Wednesday 19 October 2016

Cornwall: Palm oil, Cornish beaches & the view from here

Cornwall: Palm oil, Cornish beaches & the view from up here

 Yesterday I decided we'd best not to go to the beach with Tik-ma-dog.  

This was due to reports of further rancid palm oil being washed up on some Cornish beaches.  This happens occasionally.  The danger is this palm oil is nasty stuff & can be lethal to dogs & potentially dangerous to small children.

The news report I saw was for palm oil deposits way up near Plymouth.  

Still - not worth the risk, so an inland dog walk was called for.  My friend & I decided to walk Tik around, up and over Godolphin Warren (or Godolphin Hill as it is often known).  We were going to walk around Godolphin hill and then back over the top of it coming from the other side.  

Setting off from the NT Godolphin Woods car-park following the footpath beside the barely 3 meter wide River Hayle heading in the general direction of Hayle initially following the river valley.


Tik decided to plunge into the river (her not realizing its depth). With soggy self dunked dog we crossed the River Hayle (over a potentially hazardous slippery wooden bridge). Crossed the nearby road then followed a footpath along a gorgeous wooded lane/bridleway. Turning left down another steep footpath leaving the main footpath down into the valley bottom over another wooden bridge over the 'Hayle'.  

Up the other side through field with young boisterous steers in it.  All the cattle started making their way towards us, primarily I suspect as we had a dog with us....& having milked cows & looked after steers for a living in my youth, this is one reason I always have a walking stick. Cattle are a little more wary of approaching close, 'if' you can potentially tap them on the nose.

Leaving the steers behind, up a steep footpath joining a back road which leads eventually to village of Millpool, we take a left up a lane heading up Godolphin Hill.  Here we are rewarded with a splendid view of a Cornish Engine house.

Engine House Millpool side of Godolphin Hill
On we went progressing up the hill passed property belonging to the Cinnamon Trust. Clearly by indication of the numerous signs, the Cinnamon Trust does not allow shooting on its land.  

Turning left onto National Trust owned property we headed straight up the now open bracken covered landscape towards the top of Godolphin hill.

Reaching the top we were rewarded with a most splendid 365 degree views all around. 

Off towards Penzance, & St. Micheals Mount, St.Ives & Carn Brea  & Mount Hawke in the far distance & behind, back towards Tregoning Hill & Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard.

Looking towards distant Trencrom hill, nr St. Ives
  
A gentle wander down the hill into the back of Godolphin House. Having 'burned we'd earned' & stopped off for coffee (& shhh, cake) at the National Trust coffee shop (which is open to none members).

A short walk down the Godolphin House visitors drive way & back to the car parked in the woodlands car-park. Just behind the National Trust car-park smoke was rising.  

Further investigation (just being nosy) found National Trust staff cutting gorse & carrying out controlled burning, to preserve old heather among which apparently a rare fungi lives. Certainly the lichen growing at ground level among the old heather branches is among the fluffiest I have ever known.

Then it was a case of -Car- soggy dog - home - no palm oil

NB; Photos courtesy of Robert, as my camera decided not to work.

Saturday 15 October 2016

A home visit from Gallery owners: Outsider art, disability, appointments & dog walking

A home visit from Gallery owners: 
Outsider art, disability, appointments & dog walking


It's been a difficult week for creativity in the Kuriologist abode. 
This blog entry will be a verbal ramble. Bare with me.

The week started off just fine with art sculpture related plans with an arranged visit by two gallery owners, Peter Fox and Roselyne Williams from Redwing Gallery Penzance to see my sculptures at my home on Monday

Examples of various Kuriology sculptures

Redwing is gallery which specializes in 'outsider' art (or ArtBrut) as I discovered it is also called.  

Mind you I've only just discovered I am what is termed an 'outsider' artist.  

I've always felt more of an 'excluded artist' from the elitist educational establishment led art creative sector & Cornish art galleries in Cornwall.  I find 'most' Cornwall galleries with a social media presence even on twitter ignore even those artists based in Cornwall.  

Kuriology created Assemblage reliquary box

Home Visit from Redwing Gallery proprietors

A big thank you to Peter & Roselyne for taking considerable time & trouble to come out into the rural hinterland of 'here-be-dragons' backwater part of Cornwall where I live to see my sculptures.

I had warned them in advance there were a lot of sculptures.

Having been housebound by my cognitive disability since approx. 2006/07 it has meant almost ten years of quietly in isolation & social exclusion in building up a vast number of sculptures. These items created purely for my own satisfaction, sanity & my need to be creative & doing something constructive.

The 1st thing I think that hit Peter & Roselyne is my study/creative room/living room.  A virtual ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’.  The video below is inside my living room/creative space.



The collection of ‘stuff’ can be a bit overwhelming & in a way is inspirational for my sculptures.  I almost only dust when its deep enough to plough.

Most of my creations have to fit into my perception of a ‘wunderkammer’.  There are literally thousands of objects in my collection, many, many, many of which are my own creations.

There are literally ‘HUNDREDS’ of my sculptures throughout my home.

