This painting, The White Craw Bringing Peace, has been on the go in my studio for most of the year, started in February. However the title only came at the end. I know a painting is done when a title unexpectedly arrives. This painting has gone through many stages. Many times I liked it and…
Category: Exhibitions
Habitat – Birds at The Crystal Ball
I shared this painting on my FB page yesterday thinking it finally finished. This morning I’m not so sure. I need to hang it and see whether it hangs peacefully or nags me further. Someone asked me on FB if it was hard to do, due to the words written on it! I’ve been thinking…
Just Drawing
Sometimes I just like to sit and draw… to develop my cast of characters – horse trees, ponies, dandelion clocks, cats… Simply drawing, developing fluency, like a pianist running fingers up and down the scales, faster faster… I have draws full of drawings. A hoard of used paper hidden in the dark. Is drawing a…
Making for a Frame
I had a beautiful frame at home bought from a charity shop and I wanted to make a painting to suit it, which is a backwards way of doing things. Along the way I developed a new technique which I am now excited to develop further. I sold the painting within minutes of posting it…
For all the ‘Weirdos!’
Here’s the thing! When I went to art school in the early 80’s it was ‘where weirdos go!’ I was regularly told as a teenager I was a weirdo for liking art, dressing up weird and my music choices – ska, blues, punk! And alongside, told I would never make a living as an artist…
Shapeshifter
I can’t seem to decide to paint a thing then paint the thing! I decide to paint a thing and then it becomes a different thing. Unplanned things happen! I wasn’t intending crows but crows became the thing. And here’s the thing – both the day and the art shape shift no matter how good…
When the Bird Dies the Song Dies with it!
‘We are all standing on a sacred site, if only we knew it.’ I love the reminder of the sacredness of everywhere from Joseph Campbell. Walk the thought. Meditate it. It’s profound. Small decisions change the world. Picking up litter, consuming less, recycling, gifting, transforming, honouring what we have, walking rather than driving, staying home…
Everything you need is already here, you just have to line up with it!
The beginning of the year is a time for recalibration. Not so much setting intentions, but more reminding ourselves that we have everything we need to be happy if we have our basic needs met – food, water and shelter. All living creatures need this. If so, we enter the world of unlimited possibilities and…
On Things Being Things
I’ve painted a lot of African animals. I wasn’t planning to return to an African animal theme but their forms are in my mind’s eye and elephants keep appearing in the paint. I’m not sure where these new more abstract pieces are taking me but am going with the flow. Whilst painting I ponder how…
Why Painting to Sell is Never a Good Idea!
I’ve sold thousands of paintings. I’ve lost count. I paint for many different reasons but I aim to never paint to sell and if I stray into the notion of painting to sell, which I occasionally do because I’m human, it NEVER works! Painting to sell is a Truly TERRIBLE idea! And yes, I love…
The Outland’s Gallery
If Wishes Were Horses Welcome to the launch of The Outland’s Gallery Launching a new physical venture idea via my blog may be a bit odd, but I want to start in an informal way or the timing will never be right! What with the last couple of years of Covid and my perfectionist vying…
The Monochrome Set
These four paintings with two different themes have one thing in common – I am thinking about the design, the Notan. ‘Notan is a Japanese concept involving the play and placement of light and dark elements as they are placed next to each other in the composition.’ Wiki One of those things that’s harder than…
Fragments
Crow Fragments, Ink on Paper, 21 x 29 cm In my last post I wrote that I was feeling a bit wobbly, I didn’t realise I was coming down with tonsillitis. The body follows the stresses we feel. Too much stress is too much. Fevered, I’ve been seeing the most fantastical images appear in my…
The Importance of Being Wobbly
I don’t agree with arguing for your limitations! People do it all the time and it seems daft. Why not explore what your perceived limitations are telling you and let yourself wobble for a bit instead? You will recalibrate. Wobbling is important! Wobbling is part of being balanced. Balance is movement at its highest potential….
Pointless
I drew happily for several hours. Life felt great. Now I’m tired. I posted the drawings to FB, then deleted soon after. Again! An icky feeling crept in. Sharing to social media or having an exhibition, I’m doing one on Friday, can feel as though the only point of art is to to sell or…
Bucket List
‘The Hoof Sayer’ Ink on Paper, 21 x 29 cm ‘I cannot rest. I must draw, however poor the result, and when I have a bad time come over me it’s a stronger desire than ever.’ Beatrix Potter Beatrix Potter is associated with the cute, the whimsical, bunnies in dresses… but this quote reveals her…
The Smiling Dug!
“Drawing is still basically the same as it has been since prehistoric times. It brings together man and the world. It lives through magic” – Keith Haring Two recently watched excellent drama series on BBC iPlayer – Sherwood and Blood Lands – both look at how events of the past shape the present and future….
Art is not Therapy!
All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw. – Banksy The great thing about blogging is it’s a chance to be opinionated. So here is an opinionated blog from an artist who is interested in the healing arts. Art is not therapy! Far from…
Blues and Royals
The tv coverage of the Queen’s body being moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster yesterday started by showing the Blues and Royals, a household cavalry regiment – the Royal Horse Guards. Teary now again writing these words. My dad was in the Blues and Royals. I started to draw to capture my emotion. This drawing…
Don’t Go Back to Sleep!
The prolific author Dr Wayne Dyer (1940 – 2015) said – when you wake in the early hours, don’t go back to sleep! The early hours are potent. Spirit/intuition/higher self, whatever you want to call it, has woken you for a reason. Don’t go back to sleep! Ideas are like seeds. They grow, but first…
All the Queens Horses
Four days ago the Queen died. My Danish granny lived to be 96 too! The Queen and my Bedste, two inspiring long-lived women. This morning I woke at 5am with an idea… I listen to ‘first-thing thoughts’ as it often feel like guidance! This morning – ’96 days drawing… follow this drawing muse of the…
What is Brave Art? Art Workshops at Shieldhill Castle as Part of the Biggar Little Festival 2022
‘Another Word for Creativity is Courage’ – Henri Matisse All creativity is essentially brave. It takes courage to express yourself. Whether you are a musician, actor, artist or writer, you are digging deep inside to pull that joyous creative ‘rabbit’ out of your magical hat! Your best art will surprise you. Art is alchemy –…
Pretty Vacant!
