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Sunday, March 17, 2024

Art/4; land art

 

    the Fiastra river

Art/4;Nature;

Land art

Yesterday morning found us four artists at the river of Fiastra, which flows past the Abbey of the same name. And flowing it was, at a noisy and phenomenal rate after the heavy rains of the last weekend. We groped our way through thickets and brier and had to jump down into a steep ditch and into mud to get near to the river edge




We never ever plan exactly what we are going to do on our fortnightly excursions into the wild, but we always come prepared with paints and colours and paper, inks, pens, you name it, just in case.





But as soon as we'd reached the river bed, whatever intentions we might have had, dissolved and were washed down stream, because..





We were instantly making land art, on our knees, scabbling about, collecting twigs, leaves, stones, branches, wild flowers; whatever we came across to.... well, it's hard to say really, because, .....because, we had become totally absorbed. No ideas coming from our heads, (but from who knows where ?); as if it were the river, or the trees guiding our hands.






We lost track of time and some auto instinct had me look at my watch and low and behold we were minutes away from a lunch I'd booked at a local pub and we were hungry.

Food before art I always say, so I zoomed off to secure our table and the others followed rapidly as if by magic, arriving just minutes after me. Mysterious that, because they'd been miles behind.

So there you have it.

We discovered something new in our creative lives. Land art takes you into a realm, a state of mind perhaps, or even no mind, which feels good, which feels peaceful and which washed away the monkey chatter in our brains, as swiftly as a crashing river.

We've done this in our childhood, we remember all these innocent things from when we were kids; sand castles on the beach, collecting shells and driftwood, making love promises on trees and daisy chains for our first love when we are young, gathering blackberries and mushrooms and making little boats out of twigs and leaves to float our wishes to a magic kingdom in our imaginations, blowing dandeline wishes into the sky.

But we are no longer children and the experience is different for us. It is deeper and longer lasting, It is as if it is something which we cannot summon, but one which arrives as a gift, as if it is in a message brought to us by a bird or a totem animal. I have had many of such experiences, but now is not the time to write about them;  I will in my next blog

If you don't mind waiting ;0)





And we will meet again......... by the river!

Best wishes,

Michael

You can contact Michael for more about his art/nature/workshops in Italy here

or contact him at micermice@gmail.com


Thursday, February 1, 2024

It's Imbolc

 Good morning!



It's the first of February, my favourite day. It's Imbolc, the ancient celtic festival which celebrates the return of the light; an auspicious day to launch my new website, waving it fondly on its way.
I've squashed everything into it, everything I think, feel and do; my art, my workshops in Italy, my on2one sessions here too, my blogs and, a new feature, my Podcasts.
And I'm throwing in a new painting from my Forest series, just for good measure, It's about light and water, as you will no doubt imagine.
Happy Imbolc, and here's the website; michaeleldridgestudio.com
Michael

Thursday, December 14, 2023

The things you do for art. ART/4 sensorial day 3

 At  Smerillo late December 


Smerillo is a little town close to Amandola where we once lived. In altitude it is nearly 900 metres and it is renowned for its chestnut festivals and  for its spectacular views across the entire spectrum of Le Marche.

So, what are we doing wedged inside this crack in the mountain side you might wonder?

Well, it was supposed to be one of our art sensorial days (we being our little art group ART/4;nature)

Every three weeks or so we venture out into forests, mountains, rivers etc and simply absorb nature, its air, its trees and bushes, ite light and its sounds. And this was one of those days.

Not quite so though

Because it was cold, not 9C as it was when I left home but barely 3C with a strenghtening easterly wind.

And the whole town was closed; not a bar open and another human being in sight except  a pixie like gentleman who assured us that indeed Wednesday wasn't the day to visit; everything closed, except a huge restaurant which was to open at 12,30. We booked lunch for later and went exploring.

Now I must explain that Smerillo has a distinctly ex Hippy feel about it; that  'Where have all the Hippies gone' sort of feeling, with those lingering and faded colours still discernable here and there on closed bars and pubs (just one) too, with elfic names. You know what I mean.



