Saturday 25 November 2017

WRITING AND PAINTING – MOVING ON TO THE STORY? by Gill Stewart




A few weeks ago the Argyll Art Map weekend took place in this area, with various local artists and photographers opening their workshops to the public. It was a great opportunity to peak into places you may not normally be allowed, and to examine works of creativity outside your comfort zone.

I expected to enjoy, and did enjoy, the amazing pictures of local towns and beauty spots, of wildlife and boats – lots of boats. I was less keen on the picture of Jesus being stabbed by pens (really!), or the urinal turned into … something arty? But it certainly meant there were things to appeal to a wide range of tastes.

What intrigued me, as a writer, was the ways in which this experience of visual art both is and is not the same as writing. I can look at a still life or a scene, and take an emotion from it, but after that I want to move on to the story – what happened here? Why is it significant? Does it mean different things to different people? Not being an artist, and not having thought to ask any of the ones I visited, I don’t know if they also form stories about their work (Neil may be able to answer!). But I do know that their inspiration helps to inspire me, either to write or just to dream.

This picture at the head of this post is Winifred Nicholson’s ‘Gate To The Isles’. It’s one of my favourites, which I’ve had on my bedroom wall for many years. I’ve wondered and wondered who went through that gate last, and why, and what that means to the painter. Below is a painting done by my great-grandfather, which has intrigued me since I was a child. I wanted to walk along that road and find out where it led. Sometimes I even dreamt I was in the picture, finding out what happened next. Perhaps one day I’ll write my way to an answer! 


Are there any pictures that inspire you?

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures, Gill and I understand why they both inspire... they have that 'what if' quality about them. What if I go through the gate, follow the road. Pinterest is a great way of discovering inspiring photographs and art. Although I tend to be inspired by people (strangers in photographs) rather than landscape. Interesting how different images help creative juices flow.

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    1. Now you mention people I can think of lots of people in photos and pictures who have also got my creative juices running - but interesting that they weren't my first thoughts when I wrote the blog!

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  2. A few years back now I used to write features on the arts for Devon Life and got to see some amazing art work of all sorts (I struggled to understand abstract and still do!) in some truly amazing places and the bottom line is that the artists were all truly inspirational and lovely people, eager to show their work and talk about it (not unlike writers who are very good at the latter, I think!!). I found that it was often colour that inspired me rather than a scene or an image, and certainly I got a fair few short stories out of the exercise. Which reminds me .... not been to a gallery in a while - will rectify! Thanks for the mental jog!

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    1. Glad the mental jog was useful Linda. Now you've also reminded me I need to plan in some visits to galleries in the near future!

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