To paint is to be present … Riding a horse is to be present, in balance, aware, listening, feeling, allowing …. Alexander Technique teaches how to return to this natural easy alert poised state. Each of these disciplines are a life times work, probably several lifetimes! I wonder why I prefer being at home with…
The Walls Have Ears!
The walls might not have ears but they do have eyes, that is windows… I think of my small seascapes as windows to the sea. Painting, I hear the sea in my mind’s ear and see it in my imagination. I love the way a small canvas size can suggest a vast oceanic space. These…
Art for Children – Dinomania!
I feel very fortunate to have grown up with real paintings as I am convinced this is how my interest was sparked to learn to paint. I remember spending hours looking at them. When I was asked to produce a dinosaur exhibition for Jurassic Lanark, my motivation was this – what if some of these…
Freedom
The dictionary defines freedom as ‘Freedom is the power or right to act, speak or think as one wants. Freedom is the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved.’ Freedom to…. Freedom from… Freedom to be… There are not so many jobs that allow you freedom, being an artist is one. An Alexander Technique teacher,…
Talking Pictures
(The Devil by Pamela Coleman Smith) Can you read paintings and what is the point of imagery? I’m a fan of the the Rider-Waite Tarot, first published in 1909, painted by Pamela Coleman Smith. The more you study the iconography of the 78 paintings the more the images reveal, stimulating imagination and informing awareness. I call…
Some Archetypes – A Painting Life…
Art Angel by Kirsten Harris, Acrylic on Panel The Child – plays with paint, having fun exploring a messy, creative world. The Creative – essential for the world right now. However the creative is often threatened by less appealing archetypes trying to take control… The Prostitute – we all have a prostitute archetype but don’t…
Decoding that thing – Art Speak
An artist – Someone who likes playing by themselves A painting – a thing to look at A painter – Someone who attempts to make things from other things, like paper and runny coloured liquid, to make boring walls less boring A figurative painting – a thing of another thing An abstract painting – a…
Advent Calendar – 10th December – The Apple Guardian
Did you know that unicorns are the guardians of apple orchards? All the more reason to plant an orchard, you might attract a unicorn! The Apple Guardian by Kirsten Harris, Acrylic on panel, 12 x 12 inches
Painting for a Space – Sheildhill Castle
Map – I printed a medieval map and then extended the contours with paint for the entrance hall. Shieldhill is written as Scheelhil. It’s wonderful to have the chance to make art for a particular space in this case Sheildhill Castle, Quothquorn near Biggar, here in Scotland. Too often old buildings are over modernised internally,…
Jurassic Art Blip
Time is a weird concept isn’t it? Now, this present, can’t just be a tiny sliver, a knife edge, between the past and the future. Time is vast. Unfathomable. We are not separate from the past and future, but somehow linked on a multi dimensional continuum. Time travels like the light from a distant star….
Why Blog?
Curious Cats by Kirsten Harris, Acrylic on Board, 40 x 50 cm I haven’t blogged much lately, so thought I would write a ‘why blog’ blog to give myself a kick up the creative bum! Simply put, blogging takes you forward. It’s an odd thing but it’s an effective way to speed up the creative…
The Last Tree On Earth
The Last Tree on Earth One dawn this spring I was watching the bronzy morning light on the tree outside my window, half asleep, drifting. I ‘saw’ an image of the last human in the world lying in the tree reaching for the last apple. It was a powerful semi-lucid moment. I decided to paint…
Art of Positivity!
Is there such a thing as a mistake? There’s a philosophical question if there ever was one! Maybe everything really IS always working out perfectly… Sometimes it feels hard to know but loving the artfulness of an attitude of positivity, I would have to choose to say, ‘yes to perfection!’ As Einstein said ‘The most…
Beware of Bull – Close Encounters with the Community Bull!
Bull’s Close, Lanark was so named as it was where the community bull was historically kept. I love the idea of a community bull! It’s easy to forget that farm-yard animals, especially chickens, lived amongst people in towns. During lockdown many people have returned to keeping chickens and growing their own vegetables, including me, and…
Cobblers – More on Illustrating Lanark’s Closes
Lanark’s Closes led to a network of workshops and small businesses. Now they lead mainly to carparks, such is progress! I can’t help thinking, as an artist, that it is small businesses that help keep communities alive and vibrant. Lanark thrived as a market town for 600 years due, I am sure, to these small…
Buns and Pies – More Waffle on Creating a Series of Illustrations
The commissioners had wanted a different type of art for the panels that were going to adorn the town – serious, proper art! I would have to hope that Lanark, which always seems a good humoured and chilled-out kind of town, would respond to a bit of quirky humour instead. It’s odd being second choice…
Time Passages
Medieval Lanark – a walled town I love the idea of time travel – finding portals that allow you to travel into a history that’s still alive through fragments in the environment. Clues like echoes or ghosts of souls that trod before us. Lanark has twelve remaining Medieval public waythrough ‘time passages’ in the form…
Tao Te Ching – Twenty
I’m stepping back from the business end of art to enjoy art’s fun. In a world where it seems ‘all about the sale’ and making a living, it’s been a challenge to disentangle from trying, but I’m feeling my inner flame beginning to burn brighter the more I do. It’s exciting! What a challenge it…
Tao Te Ching – Eighteen
When the great Tao is forgotten, Kindness and morality and arise. When wisdom and intelligence are born, The great pretence begins. When there is no peace within the family, Filial piety and devotion arise. When the country is confused and in chaos, Loyal ministers appear. LAO TSU *** When The Tao is forgotten… I didn’t…
Tao Te Ching – Fifteen
The ancient masters were subtle, mysterious, profound, responsive. The depth of their knowledge is unfathomable. Because it is unfathomable, All we can do is describe their appearance. Watchfull like men crossing a winter stream. Alert, like men aware of danger Courteous, like visiting guests. Yielding, like ice about to melt. Simple, like uncarved blocks of…
Tao Te Ching – Thirteen
Accept disgrace willingly. Accept misfortune as the human condition. What do you mean by “Accept disgrace willingly”? Accept being unimportant. Do not be concerned with loss or gain. This is called “accepting disgrace willingly.” What do you mean by “Accept misfortune as the human condition”? Misfortune comes from having a body. Without a body, how…
Tao Te Ching – Twelve
The five colours blind the eye. The five tones deafen the ear. The five flavours dull the taste. Racing and hunting madden the mind. Precious things lead one astray. Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees. He lets go of that and chooses this. LAO TSU ****…
Tao Te Ching – Ten
Carrying body and soul and embracing the one, Can you avoid separation? Attending fully and becoming supple, Can you be as a newborn babe? Washing and cleansing the primal vision, Can you be without stain? Loving all men and ruling the county, Can you be without cleverness? Opening and closing the gates of heaven, Can…
Tao Te Ching – Six
The valley spirit never dies: It is the woman, primal mother. Her gateway is the root of heaven and earth. It is like a veil barely seen. Use it; it will never fail. Lao Tsu ***** Another cold day. Wind stealing energy. Walking with Maisie, feeling low, thinking about the word ‘valley’ in the verse….