                                  This is not an Elf but me with a new best tabby cat friend

The Elf like lovely young girl at the empty restaurant told us that the equally famous ring around Smerillo walk had been closed off, because it was dangerous after recent storms, but she winked and said go for it anyway there's nobody around to stop you

We did, and got a third of the way around and began to think it was an elfik trick.

Because you know, Elves can invisibilise themeslves (and others) at whim,

Bur we continued bravely on, slipping and sliding as we approached the also equally famous gola ahead (see above)


The thing about Smerillo, is that it's unusual

All the little hilltop towns hereabouts are also similarly so, each in their own particular way.

And our lives, as artists; are equally unusual and would we have it any other way? So it follows, doesn't it that we hate so called normality and avoid it in every way and every day possible. 

We yearn for a world  where the confines of conformity and the cultural herding and indoctrination of 

mankind abates and is unravelled.

So, you see, our monthly art trips, into mountains and forests, serve as a sort of deconditioning, to put us back into that state of being where art and creativity become its natural outcome.

To quote Robert Henri 'The objective isn't just to make art, it is to arrive in that state where art becomes inevitable'

I'll  leave you with a forest painting from our previous art adventure


Buon Anno,

Michael

Should you wish to can contact me, to get information about my art workshops in Italy, or about my work, you'll find me via my new website, michaeleldridgestudio.com

Thursday, November 2, 2023

ART, the senses, the forest


Our little  group of art friends is made up of enthusiasts who work with various forms of expression and who find their main inspiration from deep contact with nature.


                                    Judy Offord



                                  Judy Offord

On Wednesday last, we met at the Abbey of Fiastra,  and we trekked to the forest on a gorgeous day of dappled light which splashed through the trees, pushed along by a hesitant wind





Duncan Campbell
              
'Those who know, do not speak. Those who speak, do not know


It's a Chinese saying that comes in handy when silence and listening are essential and in the forest everyone seeks out a place which has caught their attention and then,simply, we absorb our surroundings; this by firstly doing a breathing exercise for a while and then to begin to sketch and make memory marks, whilst at the same time naturally breathing in the aromatherapy of phytoncides (essences) from the trees and vegetation.(You know we absorb these immmediately into our bloodstreams, into our bodies and into our brains). Then, don't ask me how, but somehow those ever persistent thoughts diminish and we are afforded the experience of pure presence. 

And then our art just happens as if by magic

Art; the desire to create, which comes naturally; not forced from the mind, but simply flowing into the mind


                                                 

                                    Michael Eldridge

                                            
                            
                           micermice@gmail.com

                                           michaeleldridgestudio.com

Thursday, September 28, 2023

La Cascada da Forcella, arte e natura (IT)

 



Cascada da Forcella l'ho scoperta solo di recente quando Claudia ed io stavamo cercando un luogo dove trascorrere una giornata sensoriale in questa parte montuosa delle Marche. Una giornata sensoriale? Sì, uno in cui osiamo semplicemente aprire i nostri cinque sensi al mondo, in particolare alla Natura.


Tutto inizia prima della colazione nel nostro centro di Cittadella; Tail Ci, Ci Kung, la bolla magica e i rondoni che ci bombardano con la loro curiosità. Vedi, più tardi nella foresta, in un posto come La Cascada dove ci siamo solo noi, pesci e farfalle, ci sistemiamo tra le rocce e le radici degli alberi


Chi sa non parla, chi parla non sa! Queste istruzioni al gruppo hanno ricevuto sguardi perplessi, ma ho spiegato che era solo un gioco a cui stavamo giocando (e dopo tutto, non era forse Einsein a dire: "L'unico modo che impariamo è attraverso il gioco!"). sedevamo distanti gli uni dagli altri e respiravamo profondamente per dieci minuti per assorbire le essenze degli alberi nei nostri corpi, quindi disegnavamo in silenzio per un'ora o due, aprendo i nostri sensi in completo assorbimento.




