Visual Artist - Pauline Woolley

CELL ART WORKSHOP - WITH JO BERRY AND BERNIE RUTTER

2012-02-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

I had seen Jo Berry's fascinating exhibition 'Hijacking Natural Systems' at Derby Art Gallery and Museum last summer so was very much looking forward to seeing it again at Lakeside, Nottingham University this month. Her collaborative work with scientists at QMC resulted in a series of digital drawings and laser cut light boxes based upon her time researching a 'hunger' hormone and the effect it has on the body's cells.

It was with great enthusiasm that I went along to Jo Berry and Bernie Rutter's 'Cell Art' workshop on 26th February and spent a whole day looking at creating cell animations, digital drawings, projected coloured OHP pieces and paint and ink works. Alongside this, Jo gave and in-depth tour of her work explaining her process and her experience working in the labs alongside scientists.

It was an intense, enjoyable day and it was also great to catch up with fellow visual artist Jane Pepper.

CELL ART WORKSHOP OHP PROJECTION - Pauline Woolley - photograph by Jane Pepper

Injected with inspiration, and by using some of the coloured acetate pieces I made at the workshop I have created a new Vita Su Marte/Mars Canal work.

Vita Su Marte 3 - digital painting, acetate and ink - Pauline Woolley 2010

MESSAGE ON A BLOG - OWN A PIECE OF MY WORK FOR FREE

2012-02-21T10:27:00.000-08:00

VITA SU MARTE 1 - digital image/painting/drawing 2012

One of the most interesting things about making art in this age is it's ability to find it's way on the screen of someone thousand of miles from where you are.

I have just recently collected my postcards from the Surface Gallery's International postcard show and it made me think of ways in which we can share physical art on a smaller scale. I then started to think of the idea of a message in a bottle and a way in which I could give something back to anybody who has purposefully or stumbled upon and read my blog.

With this, I am prepared to give away, and post on, one of my 6 x 4 postcards of the series VITA SU MARTE recently shown in Nottingham to someone who is willing to contact me and forward me an address so I can send the postcard on to them. The person who will receive the postcard will be the furthest away from Nottingham outside of the UK.

To apply, just click on my contact details at the side of the blog and send me your address and some info on how you found out about my work.

CLOSING DATE: 31st March 2012 - Good Luck!

THE INTERNATIONAL POSTCARD SHOW 2012

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

I have two postcards in this show at The Surface Gallery International Postcard Show, Nottingham. The show starts on the 25th January and is on until 11th February.

PIP DICKENS - NEW WORKS

2012-01-13T06:10:00.000-08:00

Pip Dickens studied in the year above me at Leeds Metropolitan University in the 90's. While studying she was awarded an art travel award to Iceland. Seeing her response to this trip in paint started to fuel my own fascination with the country.

I am a great admirer of her work and consider her to be one of best contemporary painters in the country. I very much recommend seeing her work in the flesh.

SKEIN TREES

2012-01-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Skein Trees 2012

First photograph of 2012. A very painterly image of trees at Gunthorpe, Nottinghamshire, whilst walking on a bitterly cold January afternoon. The photograph is very reminiscent of the work of painter Michael Porter in colour and texture.

BARCELONA SHOWCASE - IMAGES

2011-12-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

Longitude, Latitude and Iceland Series limited edition prints on hahnemuhle paper
- Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain 2011

MORE TREMORS FROM KATLA

2011-12-02T05:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15995845

Emergency leaflets are available from most places in Southern Iceland and made interesting and slightly scary reading whilst staying in the town of Vik.

POLAR MARS 3

2011-11-24T07:30:00.000-08:00

Polar Mars 3 - ipod drawing 2011

SELECTED FOR MIDLANDS OPEN 2011, TARPEY GALLERY

2011-11-09T07:24:00.000-08:00

Good news. I have had work selected for the Midlands Open 2011, at the Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington, Nottingham. Exhibition runs from 12th November - 24th December.

MORE IPOD DRAWINGS

2011-11-08T05:37:00.000-08:00

Polar Mars 1 - ipod drawing 2011

Polar Mars 2 - ipod drawing 2011

I have a definite urge be taking these into actual paint on canvas very shortly. I am now wanting to start feeling the reactions of paint again and to be scaling the images up.

SEISMIC LONGITUDE LATITUDE

2011-11-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Using my short film LONGITUDE, LATITUDE I have abstracted it to produce a short video piece of about 40 seconds . The idea was to combine lines and muted colours that resonated the series of paintings I did during my residency at the Goldfactory in 2008. I was also holding in my head images of seismic readings and data print out images from NASA.

