Land-Scape

Land — Scape Over the past few months, I’ve been painting a selection of small landscapes. Initially, these pieces are painted en plein air and then either re-worked in the studio or left as they are in their particularly raw and revealing state; this revealing state is exactly my intention with these pieces. For a […]

Swathing Your Skin

Hi everyone,

I have yet another written piece to share with you all. This one came out of a vision, or kind of daydream, like a little burst of clarity that expanded and shifted.I haven’t modified this in any way, so it is very much an autonomous piece.

Like always, the photograph/artwork in the banner is by me.

If you are interested in my art, please visit my website (link in my profile).

SWATHING YOUR SKIN

What would it feel like

to be a wave

touching, curling,

swathing your skin

ℑ

Lifting you up

with an

aerating tingle,

spreading across

your creeping smile

ℑ

Sweet contact

in the current,

with the current,

in subtle silence

ℑ

Where

are the words

when you

move the waves

and the waves move you,

all over,

all across,

all through you?

Recreating the past – Part 1

During late February to late September, I worked alongside a small-yet highly efficient and intelligent-team on a public art sculpture with a local artist and sculptor by the name of Alex Mickle. This project, initially called the “sound wall project” was part of the first unit for the Bachelor of Honours Visual Art Major degree, Directed Study. This is the first installment that covers the story of “The Rescue,” a special public art project.

Some Recent paintings

Hi everyone! I hope that you’ve all been well. Recently, I’ve been conducting a series of short and immediate paint sketches of yachts and boats down near the local marina. I have found myself struggling to really balance the visual elements against the changing weather, the differentiating light and shadows and just generally deciding what […]

Untitled: Today

Welcome dear friends. Today, I’m simply sharing a thought and I hope that it strikes you well and strong, and that you look around and notice the little things. This is something I think about generally to make myself aware to be more unostentatious, I guess, of my existence and place in the world. Thanks for stopping […]

Dreamland

I’m going somewhere, doing something to get to somewhere to do some more. It’s always about the next thing, and there’s always a backtracking to moments gone. Transitory moments against solidified happenings. It’s morning and the thought of the unperceivable immensity of things to do, things to think of, reflect on, plan and the current action of the going-somewhere-but-not-there-yet is burning […]

A short burst

Hi all once again. Recently, I’ve been drawing and building things more with my hands rather than with a pen or a keyboard. What I am currently working on will have to be saved for another time simply because of its gargantuan measure: it would take at least 10 posts just to cover it. Anyway, […]

Vestal Shore

Tiredness can get to you sometimes. Sometimes it’s about the speed of it, and other times it’s about the things it enables you to think about just before you pass out somewhere while wearing a massive raincoat. Unintentional occurrences like this can cause nightmares or lovely dreams or anything in-between the infinite spaces of your […]

Untitled: Solicitus

Welcome back! It’s been a while, I know, but I’ve a lengthier piece of work to share with you all as a result of that considerably strange hiatus. I thought I’d somewhat oxymoronically name the story “untitled” as well as “Solicitus”. The former is Latin and means restless. It’s a nominative case which is used here […]

Difficult Simplicities

“. . . I wrote this not to anyone in particular, but I did write it as if embodying the role of a young adult and his role to tell his child of those also particularly true situations we face in life. It’s not quite as debilitating as saying, “Oh, the Easter bunny isn’t really real”, but more subtle, as anything worth saying like this should be. “

A selection of yachts

It started out quite naturally; one day after a swimming I came home by the docking yards and curiously stared at a large boat. But it wasn’t just one. There were a few that really got me. And with that I thought, “Damn. What if I attempted to draw one of those?”.

Violet Husk

Today, I welcome you all back to that luminous cavern where words go floating about. This one is called Violet Husk. A new piece by myself for all of you here, on His Empty Space. Enjoy. VIOLET HUSK The antler moon rides our husk of noon; The antler moon rides our way as light exudes. […]

Lunar Lacuna

You guessed it! Another writing piece. As I promised yesterday, this will follow on from those previously shared here on His Empty Space. This piece is called ‘Lunar Lacuna’ and follows on, in a way, from what was started in the ‘Moonlight Mare’ piece written just a while back. While this is not a really […]

Lotus Skirt

Excerpt from ‘Lotus Skirt’ “. . .Imminence calls,

Breaks our capsule walls;

Teething haggard skulls,

Grinding amputated sin.”

