Category Archives: papiermache

How to catch a Griffin

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Sculptural papiermache Griffin by Susan Lee Kerr

Newspaper, wire, cardboard, flour, water, acrylic — and inspiration. That’s how I made the Griffin. He’s on show this weekend at the Harpenden Arts Club Exhibition. Along with Lady Cat, Wading Bird and Big Howl. I’m settling in to my new hometown, and found this wonderful art club that meets weekly to learn and do art — watercolour, acrylic, life drawing, collage, more. I’m tickled to introduce this style of sculptural papiermache to Harpenden and the county of Hertfordshire. Secret smile — the inspiration for the griffin was the Fullers Brewery branding at the Hogarth roundabout in my old hometown, Chiswick.

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Writing in the liminal space

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doorway in a fieldI’m in a peculiar state these days, one familiar to writers and artists. Liminal space is a term I’ve just learned from the book Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers*. It is a time in between, a time of knowing and not-knowing. One door is firmly shut behind me. The next door is right there — but not yet open. Whether it’s my completed novel, now being pitched by my Yes! agent InterSaga. Or another life changing event (think of arriving to start uni, think of late pregnancy with your first baby). No amount of anxiety or imagination can change what lies ahead… but it’s definite and it will happen.

A strange state of forced patience, of trying to just value this in between, moment by moment. ‘Without any irritable reaching after fact’ said Keats, coining the term negative capability. Which is a positive thing. In fact it’s what writing the next novel is all about. A blind plunge into the unknown, the blank page.

PS — see my new crazy papiermache works here.  And a new haiku here.

PPS — *By Barry Kay, the book is a memoir of a truly remarkable split upbringing.

Writing in my sleep

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papiermache sculpture by slk

Sleeping Wing slk 2010

‘Sleep on it’ they say. I’ve finally got to the stage of life when I find out it’s true. Deeply deeply re-writing A Body of Knowledge, I’ll finish a chapter, glance ahead to see what to tackle next, shut down for the day (or night). Then towards morning, or walking about doing the Rest of Life next day, I’m suddenly struck. ‘He wouldn’t say it that way, it’d be…’ or ‘She has to remember the time they…’ or ‘omg, X has to happen before they discover Y.’

Feeling good about Trust the Process. Let things come to me. Don’t force it.

The blue wing thing is an abstract piece of sculptural papiermache I made. It came as a dream image.