everything, especially natural things because those were the things I was most keen on while growing up.

​Most of the time it's either too cold or too hot to work outside so I take a lot of photos and I'm trying to develop a system for storing and retrieving them.
 

7 Comments
Stephen Powell
30/12/2016 09:09:40

Great to see you posting again Mary, this current set of work looks very exciting

Reply
Diana Curley
30/12/2016 12:19:50

Oh Mary what a wonderful fresh new start and journey enjoying the things you most loved in Ireland and growing up with green fields and flowers of every colour and combination. Just love the blossom tree and shall enjoy visiting this new blog as and when time allows. I loved your studies of the ducks that you made earlier in the year too. Good to hear you have a studio space for your printing as I know how much you enjoy the processes - for me it's never really worked but will try printing again when I finish this degree - what year that will be, who knows. I emailed Stephen if he is able to join us tomorrow on the skype and hope he picks up the message.
Pleased you unblocked - tried a few times.
Diana x

Reply
Amanda Jackson link
30/12/2016 18:06:46

Hi Mary, great to see your post and the new work looking really good. Email me if you want to meet up in New Year, would love to catch up Amanda x

Reply
Noah Waby
16/2/2017 08:28:47

Hey Mary - and you too Stephen!
Its been such a long time and I've just trawled the internet looking for examples of your artworks - and came across Ilsa's too - and it's all very interesting. Would be great to keep better in touch. I'm in a big experimental phase at the moment working with different drawing mediums, its nothing exciting yet but I think I'm finally understanding the unearthing "process" of creating artwork with real feeling - instead of trying to make pretty pictures. Anyway, good luck guys.

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Ange Mullins link
17/2/2017 13:33:20

Wow, hadn't realised you were back in the UK. What an adjustment to make after so long away. Keep in touch.

Reply
Mini Arora link
4/3/2017 16:09:41

Hi Mary, Nice to find you after so long. I am still with OCA and I gather you have moved back to the UK. Good for you! Will follow your tweets now. :)

Reply
Juliet Roopnarinesingh
28/4/2017 20:32:35

Pleased to find you again and to view your beautiful new work.You seem to be fulfilled and very happy.Love to all the family.I am settled in Dublin and would be pleased to keep in touch if you feel to

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    My name is Mary Adam and I'm a painter and printmaker living in Clapham in SW London after more than forty years in Trinidad. ​

    ​The blog is for myself, for thinking aloud, with no pressure to post or update. It will be mostly reflection about what I'm doing, my processes and rationale and influences and so forth. Just not necessarily very often.


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