Tao Te Ching – Three
Not exalting the gifted prevents quarrelling. Not collecting treasures prevents stealing. Not seeing desirable things prevents confusion of the heart. The wise therefore rule by emptying hearts and stuffing bellies, by weakening ambitions and strengthening bones. If people lack knowledge and desire, then intellectuals will not try to interfere. If nothing is done, then all…
Tao Te Ching – Two
Under heaven all can see beauty as beauty only because there is ugliness. All can know good as good only because there is evil. Therefore having and not having arise together. Difficult and easy compliment each other. Long and short contrast each other; High and low rest upon each other; Voice and sound harmonise each…
Drawing – A Line Around Thoughts
‘Drawing is a line around my thoughts’ Gustav Klimt. I love this quote. It expresses drawing so clearly. Following a line, a train of thoughts, as the hand draws across paper, as the mind flows through the hand, allowing oneself to see where thoughts lead. Drawing is a withdrawn, introverted pursuit – simply being quiet…
Mountain Art
Glencoe Mountain Rescue by Kirsten Harris, Acrylic on Canvas, 60 x 80 cms approx A few years ago I started chatting to a random stranger parked next to me. He was fixing a cable to the front of his Land Rover and talked about fundraising for Glencoe Mountain Rescue to buy them a new Land…
In Praise of Chickens
2020 is summed up by the word chicken for me. Just before lockdown I bought two from the farm up the road. Enter Bunty and Jinty. Red, next doors hitherto quiet cockerel (I didn’t know they still had one) soon appeared cock-a-doodling joyously on the fence and pretty soon there were chicks. Gorgeous, fluffy, miraculous…
20-20 Vision – Eye Level – Dogs
20-20 Vision – Eye Level – Dogs is based on my wee scruffy designer mongrel Maisie, aka Crazy Maisie, who inspired a previous blog 101 Life Lessons from my Dog, link here. I was Maisie’s third home as a 12 week puppy. She was, to say the least, hyper active – literally bouncing off the…
20-20 Vision – My Top 20 Prints – Black and White
I thought I would make a blog collection of my favourite 20 prints, as part of my 20-20 blog series with a bit of info about the ideas behind each drawing. Seemed like an easy idea but it’s taken hours to put together. Click on the titles, they will take you to the appropriate page…
A Local Ghost Story
The Grey Lady of Sheildhill Castle by Kirsten Harris
Bum to the Wind!
Weathering the Storm by Kirsten Harris I’ve been thinking about how important it is to to keep a steady course in the midst of a storm, and that maintaining a steady course is a balancing act that requires courage, patience and trust. I notice people sail mentally into the eye of the storm and then…
Artist Seeks Flow!
‘How the Cat Got Nine Lives’ Flow, we all want it, but can we always find it? Flow, that wonderful feeling of ease and spontaneity, when life seems to magically take you forward. It feels great doesn’t it? And it really doesn’t matter what you’re doing because it all flows together seamlessly. And then there’s…
The Merlin Tree
This drawing is based on the wizard Merlin’s connections with Scotland. Legend tells that Merlin died at a small settlement called Merlindale at Drumelzier near Broughton, not far from where I live. This drawing is inspired by a visit last year. About my drawing… The three moons symbolise Merlin foretelling he would meet his end…
Horizontal and Vertical Directions
‘Crucifixion’ by Kirsten Harris, Oil on Canvas, 100 x 150 cm A jockey friend asked me if I had ever painted a crucifixion? Answer no. But I had been thinking about the symbolism of the vertical and horizontal planes and so decided to attempt this classical and religious subject. Gulp! ‘Crucifixion’ is inspired by Salvador Dali’s…
Nineteen Corvids, Unicorns and The Tree of Life
Corvid is the family name the crow belongs to. The crow not only symbolises death but also intelligence and destiny. I wanted to make some art to mark Covid 19. The Crow became my image. In numerology 19 becomes the number 1 which symbolises new beginnings. The nineteen crows in the drawing aim to suggest…
I Manifested a Castle!
The Dream by Kirsten Harris, Pencil on Paper In the winter I decided I would like to exhibit in a castle, as you do! I am a bit of a workaholic and have painted myself into a corner at home so a bit of creative thinking led to the idea that a castle would be…
A Bit Medieval
I have been making art to fit frames as the picture framer is closed and I had some antique frames in the studio. Medieval tapestries were the initial inspiration for these paintings and it struck me whilst painting that everything is a bit Medieval at the moment. We are living in the time of a…
Walking into Ideas
My art has become increasingly about ideas! I guess I’ve spent the first large number of years of my life learning how to paint and draw and now I want to express ideas and do more with my art. So where do the ideas come from? Truthfully, I walk into them in the field. The…
Dog Blog – 2 – Sketching from Life
I am drawing my dog Maisie, a little Cockerpoo, this week as an exploration of drawing, character and line. Today more lighting sketches drawn from life with two thicknesses of pen. Maisie does not keep still even when she is resting she keeps moving, ever alert, so it is a challenge… All images copyright of…
What next? Talking to the Sky and Setting an Intention.
