The artist and her work. I remember like it was yesterday, Rachel painting this picture of Corton Church for her A-Level. And I remember it inspiring my own drawing. It still does. #art #artists #friendswhoareartists

Until recently I didn’t really no much about the Grayson Perry, except that he was a transvestite potter who had won the Turner Prize. His recent presentation of the BBC Reith Lectures opened up but his work as an artist in me but my interest in the Reith Lectures (neither of which I had really exposed myself too, before).

When we visited Birmingham last Saturday it was to go and look at the tapestries featured in this book (as well visiting the new, and excellent, Public Library), and seeing the six large, and incredibly detailed tapestries depicting the rise and fall of the fictional anti-hero Tim Rakewell and our response to class and taste that comes of that, it prompted me to buy this book and find out more.

Next up I want to watch the DVD of the Channel 4 documentary to see what inspired Perry to make the tapestries.

Digital is a different kind of skill, but related (or at least related in a forgotten kind of way). I want to not forget. I want to be able to learn how to use my DSLR camera in a way that means I can fiddle quickly with manual settings have more chance of getting the shot that was in my mind’s eye.

And there’s the thing. Anyone with a half-decent digital camera can, come up with picture-perfect, stunning shots – the kind of shots that most of us would, year’s ago have dreamed of getting. But year’s ago (and by year’s, I mean actually, not that many years – 15 years maybe, tops, which is actually not that long…) film and developing were expensive and unless you were a photoholic like me you would only take one or maybe two shots of a subject.

Even so, now, if you have an idea in mind for a project – an illustration, brochure, or poster – and you need some source material to work from (and you can’t go and take it yourself) you’d be surprised at just how often when you look at the various online galleries and stockphoto websites there are lots and lots and lots of images that are all very much the same. Only the very few capture the idea that you dreamed up in your mind.

Which leaves me to think that whilst anyone, given some good kit and the opportunity can take a very, very, good photograph of something, only a very  few can take a truly unique photograph. Because that skill is in the mind, not the camera. That skill would be very nice, very nice indeed, to have.

( see more paintings )

This week, my Mum has discovered the identity of the artist, Gunning King, who was indeed a member of the Royal Academy and has quite a collection of paintings out there. I particularly like this painting of Corfe Castle, where some of my other family come from…

( see more paintings )

Originally published at shepline: the journal. You can comment here or there.