I took Peter & Roselyne from room to room downstairs, out to the outside studio & upstairs to the ‘storage room’ of DOOM. In the storage room of doom where sculptures are piled high & as many as six or more deep.

It was a delight to me that they appeared to like some of my work, wanting to take pieces with them to Redwing gallery there & then.  Also I was somewhat taken back by the to me high retail art value Peter placed upon some of my work.

Now I have the dilemma.  I have never tried to sell my sculptures previously & I have genuine concerns.

‘WHY’ – because being full time career to my elderly octogenarian mother & limited by my own cognitive condition having such a debilitating & restrictive impact upon my life – I live in absolute fear of the Disabled Hate Campaign policy this Conservative  Government’s runs in their constant & relentless Tory persecution & victimization of disabled persons who are in receipt of disability benefits.

Being in receipt of ESA in the severe disability group I am in theory allowed to do what is termed ‘permitted work’ & still receive ESA disability. 

However, it had previously taken 18 months to even establish from the DWP that they (DWP) could not pre-determine what was permitted work until you had already undertaken it?

Therefore, actively DISCOURAGING any attempt at paid work, even in a very limited capacity, out of the genuine real probability of being DWP penalized & further persecuted by this disabled person hating conservative government so hell bent on further persecuting & victimizing disabled persons.

A real catch 22 scenario.

The end result of the visit by Peter & Roselyne was for me personally encouraging. They seemed to like my Art. They insisted I submit two sculptures for consideration in ‘Alternative– Visions’, a forthcoming touring 'outsider' art exhibition, which I have now done.




I now have to consider whether to try to raise the funds to put on some sort of sculpture exhibition at Redwing gallery.  The problem being I will be terrified of making anything available ‘for sale’ for the reasons already given regarding Anti-disabled persons stance of the conservative government DWP.  The stress of which already has had me in a state of high anxiety. 

The rest of the week has been a round of Doctor's appointment, optician appointment & veterinary appointment for both Tik-ma-dog & the cat.  Each appointment on different days & an exercise in considerable logistical planning & stress. Especially when relying on public transport in rural Cornwall with an elderly & increasingly frail octogenarian mother who now finds it difficult to walk & to accompany her to these appointments.

This has left little time for any creativity or even thinking time about creativity, especially with my also having a loose tooth & all that encompasses in mind jangling pain which jars the concentration process for anything.

Thursday was the exception.  

It was such a beautiful day I just had to walk Tik-ma-dog on a decent extended stomp of several extra miles over the normal mileage, numbed by pain killers for the tooth.  I loose teeth when I'm under stress - I've lost a lot of teeth these past few years.


Monday 10 October 2016

Inside a 'Brut Art' outsider sculpture artist's Cornish home in Cornwall

Inside a 'Brut Art' outsider sculpture artist's Cornish home in Cornwall 



I recently learned I am what is termed as an 'outsider' artist or 'Art brut'.  

That is to say I am an untrained self identifying artist, at least not trained by convention or processed through the art educational system & have created my art work in isolation.  
I would argue having spent over a decade working on my style of sculptural art forms I am highly self-trained. I create for me, to satisfy my own internal desire to be creative.

Being cognitively disabled, diagnosed as suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Catastrophic Trauma, Severe Anxiety, Panic Attacks & a form of 'people' related agoraphobia I fall into the mental health aspects of 'outsider art'.

Now if environment habitat influences, then my having been virtually housebound since 2007, the interior of my own home 'must' conceivably have an influence upon my sculptural art creations.

So what does the interior of an 'outsider' artists home look like....well to me it looks a little like the video below. 




Yes that really is the interior of my own relaxation & working space.  Dusting is a genuine nightmare & a task undertaken with extreme gravity & gritted teeth determination & purpose.

You could say my 'Cabinet of curiosities', kunstkammer which includes many of my own personal creations & sculptures is in itself an 'instillation' piece of sculpture artwork in its own right. 

My 'Cabinet of Curiosities' is in constant flux of change as I squeeze in another object here or artifact there, whilst relegating another piece fallen from grace (or damaged during dusting) to the spare bedroom

....or worse fate, to the storage room of DOOM! 


Sunday 9 October 2016

Cornish Art Sculptures for a 'Cabinet of Curiosities'

Cornish Art Sculptures for a 'Cabinet of Curiosities'

Youtube video slideshow of sculptures created in Cornwall, UK by the Kuriologist




Friday 7 October 2016

Sculpture Art blogging, Where to go wrong, doing it right?

Sculpture Art blogging, Where to go wrong, doing it right?

Three sculptures created by Kuriology in Cornwall, UK

In the past I've run several blogs on different subjects (all now retired).  However, this is the 1st time I've run one specifically for my 'Cabinet of Curiosities' style sculptural artwork which I create.
  
It is proving to be a much more up-hill task than previously experienced with previous successful blogs. I certainly have original content, the work is unique to me.

So what am I doing wrong?

Birdheaded baby sculpture created by Kuriology

I've run through my checklist & am left scratching my head.