The wind was cold but the cushiony grass looked inviting. I’d often felt the desire to lie down in that spot but had never done so. I guess the desire had always seemed too random. Today I let myself follow the impulse. I let go for several minutes looking at the grey scudding sky. ‘What…
Should Paintings be Pleasing?
Should paintings be pleasing? Nice? Attractive? Should they be decorative and easy to live with? Should they look good? Should they make sense? Should they obey rules? Or are paintings something you have a relationship with? Are they a place to ponder, to lose yourself? A portal into another dimension in some way? Should they…
Meeting of the Sky Gods
Last week clumsy me damaged a painting. It upset me but in the big scheme of things seemed trivial. Last night I spent half the night dreaming that I should repair it and to repair it by adding horses in the clouds. As I painted the three horses and restored the painting it seemed a…
Portraying Movement
Three by Kirsten Harris, Oil on Canvas
How to mess up your back and create pain whilst thoroughly enjoying yourself painting!
1 – Decide whilst an arctic storm is blowing that it’s a really good idea to go into your unheated studio and work on some large oil paintings that you thought were finished and had framed but have now decided to change. 2 – Repeat this behaviour pretty much daily for three weeks whilst three…
The Journey
A horse stands on a telegraph pole, other horses bravely move forward, balancing on a wire. The drawing is called The Journey. Sometimes we get stuck. It feels as though life is moving on without us. Our emotions, fear, circumstances or past experiences leave us in a place of hesitation or doubt. It may seem as…
Contemplating the Earth Walk
I am thinking about feet! I tore a plantar plate in my toe about 5 months, a toe is now floating. It doesn’t sound like a big deal but it has made walking very difficult. It is funny how injury clarifies what is important! Tree planting for me! A foot is a powerful symbol for…
Opening to Angels
I’ve always been fascinated by the handprint in cave art. The palpable presence of our ancient ancestors in the decision to make a statement with a simple hand print. The open hand symbolises letting go and release as well as receiving and showing friendliness. The hands are channels for our energy, our mind through the…
Heart in Hand – Destination Freedom
Riding horses is a destination not a position Art is a destination not a position Love is a destination not a position The open hand is a destination not a position Forward and up, the way of poise, is a destination not a position … The open hand is an attitude of the heart and…
The Perfect Circle – Lesson from Art History to Apply to Riding
Four Winds Medicine Wheel. Print available at www.kirstenharrisart.co.uk In his book Lives of the Artists, Georgio Vasari (1511 – 1574) recounts a story about the artist Giotto (1267 – 1337). He tells how the Pope was commissioning art and sent messengers throughout Italy to bring back samples or artist’s work. When the messenger visited Giotto’s…
Disillusionment and Creativity
‘Seeing and Seeding’ Photograph by Kirsten Harris The etymology of the word illusion comes from the word luminare or lumen meaning to light up, too illuminate, to shine brightly. The words illusion and disillusionment are ones that I believe have changed from their original pure meaning. I am using the word illusion to mean creative…
The Wishing Horse
Increasingly my painting and drawing is looking at ways to express ideas about mind-body-soul connection, horses and riding, drawing on my experience as a horse owner and Alexander Technique teacher, as well as hopefully connecting with some of the spiriitual magic and timeless inspirational power that is horses and the lessons we learn from…
I Love Artists!
What could be better than gathering a group of artists who are scattered across this much over looked part of rural South Lanarkshire and who in the main don’t know each other and putting together an exhibition on a shared theme. This time Tinto, our much loved fire hill, is the source of inspiration…
A Conversation at the Picture Framers …
On my recent trip to the picture framers for 36 Views of Tinto Exhibition I had a conversation that I have been thinking about all week. I want to share it – I was helping another artist choose a frame for her painting for the show. A woman in the shop became involved in…
Dandelion Oracle
If Wishes Were Horses Dandelion oracle I blow on your clock Sending wishes into the wind Tell me when Love returns A year and half ago I was in the field next to my house early in the morning photographing dandelion clocks when my mum phoned from Portugal to say that my dad…
On Tintock Tap – Symbolism in a Traditional Lanarkshire Rhyme
ON TINTOCK TAP ‘On Tintock Tap there is a mist, And in that mist there is a kist, And in the kist there is a caup, And in that caup there is a drap; Tak’ up the caup, drink aff the drap And set up camp on Tintock Tap’ Tinto, 1/1/2018 To…
Framed for £100!
Do you want to collect art, but don’t know where to start? Do you want to give someone a really amazing present for Xmas, a wedding or special birthday? Do you already collect art and want to add to your collection but are running out of wall space? Here is a solution –…
A Postcard from Lanark
I just wanted to write a short blog to sum up the Romance of the Falls exhibition. When I started this project I bought a postcard on ebay, for £3. Not wanting to promote any one persons work for the group exhibition I needed a strong image for the poster. The postcard had been…
Have you ever thought about investing in a dream?
Have you ever thought about investing in a dream? My current dream goes like this – I want to make more Alexander Technique inspired cartoons next year and I want to plant trees, to do my bit for this beautiful planet we live on! I also want to engage children and teenagers with the Alexander…
Organising a Group Exhibition
The last few months has been filled with organising Romance of the Falls exhibition in Lanark, and I loved it! It has been a tremendous opportunity to meet other artists and locals in the community. As a self employed artist working from home it is easy to find oneself isolated. I no longer feel…
Art, Bamboo Glasses and a Foul Mouthed Pub Landlady
Last night at the exhibition opening of Seascapes at the Old Chain Pier in Edinburgh, stories were told about the eccentric landlady who presided there in the 50’s and 60’s. Her family had owned the pub since the turn of the century. My friends mum and dad, revealing how they went on their second…
‘My Walls are Too Small!’