Infinitude of the minuscule

Excerpt from Infinitude of the Minuscule “. . .The rumbling is always there: it’s insider her, knowing that she’s lost something but doesn’t remember all of it. And the distant humming, like an ethereal locomotive that travels throughout her shell and passes into the cool calamity.”

Moonlight Mare

Excerpt from ‘Moonlight Mare’

“. . .Wraps her hair, looks and stares. Is it me? That one in there?Breathes the sierra air.
Her fair primavera glare.”

Sightless Black

“. . .I came toward the barber hill

And look around and up and down

For night-scratched holes to fill.

Viridian ships abound the shore,

Amongst blasted scalps and buoyant gore.”

Untitled: Dream

“. . .I’m here because I have yet another piece of writing or rambling for you to take a quick look at. This one stems from a more poetic styling and is less about random details as it is about a sort of narrative, I guess, where every line follows a question for you, the reader. It’s an imaginary base to play with.”

The Quadrant

Welcome, readers! I hope you are all well and fit and fine and busy in your lives. Today’s writing is a small meditation about a particular person. I’ll leave it at that and let you read it, absorb it, see what you think of it. THE QUADRANT It’s been one quarter and, still, it feels strange […]

Never never

Welcome, readers.

This is yet again another small (read: super short) piece of writing. These pieces formulate in a matter of seconds and never, if rarely, go beyond about 3-5 minutes of musing.

My primary focus with these short pieces is exploring the fragmented bursts of imagery that they can conjure. I want to explore with you the potential images: the scintillations of memories, that bestowing power of your imagination, and, lastly, the little details that make things interesting.

Today’s little title is called Never Never

The Book of Early Whisperings

Welcome, dear readers. I trust you have all been well and well engaged in your activities. Today, I’m heading back to writing a small review. This follows on from the similar other reviews I have done of Albert Camus’s The Outsider/Stranger, and a thought/review amalgamation of Planescape: Torment (found here, and here respectively), although this one […]

Alone in a Room

“. . .These disturbances have no finality and wrap tendrils that burn my mind’s purity.

Bones seem frailer; each extension crackles under the flight of immediacy.

Spaces now seem further. . .the place is over

a mile away from my mouth and I cannot catch what it holds.”

Amazon

Softened browns and tattered thread hangs

over her slender frame.

Blue and green beads plaited like a rotary blade down her shoulders

“. . .A curdle of muck smeared on her scalp, hanging like a disowned ledge

beneath those sonorous, charcoal eyes.”

Betwixt figure and fantasy.

Substance is enduring, form is ephemeral – Dee Hock What is it that makes a body recognisable? Or a face, or a limb? And what are those liminal spaces betwixt figure and fantasy? The particular line that acts as a barrier between understanding what we see and becoming confused or mystified by it. How much, […]

Bereavement – A room for two.

Today’s post is another short story, in a sense, about bereavement and the potential horrors that come with it. Note: I am not focusing on these horrors in an undermining or demeaning way; rather, I am looking at how the process of grieving can change the way one looks at the world and the beloved.

The Digital Hearth

As I do, I had this idea of an evolved functionality of a certain subject. To be more precise, I was thinking about fireplaces and how they act as a place of gathering, of sharing stories, and of a disclosed space between the dark world around them and the emanating light from within them.

Of Pictures and Words – Those who Remain extended.

Previously, I posted about Those who Remain, a collaborative artist book I worked on a few years back with a friend. In the initial post [here], I talked of the themes, intentions, symbols used and the materials and methods. I did not, however, include the story of the book, just the illustrations.

Those who Remain

‘Those who Remain’ is an artist book I made during the second semester of my penultimate year at university. “Artist books: Materiality of word and Image” was the unit title, and it followed with some profound creations throughout our class. I collaborated with a friend, Darren Tynan, on the written element for the book. While I did a lot of the work myself, the book is still a collaborative effort. The book–including all concepts, story, drawings, fitting of materials, creation and every other part–was made in less than 12 weeks.