LONGITUDE, LATITUDE PART 2 - IN SEARCH OF SNOWDON

2011-10-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Whilst away in Snowdonia this week, I was able to continue taking photographs and film for the LONGITUDE, LATITUDE series. These two photographs were taken only a few minutes apart 600 metres up the Miners Track on Snowdon. The immediate change in weather was breath-taking along with the changing aspects of light.

MARS CANAL - ANOTHER IPOD DRAWING

2011-10-18T05:47:00.000-07:00

Untitled - iPod drawing 2011

Another work from the iPod. This is working alongside some canvases I have started in the studio

SEISMIC AND MARS CANAL MONO PRINTS

2011-10-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

mono printing - studio shot

mono printing seismic scan

mono prints with iPod drawing

With evidence this week that Iceland's most famous volcano Katla is experiencing frequent tremors, I thought it would be good time to post some of the mono printing I did last month based on seismic data. Katla sits under the Mýrdalsjökull glacier and last erupted in 1918 and caused such a large volcanic ash cloud that crops failed and starvation occurred. The eruption was recorded to have lasted a month and evidence suggests that it even caused gas poisoning in parts of the UK.

Preferring to work on a couple different series of work at a time, I also produced some mono prints relating to my Mars Canal ideas during the same studio visit.

mars canal mono prints

seismic and mars canal prints

THE VANISHING GLACIERS OF THE HIMALAYAS

2011-10-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

The vanishing glaciers of the Himalayas were featured in an online article on the BBC website today. The "Rivers Of Ice"exhibition is taking place at the Royal Geographical Society in London until November 11th.

I have never been to the Himalayas but would very much like to visit. Here is my own tribute to the diminishing glaciers of planet Earth. This is a photograph I took of Svínafellsjökull in Iceland back in 2010.

Svínafellsjökull - 2010 Pauline Woolley

Unfortunately you don't really get the sense of scale from the photo. These are large peaks with deep crevasses and when walking on the glacier you are quite high up. To get onto the ice, I had to climb down a rope ladder from the rocks. Our guide told us that at the beginning of the summer, walkers were able to just step onto the glacier off the rocks. This was a big indication of how much the ice had receded in only a few months.

SEISMIC SEA SCANS

2011-10-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

Seismic Sea Scan 1, photograph - 2011

Seismic Sea Scan 2, photograph - 2011

Seismic Sea Scan 3, photograph - 2011

These are some night time shots I took of the ocean in Santorini this year. They have a drawing quality to them, almost scan like and thought they seem to feed into my seismic subject.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: Pictures: Saturn Moon Coated in Fresh Powder

2011-10-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

Pictures: Saturn Moon Coated in Fresh Powder

SEISMIC iPOD DRAWINGS

2011-10-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I did a days mono printing in the studio based on the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption of 2010. These new iPod drawings are taking from seismic reading of the tremors that took place. I contacted the Icelandic Metrological Office and they kindly sent me some data readings.

Seismic 1 - iPod drawing 2011

Seismic 2 - iPod drawing 2011

Seismic 3 - iPod drawing 2011

Seismic 4 - iPod drawing 2011

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

2011-10-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

I have two photographs being shown as part of the show 'Games People Play' at DEDA, Derby 3rd October to 29th October. The exhibition has been created by Artcore.

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS

2011-09-19T05:52:00.000-07:00

Wolfgang Tillsman talks about his best shot, the transit of Venus across the sun in todays Guardian.

Venus transit, 2004 by Wolfgang Tillsman Photograph: Wolfgang Tillsman

MICRO ALTITUDES AT THE WIRKSWORTH FESTIVAL

2011-09-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

Micro Altitudes 1 and 2 - The Wirksworth Festival 2011

FABRIC OF THE LAND 2011 - TIME LAPSE VIDEO

2011-09-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

The organisers of the Fabric of the Land exhibition at The University of Aberdeen took a time lapse video of the installation of the exhibition and the Private View. Very interesting to see the creation of the space.

Fabric of the Land - time lapse from Smart Consultants on Vimeo.

NEW iPOD DRAWING

2011-09-09T05:59:00.001-07:00

mars grid 1 - ipod drawing - 2011

mars grid 2 - ipod drawing - 2011

mars pole grid 1 - ipod drawing - 2011

The imported gridded background is helping to keep the similarity with my previous hand drawings that I produced earlier this year. These drawings are helping me to realise in my mind what they may look like on canvas. My plan is to continue with these drawings throughout the winter months with the intention of starting the paintings spring next year. Along side these paintings with be one or two larger scale drawings. The pole grid is a newer idea that has filtered into the work.