‘My walls are too small for a big painting!’ It’s a comment I hear a lot and it always makes me laugh. I look at the person and think, ‘What a load of rubbish, you don’t live in a hobbit hut!’ So here is my low down on why ‘my walls are too…
My Colouring Book
How about a giving a gift of planting a tree via a colouring book this Xmas? At the same time you will be sharing a a healthy dose of Alexander Technique and mindfulness nature wisdom … If that sounds appealing you have nothing further to do than click here and buy The Daily Ease…
If you love art you will adore an open studio …
Every year all over the country artists open their studios to the public. This is a fantastic chance to buy directly from an artist. It is a win win situation for both artist and art lover. Here is why … No commissions to pay to middle men aka galleries, art websites etc. This means that…
Open Studio – Up Cycled Danishly
I have been working towards Up-Cycled Danishly for over two years. That is, painting furniture and doing seascapes for the walls. This open studio I have achieved it the look I was after… It is not quite a fabulous as I hoped due to lack of space, so everything is a bit crammed, but mission…
Disappointment, Destruction and Recreating
The last ever trip I did with my dad before he died was to go and see a field shelter that I wanted to buy for my ponies. Here it is Sadly within a few short months it started to collapse as the arches were built out of unsuitable material. I phoned the guy who…
Wonderful World
Imagine an art gallery in an industrial unit? The sort of place you might go to have your car MOT’d! This is Resonate Arts House in Alloa and I love the space! An artists dream in fact – big wall spaces, well lit, run by art historian Clark, whose passion and knowledge of the visual…
Monkey at a Waterfall
‘A Falling Romance’ Oil on Canvas, 100 x 150 cm Painting on a large scale involves using your legs. Not only do you stand at the easel but in Alexander Technique speak you have to use your monkey. That is to bend at the hips and knees to get into deep squats. Monkey…
An Ashtray and the Inspiration behind Romance of the Falls Exhibition
I smoked as an art student. Nearly all of us did. It was the 80’s after all and we thought we were cool. What we didn’t realise was that the ashtray we were casually flicking ash into was worth a million quid! Now that’s cool! Professor David Hill, the world renowned Turner expert and…
A Falling Romance – work in progress …
Detail from a much bigger oil painting’ A Falling Romance’ work in progress …. Looking down onto Cora Linn … Looking across to Bonnington Linn An old postcard looking up to Bonnington Linn. Details of the upcoming exhibition In the days when The Falls of Clyde was on the ‘must paint’ list for…
The White Elephant and Treasure
The White Elephant, Oil on Canvas, 150 x 100 cm I remember as a 5 years old at a village fete being totally fascinated by something called The White Elephant Stall. Where was the white elephant? And why a white elephant? It was the best stall as it was full of interesting stuff and…
Make Art Not War – Weapons of Mass Creation
At art school a tutor commented that my brushes looked like they had been at war. A comment that stuck with me, but I did not really understand. Twenty years later whilst painting I was listening to a Radio 4 programme on post traumatic stress disorder, previously known as shell shock and realised that…
Artists Statement
As a painter my interest lies primarily in the process of painting – brush strokes, mark making, colour – the surface texture of paint, the flow of a line, the feel … However, what lies behind the feel, flow and joy of painting is something I have started blogging about this year. That is,…
Writing a blog is better than talking to yourself!
Cartoon of negative chatter that gets in the way of creativity I have been writing blogs! And it is interesting to me because it has now become part of the creative process. A bit of a revelation really and something I would recommend to any artist. Totally vulnerable making for sure, but it moves…
Looking Through Your Eyes
The process of painting is fundamentally abstract – colour brushed onto surface. So why are artists driven to abstraction? What is the motivation? And does a painting gather energy – become real, gain a life force, by being seen by you? Does a painting actually exist if no-one looks at it? I have a…
Solo
I have just been offered another solo show. It will be my fourth this year and I have said yes. Solo – alone! Yup, that is true! Me, my paints and my animals. But somehow when I am working I am not alone. Painting definitely bridges the gap between here and there and keeps me…
Does lying on your back make you a better painter?
Michelangelo (1475 – 1564) – Self Portrait as Skin from the Sistine Chapel We all famously know that Michelangelo lay on his back to paint the magnificent Sistine Chapel. This has always intrigued me – how did he do that? As an Alexander Technique teacher it is appealing to think that he found some…
How to do a Truly Terrible Painting and Have a Totally Terrific Time …
To do a good painting you have to be prepared to do a really, really shit one. So here is how to do a truly terrible painting in oil paint and have a totally terrific time Put on some rubber gloves, yup a bit kinky this ‘art thing’ darling, and if your lungs are…
The Drama of Art
Recently a friend suggested I like drama …I do! As Shakespeare put it ‘All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances and one man in his time plays many parts.’ (As You Like It) I used to teach Alexander Technique to actors too…
The Daily Ease Colouring Book – Dog Ease
This page is a variation of a drawing I did to illustrate my blog 101 life lessons from my dog. I hope to turn that blog into a a wee book at some point as it makes me smile. (link here) So to the colouring book – how does one introduce the concept of…
The Field of Intention – What is it?
Maisie and Me in the Field! What is The Field of Intention, other than the name of my next painting exhibition and workshop that I will be giving at The Findhorn Foundation’s Moray Art Centre later this year. The Field of Intention is my name for the magical creative IT! It is not…
Field of Intention
All winter Crazy Maisie Cockerpoo and I have walked around the field behind my house. I walked, she ran and ran and tirelessly chased her ball. ‘Be more Maisie!’ My new motto since she came into my life! All winter I have had the thought that I could do an entire exhibition based…
Travelling the Seven Seas for £100
Directions, Oil on Canvas, 21 x 26 cm, framed. Below are some oil paintings that I love that are available for £100 each! I don’t know about you, but I love to travel and so do my paintings …. they are adventurous creatures! Here is my choice of little gems who want…
Diary of an Exhibition – Arty Farty Party!
