Carolyn Thompson, 24 February – 2 March 2024
I went prepared to spend the week outside, drawing and collecting visual references. The howling winds and buckets of rain clearly had other plans! The benefits of being in Brison’s Veor, in that magnificent setting, and with glorious views from the studio, is that it offers such a wide variety of options in which work can flourish. I was able to complete a set of sunrise/sunset oil paintings outside, throughout the week, which was one of my missions. In addition I had short trips down to the cove and did lots of drawings of cliffs, rocks and pebbles – I hadn’t planned for this but it has given me lots of new reference material. I focus on a lot of geological structures in my local area (The Lizard), and this new work from Brison’s Veor is an exciting addition.
I was also able to make drawings and painting sketches of the working boats on Priest’s cove – again, this has been a recurring theme in my work for decades but it was brilliant to have all these visual images so close and within sight of the studio.
And lastly I was able to make drawings and paintings from the studio; studies of the sea, its rhythms, its colours, its movements. All of this work will be used at various points in the future.
I have been unable to pursue this sort of work for a while due to physical difficulties, it has been amazing to have such an opportunity to gather this much work together. The fact that the residency is an open residency, rather than a product orientated one, means that explorative and investigative work can take place. As an artist I am aware of the generosity and rarity of such an offer, it is a real gift from Brison’s Veor.
One of the joys for me of this residency was that I did not have to direct my work to anything other than study of my own choice. I regularly contribute to exhibitions and Open Studios and a changing exhibition of my work hangs in a restaurant but this time at Brison’s Veor was not being pursued for specific ends. The work I’ve brought back will find its way into my work , I am already working on etchings from the pebbles and stones drawings but I know more paintings will follow from the work. I am happy to send on photos of any of my future work that references Brison’s Veor. The sunrise and sunset paintings are in a different category, I have been pursuing this project for several years now, it has now become a life long project concerning notions of time passing and the work carried out in the residency will be added to my collection.
Website: www.carolyn-thompson.com