BARCELONA SHOWCASE - International Contemporary Art Exhibition

2011-09-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

Good news in that I have been selected to show my work at the Casa Batllo in Barcelona in December. Take a look at the promo video.

RELIEF MAPS FROM THE PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS, LILLE

2011-08-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

I have always been interested in maps. I would spend a lot time as a young child documenting in detail on matrix printer paper the journey we would make as a family to Anglesey. I have never seen relief maps before, so I was quite blown away by these relief maps I saw last week in the Palais Des Beaux-Arts in Lille.


Relief Maps in The Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Lille - Pauline Woolley 2011

Take a look at the website www.fortified-places.com/reliefs/beauxarts.html for more detailed information regards their history.

NEA KAMENI - SANTORINI'S VOLCANO

2011-08-31T04:18:00.000-07:00

The Greek island of Santorini is essentially what is left from the collapsing of the Nea Kameni Volcano some 3600 years ago. In it's wake it left a huge sea water caldera that now separates Santorini from it's other small neighboring islands.

Taking a day trip over to the volcano from the shore of Santorini, it was interesting to walking up and over this dormant volcano. Nea Kameni is the island at the front of the photograph.


Nea Kameni - Pauline Woolley 2011

Back in the 1950's the volcano erupted again. The tour guide on the trip stated that school children came home in the afternoon and were able to watch the eruption from the safety of Santorini.

1950's Santorini erruption - photo by M Toubis SA

Santorini has an amazing beach named Vlychada and on first sight I was convinced that the rocks had been carved. The amazing shapes were very Gaudi and so for the rest of the trip it was named 'The Gaudi Beach'.


Vlychada 'The Gaudi Beach' - Pauline Woolley 2011

Santorini's most famous cove is the Red Beach. Stunning Mars like red rocks make it quite an alien place to visit. I took a lot of photos to inspire my Mars Canal series.

Red Beach - Pauline Woolley 2011

WIRKSWORTH FESTIVAL

2011-08-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

I will be showing work from my Micro Altitude series at the Wirksworth Festival in Derbyshire on the weekend of the 10th and 11th of September.

LONGITUDE, LATITUDE FILM

2011-08-24T13:28:00.000-07:00

Before I went to Iceland last year I read the book Moondust by Andrew Smith who wrote the account of finding the nine surviving Apollo astronauts and basically asking them how did they cope emotionally after visiting the Moon.

In Iceland I visited Askja, an interior area of the country that the Apollo Astronauts trained before their mission to the Moon.

The lucky ones to visit the actual surface had limited time and a list of scientific duties to carry out. The human urge to look, explore and experience was often restricted and left some of the astronauts unfulfilled.

Iceland is the closest I will ever come to a lunar-like experience and it led me to think how often we ourselves when travelling on planet earth are unable to absorb the entire beauty of what we see. We take endless photos and videos that don't quite fill that emotional void we can be left with when we leave a place. The film I shot as part of Longitude, Latitude has a series of quite short clips of locations only identified by it's coordinates and the footage slowed down to try and prolong the experience. The natural phenomena is only experienced for a short moment before it moves onto something else, leaving you wanting to see a little bit more. A frustration that is so minor compared to those that walked on the moon

LONGITUDE, LATITUDE from Pauline Woolley on Vimeo.

COMPLEX SERIES 2007 - 2008

2011-08-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

In 2007 I began experimenting with paints on pre-exposed photographic paper. I would initially expose the paper under an enlarger to essentially fog it and then process the paper so it turned black. Using acrylic paint pens I began a series of work that was loosely based on cell/molecule or 'complex' like structures, often using thin lines or small dots that built up across the surface of the paper.

Complex 1, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 2, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 3, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 4, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 5, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 6, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 7, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 8, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

Complex 9, acrylic on photographic paper - 2008

EXPLORATION, DISCOVERY, INVESTIGATION AND EMERGENCE SERIES 2005 - 2006

2011-08-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

My starting point comes from the unobvious aesthetics in nature that primarily looks at images of the very close up and the very far away. The source material ranges from photographs of planetary surfaces in space, to the cellular structures of organisms seen under a microscope.

Digital technology provides us with detailed photographs of cellular structures and lets us experience the surfaces of planets, we, as human beings may never encounter. Interestingly, we are handed these images often without questioning their reality and truth.

Like an astronaut or scientist, I embark on my own journey of discovery. Working with the fluidity of paint, the journey travels on an artistic interpretation of these images to create “other worlds”.