Me age 19 (hair and photo by Kevin Dalton Johnston) When I was younger I was accused of being ARTY FARTY! Who me? It was the 80’s for goodness sake, you were MEANT to be Arty Farty! Now the night before my exhibition I am wondering whatever happened to Miss Arty Farty?…
Golden Firefly and Red Dots
Golden Firefly, Oil on Canvas, 120 x 150 cm Many years ago the famous Zimbabwean silversmith Patrick Mavros gave me some advice … ‘When you hang an exhibition take everything you could possibly need with you! Don’t arrive and then ask the gallery to borrow a hammer or a ladder or a pair…
Cracked! Going Round in Circles – The Circle and The Dot
I started wondering why the expression going round in circles is seen as a negative, a frustrating state of being, rather than being seen as wonderful art form, a metaphor for life in a positive way? Art history tells us the story of the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337) being asked by a…
Diary of an Exhibition – My Motivation and Intention
‘Stress Puppy’ by Kirsten Harris I chose to paint seascapes for my upcoming exhibition partly because I have sold every seascape I have ever made and I hope to increase my chance of success! The reason I desire to sell well is to fund my next project, which is likely to take many…
Diary of an Exhibition – Sailor Tattoo Symbols
I have been hand painting wooden boxes and furniture using sailor tattoo imagery as the source of inspiration, in particular referencing the work of the American tattoo artist Norman Keith Collins (January 14, 1911 – June 12, 1973) known as Sailor Jerry. So here is the symbolism behind the sailor tattoo imagery I have…
Surviving Art School and Constructive Criticism
Cartoon self portrait of me at art school in the 80’s! One of the things you learn at art school is how to survive constructive criticism and turn a negative into a positive, a creative solution! This is why for many art school is an ‘abusive’ environment and many art school graduates…
Diary of an Exhibition – Love Guides Me Forward and Up!
I took this photograph driving home over the Lang Wang from Edinburgh on Saturday, April !st. April Fools Day! Driving towards this angelic cloud was so amazing I had to stop … a watery formation, an energy shifting… A moment to listen for the message from The Fool! It is time for…
How to Create Movement in Paintings
I often get asked – How do I create the feel of movement in my paintings? So I thought I would attempt to write a ‘HOW TO’ blog! How to create movement in a painting – Keep your body and your eyes moving at all times. A key is not tightening your own…
Diary of an Exhibition – I’m in Two Minds!
How come some days I paint well, easily, in the flow… some days I surprise myself and paintings show up, arrive into life and other days painting is clunky, the paint goes muddy, the image unformed, lack lustre? I have been thinking about it as I am running out of time to paint this…
Diary of an Exhibition – Size Matters
(A small and large painting framed, wrapped and ready to go!) It turns out size matters … I can do big Big excites me Big is a challenge to be enjoyed Something to build up to and explore Big is fun Big is an experience Big demands your attention And I get…
Diary of an Exhibition – Painting, Stress and Death
Somehow I have to find a way through the grinding pressure I am feeling today and get myself out into the cold and paint … I don’t have – to I want to … I have committed to paint an exhibition by the end of April … It is a clear intention! I…
Diary of an Exhibition – Despite Myself I Paint the Sea
Painting the sea … It all comes back to flow This watery world we live in Surrounded by water … in the air, the ground, our bodies … Little Britain, our island We are destroying our clean waters, our clean seas We are destroying our bodies Beguiling sea – you are destructive and dangerous…
Diary of an Exhibition – Paint Over
‘Influence’ Oil on Canvas 80 x 100 cms Yesterday I decided to look at old unresolved canvases and see if I could do a paint over. This canvas has two under paintings – hidden ghosts. First incarnation was a kind of fantasy landscape done about 3 years ago, with hare filled…
Diary of an Exhibition – Releasing Art Flow
Releasing art flow Muscles as water I paint the sea and become the ocean Body 70 percent water Frozen body freeing to a flowing tidal wave of art The heart my art Muscles releasing – contracting to release again Melting Finally bouncing like the brush on the stretched canvas Spring is springing…
Diary of an Exhibition – Everyone Else is Taken
‘Sometimes there are Rainbows’ Oil on Canvas 40 x 50 cms ‘Be yourself everyone else is taken.’ Oscar Wilde This is great advise for any artist and I found myself saying words to that effect out loud in the studio a couple of days ago. ‘This is MY painting’ I exclaimed! The…
Diary of an Exhibition – Not Good Enough for What?
‘Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.’ Pablo Picasso I have been struggling with that ‘not good enough’ habit! A habit that I am convinced for many of us started at school when we were told, as some kind of weird encouragement, that our…
Diary of an Exhibition – Stealing Clouds
‘Good artist copy, great artists steal!’ Pablo Picasso I want to steal the clouds, capture them, own them, trap them on canvas … I am obsessed by clouds. My friend it turns out is jealous … ‘I wish the the clouds did it for me like they do it for you. I don’t…
Do It Now!