Siamo tornati a Cittadella a metà pomeriggio per rivedere i nostri schizzi e selezionarne uno o due da trasformare in dipinti. Sono sicuro che tutti voi avete avuto l'esperienza di entrare in quello stato di creatività in cui create oltre voi stessi e quando vi risvegliate alla cosiddetta realtà, vi meravigliate di ciò che è stato prodotto.




Alla fine del giorno successivo abbiamo realizzato un enorme dipinto da regalare a Silvio, il proprietario di Cittadella.




Lo facciamo ad ogni visita e ora ha una bella collezione

È stato divertente

                    "L'unico modo in cui impariamo veramente è attraverso il gioc

                     Albert Einstein



 Michael Eldridge

Monday, September 25, 2023

La Cascada da Forcella; an art and nature workshop











La Cascada da Forcella I discovered only recently when Claudia and I were looking for a venue to hold a sensorial day in this mountainous part of Le Marche. A sensorial Day? Yes, one where we dare to simply open our five senses to the world, specifically to Nature.

This all begins before breakfast at our centre in Cittadella; Tail Ci, Ci Kung, the magic bubble and counting swifts as they bombard us in their curiousity.  Then, you see, in the forest later, in a spot like La Cascada where there is just us, fish and butterflies, we settle ourselves amongst the rocks and tree roots, and we are already prepared, physically and psychologically

Those who know, do not speak, those who speak, do not know! These instructions to the group received puzzled looks, but I explained that it was just a game we were playing (and after all, wasn't it Einstein who said, 'The only way we ever learn is through play!') So we all sat far apart from each other, and breathed deeply for ten minutes to take in the essences of the trees into our bodies, and then sketched in silence for an hour or two, opening our senses in complete absorption.



We were back at  Cittadella by mid afternoon to go through our sketches and to select one or two to transform into paintings. I'm sure you've all had this experience of entering that state of creativity where you create beyond yourselves and when waking back up to so called reality, you are in wonder at what has been produced on your watch .




                                                                                                                  

  At the end of the following day we created a huge painting as a give to Silvio, the owner of Cittadella.

This we do every visit and he has now quite a collection




                         
                       It was fun                                                                                         

                   ' The only way we ever truly learn, is through play'

                   Albert Einstein


                   Michael Eldridge

                  















Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Childrens Art and Ferragosto





Ferragosto

It's upon us once again. Its' an ancient Roman Bank Holiday, sort of, which translates as Augusto's day off, or more aptly 'Italy's collective August coma' when nothing can be done, arranged or even dreamt of. So best to forget plumbers, electricians, builders, lawyers, notaries, town hall staff etc. You get the picture. A holiday! Park your brain in the fridge.

My plan is quite the opposite. With art friends, we take to the streets around the coast, to art fairs; done eight already and there are two more to come.

Here's one I enjoyed, it was at Penna San Giovani, a little town, one of the many hilltop towns south of the regional capital Macerata. We were just two of us, myself and my art friend Claudia, otherwise known as Delfina.

It was the best so far. A spectacular show by the group called Compagni dei Folli (fire and ghosts on stilts) after which the two of us held an art workshop for kids. They were amazing. No explanations needed. No parents hanging around them (they were all in the bars) And there was a queue of them (the children that is). We worked with monoprints, and what they especially liked was the moment the paper was lifted off the glass. Oohs and Aahs as the image revealed itself and they carried the paintings gently off to dry.




They were so many and were like bees around a pot of jam and we simply couldnt turn any of them away and carried on until 1a.m.when their parents were exhausted from waitng and they peeled the children away one by one.



Playing with children is a learning experience for adult artists. We mustn't talk down to them and in fact they are our little gurus, floating, as they do, immediately into the absorption of each living second and having no clever preconceived ideas in their heads. They even helped us to clean up and then marched away holding their still wet masterpieces flat and adoringly in their hands.

So you see, this is what came even clearer to us; that when you run art workshops for adults, the task is to guide them into this state of child like innocence, however long it takes. And once there, all the rest flows.


After all, didn't Einstein once try to tell us that  ...................     

       'Play is the only way we ever truly learn' 


p.s. My new website is...  https://www.michaeleldridgestudio.com/workshops/

contact; email micermice@gmail.com