Its back-linked to numerous other art portfolio sites
Some of which can be found here:-

Artobolus - 
ArtDiscover - 
Artid - 
Artweb - 
Outsidein -   
FoundMyself - 
VoodooChilli - 
Wooloo 
Zhibit - 

Its been added to various directories

Its back-linked in comments on other blogs such as ultimate papermache

Hermit crab sculpture created by Kuriology

Its back-linked 
on pinterest,

& twitter 

& youtube

& google+ (however, even I cannot find it on Google+)

However, followers are in short supply & I can only conclude the internet or the way people use it has changed considerably & somehow I'm just not getting it?

Suggestions on a postcard please, or fill in a friendly comment below?

Wednesday 5 October 2016

Postcard from an Artist in Cornwall - 'wishing you were here'

Postcard from an Artist in Cornwall - 'wishing you were here'

Images from today's morning Tik-ma-dog walk
Most people could not imagine the sheer joy I now get from simple pleasure of walking Tik-ma-dog.  

Having been virtually housebound from 2007 with diagnosed Post traumatic Stress Disorder, catastrophic trauma, severe anxiety, panic attacks & a form of agoraphobia, I now have developed a form of coping strategy since getting 'Tik'-ma-dog in January of this year (2016). Tik acts as my psychiatric disability assistance service dog.

It has to be said absolutely with NO thanks to any Cornwall & IOS health providers, NO help from social care, NO help from Cornwall Council, NO help from DWP or other statutory orgs supposed to 'in theory' help.  Housebound the system leaves you at home to ROT - 'Out of sight out of mind' 

The exception to this shoddy non-existent health & social care in Cornwall has been the Cornwall branch of Red Cross (who recognized I was a person in crisis), Penwith volunteers (Who then provided a befriender) & St.Francis Animal Welfare (who provided Tik-ma-dog)   

Basically, I get out of the house now, just me and Tik, whereas previously I would have to force myself to go alone even two hundred meters to the local farm shop & be in a right state afterwards.  Panic attacks can actually be physically painful - who knew?

Other benefits?  

Well having become physically inactive whilst housebound my waistline had expanded over the decade+.  Yesterday, I comfortably fitted into a pair of 32 inch waist jeans.  The first time in ten years. Joy, as I had hit my first target weight of 80 kilos having lost over two stone in weight since Jan of this year. 

That was down to simply walking Tik-ma-dog twice a day 'rain or shine' since January of this year.  NO change in diet, just simple exercise.

So another joy yesterday 04/10/2016 was to take 'Tik'-ma-dog onto a Cornish beach, she & all her canine friends had been banned from since May of this year.

Big thank you to a member of Poldhu Beach cafe.  They do not sell cigarette papers - but they found me some anyway!  

This is a happy Poldhu beach dog



Ah! But what of my art?

Well this was a recent posting to twitter

Three sculptures created by Kuriology
....and these are two works still in progress

Work in progress
..and


'Tree of lost souls' - work in progress
There are 'always' Kuriology works in progress or as I have heard them referred to as, being 'works in detention'.


Monday 3 October 2016

1st Oct. Dog ban lifted on many Cornish beaches

1st Oct. Dog ban lifted on many Cornish beaches

Marizion beach, Cornwall 2nd Oct 2016
It is that time of year many dog owners in Cornwall look forward to.  The annual lifting on 1st of October of dog ban/restrictions on many of Cornwall's beaches. 

My being a resident in Cornwall & being reliant on public transport, most beaches in striking distance of my home fall under the much loathed dog restriction/bans during summer tourist months of May to Oct. 

Yesterday was the 2nd of Oct & I walked Tik-ma-dog from Marizion beach causeway to Penzance along the beach...and back again. Then we went on the beaches of the lesser visited other side of Marizion as the tide was out.  We had these 2nd beaches to ourselves.

I had been invited by our local Mp Derek Thomas to take part in a sponsored dog walk along Marizion beach to Penzance on the day before, on Saturday the 1st October.  I could not make it, but did go along the following day just to walk Marizion beach.  

Now I'm not saying it was compulsory to have a dog & walk on Marizion beach on Sunday, but for every person/group without a dog....I counted ten persons/groups who were walking with dogs. Dog walkers rule!

Beside the obvious benefits & joys of walking on a beach, & walking my dog on the beach, I am also their to hunt.  Hunt bits & pieces of beach cast up for my artwork.  However, pickings of driftwood, an bits & bobs for my artwork on Marizion were actually quite meager.

I did find a nice oval fishing net float, a smaller beach cast fishing float & a white plastic sprue which I genuinely thought at first was a fish spine...guess what that will probably become.  

I also began to notice the small discarded fishing line nests... & their considerable frequency.  I had been blind to these nasty plastic pollutants previous.  They had simply not registered on my visual radar when beach combing.  That perception changed as a result of meeting last week with Falmouth based Eco-artist Georgina Maxwell 

Georgina's work http://www.zhibit.org/ecomarineart speaks for itself & is well worth looking at as well as the environmental message behind each piece.  Taking man made pollutants cast up from the sea & turning it into poignant visually striking art forms. 

A thank you to the customer service of Penzance, Longrock McDonalds who without prompting offered a fresh bowl of water for my dog.  Also staff at Jordan's Cafe (who do exceedingly good coffee), but also offer my assistance dog a biscuit on her occasional visits.