Painting is a quick route into learning about wonderful brilliant you – your thinking, your emotions, your body, your self image, in short who you are today. Pick up a paintbrush and some colour and you will soon discover interesting things about yourself – your hopes and dreams, the things that worry, your ego, frustration…
A.R.T. – The Sweet Spot of Creativity
(link to free 8 day e-course at end of this blog) How do we find our creative sweet spot, our zone, that magical place where our creativity flows? It is the thing that all creatives – artists, musicians, horse riders, meditators, dancers – have in common. The knowledge that the sweet spot is…
The Diary of an Exhibition – Listening to Seashells
Yesterday I didn’t listen to my own wisdom … and painted in oils despite not having found a mask that makes this possible ….. YET! I coughed a lot and felt pretty rough after an hours work. I had also ignored my intention to paint in acrylic, deferring instead to my habit! …
Diary of an Exhibition – The Joy of Stuff and Clutter
Diary of an Exhibition – The Joy of Stuff and Clutter The last couple of days I have been thinking I want to write something about the joy of clutter and stuff, in response to the many articles around that are advocating clearing out and living in empty spaces as some kind of new…
Diary of an Exhibition – The Stories We Tell Ourselves
Painting yesterday I was thinking about the stories we tell ourselves or the things we have been told and taken on as THE TRUTH, which may be unexamined and therefore NOT TRUE. In terms of art here are a few stories that I have had to examine or am in the process of examining…
Diary of an Exhibition – Dreams and Symbols
‘Homeward Bound’ Sea Chest On Boxing Day after finishing painting and writing about ‘Homeward Bound’ I texted this photo to an extraordinary man I know who has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time. I knew he was spending Xmas alone in quiet contemplation. It felt important to send it to him. …
Diary of an Exhibition – ‘Homeward Bound’ Sea Chest
‘Homeward Bound’ I painted the inside image on the old sailors sea chest on Xmas Day and today, Boxing Day. I am home alone with a throat and chest infection. Painting a box, when my voice box is not functioning seems apt. The title is ‘Homeward Bound’ and is in memory of dad, it…
Diary of an Exhibition – Sea Chest
I am painting treasure chests – sea chests to go with my seascapes for the exhibition in April. Here is the first one…. It is a lovely old pine box that was painted in horrible black gloss paint, and had obviously spent it’s life in a shed somewhere. I have let some of…
LET GO MAKE ART – It’s Body Magic! – Free Creativity Course
I have consistently produced artwork over the past twenty years … I have not only paid my living expenses, but I have bought a house, some land, a horse – from selling my art. I am an independent artist! Despite the fact that as a child I heard at school and from the adults…
Diary of an Exhibition – A Line in the Sand
A day at the the beach Walking the spine Drawing a line in the sand Sea air Waves Shifts in energy patterns I have been looking at the wave patterns on the beach seeing bodies … body consciousness … body maps on the beach … I am lying in semi-supine a lot…
Diary of an Exhibition – Flow is a Wavy Line
Diary of an Exhibition – Flow is a Wavy Line I walked on the beach yesterday thinking about painting seascapes and really hoping the sea air would clear my lungs I was in a great flow of painting these last two weeks, then I messed up my lungs by having the wrong filter in…
Diary of an Exhibition – Vapours, The Incident of the Mask!
Diary of an Exhibition – Vapours, The Incident of the Mask GOOD NEWS! I am more an idiot than a lunatic! Turns out that the mask I have been wearing had a dust filter and not a vapour filter in it! Who knew? Not me! But my brilliant 80 year old retired…
Diary of an Exhibition – Luna Sea
Diary of an Exhibition – Luna Sea A grumpy two days of thinking oils and me are OVER! Not because I am not totally in love with oils, but because my lungs don’t like them anymore This morning I decided to go into the studio and pack my oil paints away for now…
Diary of an Exhibition – Lunatic
Diary of an Exhibition – Lunatic I have been busy – painting like a crazy loon Well it is a super lune Super moon This painting has been hanging around my studio all summer – unfinished, unsure how I was going to move forward with it… Today I started working on a…
Diary of an Exhibition – Lost Moments in Paint
Diary of an Exhibition – Lost Moments in Paint As soon as you start a painting it becomes an attempt to find resolution to a problem An ending A visual solution An idea unformed trying to find form Each start is a commitment to the relationship You are undertaking a journey There is no…
Diary of an Exhibition – Triptych
40 x 40 cms 40 x 40 cms 40 x 40 cms ‘Hope at Sea’ by Kirsten Harris Triptych 120 x 40 cms Oil on Canvas I woke up this morning brooding on my triptych and whether I could resolve the problem of bridging…
Diary of an Exhibition – Triptych or Not?
I have been working on a triptych The triptych started colourfully but the snowy light of the day seemed to influence the paint robbing the colour to a more subtle scheme A triptych – 3 individual paintings becoming one They have to work alone and together I started to think of the painting in…
Diary of an Exhibition – Wind and Sea
‘Wind and Sea’ by Kirsten Harris Oil on Canvas 122 x 92 cms POA On the way….to a painting.. Sometimes interesting paint appears… Only to disappear again… Paintings hidden within paintings Every brush stroke a thought Like the wind changing the sea and sky Our form…
Diary of an Exhibition – Mask
Diary of an Exhibition – Mask I allow myself to fail…. it’s a good strategy for success with oil paint, oil paint allows change I am wearing a mask in the studio thinking about choices Wear the mask and paint, or chose another medium? I love to paint in oils So today I chose…
Diary of an Exhibition – Chasing Light
Diary of an Exhibition – Chasing Light – Day 2 I am chasing light Obsessed with clouds Tormented by the sky I visited the bridge again today The tide was out Driving towards him – a weather front Torrential rain for the last few miles But I could see clear sky in…
Diary of an Exhibition – The Bridge in the Sea
Diary of an Exhibition – Day 1 The Bridge in the Sea A bridge on a beach crosses a stream When the tide comes in the stream is immersed by the sea The bridge is stranded in the middle of the ocean No one can cross to him He is useless… a bridge from…
Transforming Stuff
Transforming Stuff by Kirsten Harris I can transform stuff with a thought! Oh, what a wonderful sentence! The one I so wanted to be true when I was a ittle girl. I’d watch Bewitched and twiddle my nose and nothing would happen. I’d climb into the wardrobe and go absolutely no-where. No Narnia in…
I’m Stuck!
I’m Stuck! by Kirsten Harris Do you ever get stuck – physically, mentally, emotionally? Stuck in your work? Stuck with your creativity? Stuck in your relationships? Stuck in your thinking?…. I do! For sure! Pondering my present ‘stuck-ness’ I decided I would use the notion of being stuck as a subject for…
What’s nagging away at you?
What’s nagging away at you? by Kirsten Harris I am chewing the cud with regard those thoughts that nag away at me. What are they saying and what they are about? Why are they so persistent? I have decided to call these nagging thoughts horse power thoughts, as I am realising that they…
Get Out Of My Way!