The act of painting becomes a documentation of a process which could be seen as an ‘event’. This is an event full of unpredictability and where intuition shapes the organic forms. A dialogue begins and comments on the technique and process of painting and juxtaposes the fluidity of the material used and the fluidity of the biological and chemical substances that create us.

The conclusion of the painting results in a surface that echoes elements of the micro and macro world that alludes to the fragility of existence, and suggests how little we know about our place in the Universe.

Exploration a, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Exploration b, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Exploration c, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Discovery a, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Discovery b, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Discovery c, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Discovery d, acrylic and ink on paper - 2005

Investigation a, oil on paper - 2006
(Private Collection)

Investigation b, oil on paper - 2006

Investigation c, oil on paper - 2006
(Private Collection)

Investigation d, oil on paper - 2006
(Private Collection)

Emergence a, oil on canvas - 2006
(Private Collection)

Emergence b, oil on canvas - 2006

Emergence IIa, oil on board - 2006

Emergence IIb, oil on board - 2006

The Axis Travelling Moleskine®

2011-08-23T01:27:00.000-07:00

Last year I was invited to take part in the Axis Travelling Moleskine® on the theme of 'Americana'. The book has now been made into a short film by Axis.

Axis Travelling Moleskine® from Axisweb on Vimeo.

EXHIBITION NEWS

2011-08-17T07:37:00.000-07:00

I have had two photographs from my 'Longitude, Latitude' series selected to be shown in the exhibition 'Fabric of the Land' at the University of Aberdeen from 27th August - 18th September 2011.

Take a look at http://www.fabricoftheland.com/

iPOD Drawings - more studies

2011-08-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Whilst away in Santorini, Greece, and very much inspired by the Mars like appearance of it's volcano and certain areas of the island, I was able to do some more small studies for the Mars Canal series on my iPod.

Interestingly I have begun to add a little colour into these small sketches and I think this is due to the ability of testing ideas with knowing I can instantly erase. It's far cheaper than scrapping off tubes of oil paint from canvas.

Mars Study 1 - 2011

Mars Study 2 - 2011

Mars Study 3 - 2011

Mars Study 4 - 2011

iPod Drawing - testing the idea

2011-07-30T13:16:00.000-07:00

Seeing myself as a painter, I often struggle with my keen interest in new technology and using it to make art. I guess I have always felt that it somehow becomes a middle man for the final artefact and reduces that "hand-made" quality. However, the more I run from it, the more it draws me in. Earlier this month I attended an iPad Conference at the E-Learning Centre in Nottingham. One workshop I attended was run by artist Mik Godley who at the moment is pushing his own painting practice by producing work on an iPad. Click on his name to go to his blog.

Resisting the temptation to purchase one at the present moment, I have been doing some basic drawings on my iPod Touch using Adobe Ideas, Brushes and Sketchbook Mobile apps and a stylus. It's early days, but I am enjoying the challenge of working on a small screen with basic tools.

I am intending that it will form part of the Mars Canal series.

iPod drawing Mars Canal series 2011

LINES ON THE LANDSCAPE - THE LAKES

2011-07-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

A recent trip to the Lake District fuelled my excitement for dramatic landscape and particularly the thin lines of paths that score the hills and mountains. I went back to the studio this week and revisited an old series of work called "Skein" that I started back in 2006. The drawings that came from this work went on to be an important part of the "Mars Canal" series.

Lines On The Landscape - Pauline Woolley 2011

"Skein" work in progress - oil and acrylic on board

Exhibition - Semiconductor Worlds in the Making

2011-07-07T03:57:00.000-07:00

I am still very much interested in producing a series of work based upon the Eyjafjallajökull eruption of 2010. I came across this exhibition that is taking place at FACT in Liverpool and intend to visit it over the summer. It looks very interesting.

http://www.fact.co.uk/about/exhibitions/2011/semiconductor-worlds-in-the-making

LONGITUDE LATITUDE SERIES

2011-06-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

The Longitude Latitude series of work was started and developed during my second visit to Iceland in August 2010. Taking various shots of the extreme landscape throughout my trip, I decided to name them only by the co-ordinates of the locations visited. This series is ongoing with a film piece to accompany the photography.

Pauline Woolley 2010

EXHIBITION NEWS

2011-06-28T05:29:00.000-07:00

I will be in London at the end of this week showing work at PARALLAX AF from Friday 1st July to Sunday 3rd July. See image for details or go to www.barlowfinedrawings.com/parallaxaf.html

The Goldfactory Residency - Egerton Studios 2008

2011-06-17T07:21:00.000-07:00

In August of 2008 I was invited to take up a four week residency in The Goldfactory Project Space in Egerton Studios, Oldknows Building, Nottingham.

