Perserverance is key...

Today feels like wading through tar. Some days are good some days are slow. Being an artist is tough going and today it very much feels like that! Been looking at artist opportunities on a-n and there is minimal things to apply for and where there is, I may have to start another project to apply as this one doesn't fit. 

I've also been continuing where I left off last week: today I am working on Susan's horn from Narnia, last week I made the structure, but it was quite uneven, so this week I am tryin to even it out by putting a clay layer over the plaster structure...

I think it may need remaking, but will see how I feel when its dry. I think today I may start making one of the other objects too!

I've just made this: the vile of healing cordial that Lucy receives from Santa in tr Narnia series. It is made from Perspex and glue and painted with acrylic. 

Thimbles and mod roc

Today I have started on the frameworks of 2 new objects: Susan's horn from Narnia and Peter Pan's 'kiss' (a thimble). I've also painted a few more of the 'magic beans' from jack and the beanstalk. The beans are proving difficult to paint, I think I may need to get a smaller brush!! Here's a pic of them as they are at the moment-they probably will change as I'm not convinced!

 

Here's a pic of the 'kiss' (thimble) in its current raw clay state: 

It needs some more work doing to it, but I need to wait for it to dry a bit before doing that! It was extremely fiddly!

      And below is the VERY early stages of the horn! It's going to take a while to get this right I think! Using mod-roc again has been fun, albeit messy!

Painting.....continued....

OThis morning I've been doing some more painting, this time the pea and a couple of the beans, the pea is very difficult to photograph! Below are a few pictures of his morning's work. Radio 6 and Grayson Perry's Reith Lecture have been lovely to fill the ears whilst making - being creative is such a joy! 

Painting.....

So, I'm not a natural painter, and using clay in this way is new to me too. I'm enjoying it so far! Today I went and bought some brand new paints and brushes and have started painting the apple...here is progress so far:

I think it's going to take a few hours to get this right, but I am pleased with the progress so far!

And the pretty much finished artefact - from a few different angles:

New Project ideas...

Today I have been sitting in a cafe with a good friend chatting through ideas and thinking. I have managed (with help) to come up with some more objects to make and display ideas...

Think it's going to take a while to get all these done!! I need to get some new brushes and paints to start painting the clay pieces that have dried out.

New Project Continued

Today I have made some additions to the apple and started experimenting with what the beans may look like. I'm not sure whether to have each bean looking the same, or whether to have each bean looking different from one another. A bit of playing should help resolve this though...

                  A bit of Bean Play!

After biting into an apple, I noticed there is normally front teeth marks as well as a missing chunk! So I have added this detail as well as some texture to the apple flesh.

So here is the pea, from the princess and the pea, next to a real pea that I was using as a reference. I think this may be one of the smallest pieces I've ever made! 

And this is a spoon I've concocted - the owl and the pussycat's 'runcible spoon' that they ate their soup from.  

Some of my older work

Here is a snippet of some of my past work, more of which can also be seen at www.naomiterry.com

Watching TV , 2007

Paper, Cardboard, Wire, Masking Tape, Acetate and Glue

Bjorken Bathroom Cabinet Flying Backpack, 2008

Paper, Cardboard, Clothes Hook and Glue

Bjorken Bathroom Cabinet Flying Backpack (inside the cabinet detail), 2008

Paper and Glue

 Climbing Plant, 2008

Paper and Glue

Climbing Plant (detail), 2008

Paper and Glue

Generator, 2008

Cardboard, Paper, Real Potted Plant, Glue and Wire (in the plant leaves only)

Generator (detail), 2008

 Easy Bake Oven Dolls House (Cooks With Two Ordinary Lightbulbs), 2009

Part of a commission where participating artists were asked to create the toy they always wanted, but never got, for Christmas. This was a hybrid of two!

Detail of commissioned project by Tether. An installation entitled: In a City Not too Far Away... , 2010

I created a superhero's lair, the superhero was named 'Waspman' as the gallery was called The Wasp Room, Wasps also make paper, which worked with the materials I was working with.

This is the detail of Waspman's wings: Acetate, Foil Card, Recycled Cardboard and Brown Paper, and Glue

More detail of the installation: In a City Not Too Far Away... 2010

And more of In a City Not Too Far Away...

So there is a snippet of some of my older work, under my maiden name Naomi Terry!

New Project

My new project is to make recognisable objects from fairytales and other well known children's books, stories that everyone is aware of no matter how old or young! The idea is to create the objects to look as realistic as possible and exhibit them just as artefacts are exhibited within a museum: inside glass cabinets with short descriptions on labels.

The first object I am making is entitled Snow White's Apple, and is a life size apple made from clay.

Snow White's Apple (in progress)

So far I am thinking of also making Jack's magic beans from Jack and the Beanstalk, the pea from The Princess and the Pea and the Glass Slipper from Cinderella. 

Back to Making Art.....a bit about my work and background.

It's been 5 years since I graduated from Art School and so far, although I have kept at being creative, most of my practice has involved curating a small gallery in a cafe bar and undertaking an MA in Visual Culture. I was given a wonderful opportunity (a year after graduating) to have a solo exhibition, being commissioned by the Nottingham (and now web based) group Tether to create some new work and exhibit. Back then I was known as Naomi Terry, I am now married and have decided to continue making art under my married name: Naomi Lake.


'So what do you actually like to make?' I hear you ask. Well, I am very interested in creating work that is accessible to all, as unpretentious and fun as possible, with layers of meaning that suit everyone, from those that are art educated to 5 year old children. After studying art at BA and MA degree level, I can safely say that there are some difficulties within the art world surrounding who art is for and what it is. From my perspective there seems to be too much art that is only understandable to a minute and select group of people, and quite frankly, to me, this seems ridiculous. After years of studying art, the aim of my art practice is to create work that is exciting, fun and interesting; art that taps into the imagination many adults lose as they develop from child into grown up, and feeds the imagination of those that are yet to (and hopefully won't) lose. I have a fascination with the boundaries between the imaginary and the real, and this is inherent to the way in which I make my art work.


There is something about having an object in front of you that makes it real. The tangible physical presence of something, somehow makes it more believable. But what happens when you know that the object in front of you is handmade? It plays with your mind, it is both believably real and not real, simultaneously. It is this exact concept that my work is about, finding the joy in the believable fantasy presented and frustration in the unbelievable fantasy presented. This blog is my way of documenting my art making and sharing my new work and ideas.