Get Out of My Way! by Kirsten Harris Get out of my way I want to create GET OUT OF MY WAY! Who or what is in the way? Me of course! It is only ever me, my thinking, that gets in the way of my creativity. Like a rabbit caught in the…
Any Body Can Paint – Even A Horse!
Last year Angus learned to paint – with a little gentle encouragement from me. A roll of pre-primed canvas and some black poster paint brushed on his hooves… He loved it – anything for a carrot, and I love the result! Angus’s paintings have been hanging on my kitchen wall ever since. There was a…
I am Successful!
I Am Successful! by Kirsten Harris I am successful, and that makes me feel good. Does it shock you, me saying that? It’s true! I am successful and so are you! To be honest, I think I had forgotten the simple, fundamental fact – success is a state of mind! It is pretty…
The Nun, Picasso and Me
First day of school, age 11 – knock knees, straw boater and white gloves! The Nun, Picasso and Me by Kirsten Harris I have recently started writing about art and the process of making art. It has led me to the question, why did I chose art as a route in life in…
Any Body Can Paint – Free Online Art Course
My free online art course based on Alexander’s discoveries is now ready to send out, so hopefully the techno side of things will be done tomorrow, and it will be with you by Friday at the latest…. Learning the Alexander Technique was a game changer for my art. It gave me a confidence…
Art and Alexander Technique – Free online course
Just a quick update to say my ANY BODY CAN PAINT – LET GO MAKE ART Foundation Course is very nearly finished. It comprises of 7 complete lessons coupling both art and Alexander Technique. I have designed it for anyone who would like to free up as an artist wants to paint but…
Free Online Course – ART and THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
Free Online Art Course – ART AND THE ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE by Kirsten Harris Can you relate to my sketch? Do you want to paint or draw but don’t know how or where to start and just think you are rubbish at art? Or love painting and think you need to loosen up? Then…
The Artist’s Wobble
The Artist’s Wobble by Kirsten Harris I recently had a wobble….a big flood gate opening one….I wobbled and wobbled and wobbled, and I thought I was going to fall…. do you get the pretty picture? A mad artist in a storm having a major mini crisis! I had been on a 5 day…
Anybody can paint – Any body can paint
Anybody can paint – Any body can paint by Kirsten Harris Two similar statements, the first one you may or may not agree with. The second one is definitely true. Anybody can paint is a statement which is often overloaded with negative voices – I’m no good at art! I can’t…
Listen! I’m an Artist
Listen! I’m an Artist by Kirsten Harris The other day I heard a great bit of wisdom. ‘Most people listen to reply not to hear’ It resonated with me. I have been mulling on my listening skills and often time lack of! For musicians, listening seems to be an obvious skill set…
Wasting the Blank Canvas
A few years ago the wife of a local picture framer, who was teaching himself to paint, suggested to her husband that he spend a day painting with me. As soon as she made the suggestion he noticeably froze. ‘Um, I don’t think I have the time!’ he said. ‘Ridiculous, of course you do!’ his…
What is IT?
What is IT? by Kirsten Harris “The hallmarks of the Alexander Technique are creativity, spontaneity and freedom to change.” A.R Alexander The Alexander Technique has been a huge influence in my life for over 25 years, but it is only recently that I have started writing about it in relationship to my artwork….
Pursue – Woo – Follow Through!
PURSUE – WOO – FOLLOW THROUGH! by Kirsten Harris I am beginning to notice when people don’t follow through and am asking why. I include myself in that statement. It seems the world has gone in mad pursuit. Of what? If you ask people what they want, they seem unable to answer. It is…
Up-cycling
Up-cycling I’ve been up-cycling! Painting furniture in an antique Scandinavian style, inspired by an inherited table and long case clock from my Danish grandmother. Up-cycling has been an exploration into my heritage, my maternal roots. It has been fun and and it has been grounding for me. A satisfying learning curve when life’s got…
I Bought a Picasso
I Bought a Picasso Yesterday I realised that my car didn’t just have car flu, it was terminal! I went to find a new one. My only demand to the dealer was ‘I need a big boot to carry paintings.’ ‘I think we have the perfect car for you..a Picasso, low mileage, big…
Finishing
I worked on a game reserve in Zimbabwe after finishing my Alexander Technique training. (I know! Lucky Me) An artist shaman called Bowen arrived at the camp, the kind of man who saw through you. Tall, unusual looking, he had an unnerving honest presence as though he was seeing into your soul. There was no…
1000 Days Hence
1000 Days Hence by Kirsten Harris I woke up very early this morning feeling sad. Life changes when people die. My heart is so heavy. I don’t know how to get used to it. Then I felt a bit curmudgeonly and frustrated that things seem to be stuck in my life……..Yet I AM…
Why do artists repeat themselves?
Why do artists paint multiple paintings of the same image? This question that came up recently, I have been mulling it. Van Gogh obsessed with painting Sunflowers. Munch’s Scream over and over…. For me repeated paintings show it is not the image that is important. It is the idea contained within the image….
Pheonix 369 Gallery Edinburgh
Bottoms Up
Pop Up Exhibition
Mountain Rescue Landrover, Glencoe
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111466453535?ssPageName=STRK:MESCX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1554.l26 Charity Auction for Glencoe Mountain Rescue
Big Cats
Me and Mr Li, The Chinese Consul of Edinburgh
On the arrival of the Giant Pandas to Edinburgh Zoo.
Old Course St Andrews Exhibition
Me with the Chinese Ambassador
Painting being presented to the Chinese Ambassador at the Arrival of the Giant Pandas, yang Guang and Tian Tian, Sunshine and Sweetie, to Edinburgh Zoo A thank you gift from Royal Zoological Society Edinburgh to the Chinese Government
Michael Douglas at The Old Course Hotel with Planet Long Neck
Chefs Looking at Firefly Painting
Old Course Hotel St Andrews Dunhill International Exhibition
Kirsten at gallery
Studio Visits
Please email me to arrange a visit to my studio in South Lanarkshire, Scotland.