Introducing A New Collection of Work… Pantry Pieces.

Introducing a New Collection of Drawings and Paintings: Pantry Pieces.

Earlier this week I began making a list of food shopping items. Shopping is my least favourite thing to do. I do everything I can to get out of it and have three freezers in our home as proof! One for Veggies and Greens, another for Meats and Fish, and the final for breads and batch-cooked meals. I add to them as I go along preventing the need for those big, mega shops for the family that we are - a hungry bunch of plenty.

The kind of shopping I do like is the kind I can do on my bike. The bakery visit, green grocers, chemist adding items to my basket that brings a feeling of traditional shopping as we go through the week.

Eventually though, this type of food gathering doesn’t work and a big ole supermarket visit is needed…ugh.

Making my list of items needed this week for said ‘big shop’ I began drawing the items needed, rather than writing them out.

Much more fun.

I became lost in my drawings. Working on paper is refreshingly easy, and soon these drawings were happening in paint. Six hours later (or so), I’d not been shopping but felt completely nourished in inspiration which was swirling about my studio.

Farming out ‘The Big Shop’ to other family members (who could not make head-nor-tail of my drawn list) I continued to work on this new works.

Working on paper (huge sheets of thick 350 gsm recycled watercolour paper) is very liberating. I used to work on paper all the time, some 20 years ago. Then this was because it was way easier than working on stretched canvases in the tight squeeze of my bedrooms in various shared flats (and temporary hovels). Paper works could be easily stored and moved in fat portfolios. Canvas painting for me happened around 2006 when we settled into our first home - quite a milestone, and I remember it well.

My point being that painting on paper again all these years later, is liberating. There is something transitory about it, perhaps it’s the cost. If a painting on canvas doesn’t work, it’s way more expensive than a sheet of paper - however lovely and thick that paper is. With this comes a freedom that I’ve not found for a while, it’s been fun - and freeing - to rediscover it.

I don’t know where these paintings are going yet, other than enjoying myself as I’m making them.

I’m now bouncing between Canvas and Paper so that’s another turn which is fun.

My main concerns for this work are: to keep my hand light, a painterly feel throughout and the all important essence of play in them.

Much love and more soon

Sam x

Ps. I have a couple added to my website now, more coming very soon. You can see them here.