It has been so long that I seem to have been 'stuck' stunted' etc etc. that is, with regard to my creativity.
I guess, for me, it all changed vis a vis the Pandemic. At the beginning we all called it the Virus or Covid-20. When we became aware of it through the radio but mainly TV....................I suppose it seemed like we would all just have to 'put up' with 'staying at home' full time. Part of me couldn't help but think well now you all know what it's like living my life.
I have been 'housebound' for several years now. Maybe since about 2016 - it's hard to know the date exactly. But I know I stopped being a full time member of the print workshop at that time and that's a surefire indicator.
Until the time that the 'covid virus' came into being I used to work away creatively in my small printmaking studio here at home. I would select certain printmaking Biennials/ Triennials etc and make submissions to those. I would tend to do at least say 5 or 6 a year. These were mainly abroad in Europe and further afield. Participating in these exhibitions required less energy/ physical effort....something which has become increasingly important among my considerations.
One of the last print exhibition I was in was
The 11th International Triennial of Small Graphic Forms Vilnius 2020
The more energy I expend doing art related activities never mind actually printmaking-in-studio - the more lower spinal pain I experience. The other important factor is that whereas in the past I could attend eg a one day course in printmaking at eg DCA ( and it was best if I could go along with my friends Sheila or Tatiana ). although I would be utterly shattered - I would 'recover' the following evening and be flat out the next day. Then the next day I would be my usual normal pained self.
For me it meant I could, when successful, have the opportunity to have my artwork in exhibitions and often there would be documentation of the artworks in-situ including my own. In addition to this I selected printmaking exhibitions to submit to that created and printed published a catalogue with all of the works exhibited. To me this was like a document celebrating the event and it definitely had significance to me. The other thing which is/was particularly important for me, is that I didn't have to send the work already framed and 'ready to hang' . Instead I could send the prints in a rigid cardboard tube or if smaller - it could be sent in an A4 or A3 cardboard folder package.
Having said all of the above - things have now become worse - in that now I have become increasingly fatigued at doing very little. For example tidying up my work surface in my studio - whereas it might take me a couple of hours a few years ago NOW I need a couple of days. I have to really take it slowly or I could overdo it and have increased pain.
I decided to rejoin the print workshop about 9 months ago. It was in February and I went along on the Thursday. Charlie took me there and carried my A1 portfolio in and set me up at a 'work station' so to speak. I had decided to keep my movements around the workshop to an absolute minimum. I had my 'rollator' with me, to walk around with. I went for about 4 or 5 weeks in total. sometimes in succession other times with a one-week gap in between.
I was very pleased that I met a (new-to-me) person called Malcolm B. I found him to be an interesting intelligent person and helpful too - which of course I very much appreciated. What I also liked was that he was 'into; using Andrew Baldwins', BIG etching ground. Less toxic than traditional etching ground and the solvents (eg White Spirits) needed to clean up afterwards. With the Baldwins 'ground' one need not use solvents and it was/is possible to do a range of techniques using it. One thing that I had hoped to do with Malcolm was the photo etch using a toner copy eg photo copy or laser print. It never happened in the end Malcolm was busy working on something or other so that by the time he was free I had by then "fallen into disrepair".