During the first week, I went over to Iceland to collect first hand research material to bring back to the studio and work from.

It was long standing ambition to visit the country and it did not disappoint. Infact only it only added to the fuel of my passion for the country.

Here is the publication I created to go with final exhibition.

Route 1 Around Iceland - The Goldfactory Project

bjarg - cliff, rock

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

(Private Collection)

drangur - rock column

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

foss - waterfall

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

(Private Collection)

hraun - lava

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

hver - hotspring

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

(Private Collection)

jokull - glacier

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

(Private Collection)

lon - lagoon

oil and acylic on photographic paper

2008

(Private Collection)

trachyte - igneous rock

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

vatn - lake

oil and acrylic on photographic paper

2008

Ice: a passage through time by Hal Gage

2011-06-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

I came across this publication today by Hal Gage. Though shot mostly in Alaska, it reminded me of my work and research for my 'Micro Altitudes' series. It also made me think of the possible trip to Greenland next year.

This book is beautiful.

Ice: a passage through time by Hal Gage

ART AND SCIENCE

2011-06-15T02:39:00.001-07:00

I came across the GV Arts website a while ago and downloaded this e-catalogue. Being interested in the link between art and science I found the work fascinating and inspiring. Here is the link.

EXPERIMENTS ART AND SCIENCE

Eyjafjallajökull - ash collecting and new ideas

2011-06-07T07:22:00.000-07:00

On my second visit to Iceland in August 2010, I visited Seljavellir where I was able to take samples of the volcanic ash. At Seljavellir there is an abandoned farm along with an abandoned public swimming bath. The area was still thick with ash and diggers were present still trying to clear a lot of the area.

Back in February I contacted the Icelandic Meteorological Office asking for seismic graphs of the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions of 2010. At the same time I was looking at new work by Mark Francis. I got this reply:

Hello Pauline - attached are two pdf files with waveforms of two earthquakes that occurred in Eyjafjallajökull volcano (records from the same station). During the two eruptions we recorded thousands of earthquakes so I just picked two of the bigger ones. One occurred during the flank eruption that began on 20 March (100406). The other occurred as the magma was breaking its way to the surface right before the second eruption in the summit of the volcano (100413).

Best regards,
Bergthóra S. Thorbjarnardóttir
Monitoring Department
Iceland Meteorological Office

MICRO ALTITUDE SERIES - Painting in Progress video

2011-05-27T07:36:00.001-07:00

In April of 2010, myself and other artists Billie Ireland and Paula Reid produced a series of individual work under the umbrella title "Painting in Progress". The initial idea was to photograph each stage of the paintings that we were making and put them together into a film that was then projected at the exhibition. The film was a way of letting audiences see how we go about making our work.

Here are the paintings from this series of work.

MICRO ALTITUDE 1

50cm x 50cm

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE 2

50cm x 50cm

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE 3

90cm x 90cm

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE 4

90cm x 90cm

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE 5

90cm x 90cm

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE 6

oil on canvas

2010

(Private Collection)

MICRO ALTITUDE 7

oil on canvas

2010

(Private Collection)

MICRO ALTITUDE a (diptych)

oil on canvas

2010

MICRO ALTITUDE b (diptych)

oil on canvas

2010

MARS CANALS

2011-05-27T05:43:00.001-07:00

Back in 2010 I began a series of work created from two areas of interest: the lyrics from Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War Of The Worlds and Astronomer Percival Lowell’s misinterpretation of Astronomer Giovanni Schiaperelli's 19t Century observations of the Martian canals or 'canali'

Below are some research images. I found a very interesting blog with lots of maps and illustrations. http://bibliodyssey.blogspot.com/2008/04/channelling-martian-maps.html

Mars Canal depicted by Percival Lowell

Image either Lowell or Schiaparelli

Mars Map 1890 Giovanni Schiaparelli

The initial pieces of work were show in the show 4 CAN + 2 at the Surface Gallery in Nottingham in February 2011.

Across Two Hundred Million Miles Of Void - ink on paper

Invisibly Hurtling - ink on paper

Midnight On The Twelfth Of August - ink on paper

Ulla 2 - digital print

Ulla 1 - digital print

exhibition shot

My next stage of development is to read 'Mapping Mars: Science, Imagination and the birth of a World in conjunction with photographing the volcanic island of Santorini this summer. It's rich red soil is very Mars like.

ICELAND - Grímsvötn eruption

2011-05-27T05:42:00.000-07:00

These images were taken off the Icelandic Meteorological website. All copyright belongs to the photographers.

The link for the website is; http://en.vedur.is/