Sea as Sanctuary

The idea of “sea as sanctuary” came about immediately after casting my message in a bottle. I’d like to think that most of us go to the sea/ocean, or some other geographic expanse (read: landscape) to search for something when we don’t know what we need. And we keep coming back; we don’t stop just once.

Self-portraiture as Self-identity. . .and some other things.

This is a continuation from my first blog post, Between obsession and passion, which looked at a research question that asked: “How can the creation of self-portraiture lead towards a sense of self-identity in the artist?”

I think most of us can agree that there comes a time in our lives–maybe more than once, or even very often–when we become confused and uncertain about ourselves. Perhaps we look for answers and seek consolation; perhaps we go into confinement and reflect upon our decision and direction. Perhaps, above all, we seek meaning and something to grasp onto.

Continued: BY THE BEDSIDE – A DRAWING CHALLENGE

Welcome again everyone! Today’s post is a continuation of a challenge set for myself on the 20th of December, whereupon I would draw whatever appears on my bed (or “bedside”) for seven days.

So, I’m curious, did anyone actually follow the challenge with me? Did you feel inspired to participate or adopt a similar art-challenge for themselves? And, most importantly, if you did, was it fun?

The intention as described in the original post:

This idea originated from utilising everyday objects and places to better understand tone or tonal values. I thought, quite randomly, “what if I draw whatever appears on my bed?”. I set this as a challenge for myself to complete a drawing a day (or night) for seven days. I welcome you along to follow the challenge, and post the results of your own work and share and talk about this.

Beside this were three rules (1) leave the bed and objects how they were, (2) choose an unfamiliar media, and (3) don’t be concerned about mistakes.

Objects on my bed were really quite varied – everything from a chair to an African djembe drum. However, alongside this, almost every time a fold of sheets or an assortment of clothes appeared.

RESULTS*

* Results include the first two drawings previously shown.

Bedside drawing 3. Conte on khaki paper.

Bedside drawing 4. Conte on khaki paper.

Bedside drawing 5. Conte on khaki paper.

Bedside drawing 6. Conte on khaki paper.

Bedside drawing 7. Conte on khaki paper.

As we can see, the variety of drawings is quite large, even in a small number like this. The bed never remains the same; something always alters and it largely goes unnoticed.

My initial ‘plan’, so to say, of achieving a tonal quality, was not always met to the fullest degree. Most of the time I find this terribly hard myself, which is why I conducted this to show all of you readers. My real skill lies in linework, rather than in blocks of tone. I think this is quite evident in the results above.

Perhaps the best drawings that meet this are the first two I completed. Still, 2 decent drawings out of seven is a win for me!

I hope you enjoyed reading the post.

Till next time,

Tom. 🙂

By the bedside – a drawing challenge

This idea originated from utilising everyday objects and places to better understand tone or tonal values. I thought, quite randomly, “what if I draw whatever appears on my bed?”. I set this as a challenge for myself to complete a drawing a day (or night) for seven days. I welcome you along to follow the challenge, and post the results of your own work and share and talk about this.

Something for someone and for everyone.

I wrote this quite a long time ago now for someone quite special to me indeed. But, as things move and shift in the world, so do the meanings of things and their influence. This piece of writing is now a nostalgic memory, a time not present but made so only by reflection, as the […]

My immediate thoughts on Camus’s The Stranger

I recently picked up Albert Camus’s The Stranger (1942) at a book-fair whilst at Melbourne’s Federation Square. I had heard of the book before, and knew of its basic coverage and premises, but never read it. This time, though, I knew that I could not force myself to live in the terrible agony of having not read this seminal piece of literature. . .

Venturing into the self

Another continuation and look at my research project, with some samples of self-portraits not seen on any other space except here. Enjoy.

The All-Consuming

This thought sprung from a recent discussion with some friends, which further brought about an awareness of the consumption we undergo daily. This concept starts with ourselves as a vessel for this ‘consumption’. . .

Thoughts – Planescape: Torment

It’s not often that you can find a piece of media – especially a video-game – that can hold its strength to a novel, or is as strong as a novel. Perhaps not just a novel, but an ancient text, a manuscript or tablet from a lost civilisation (think the Epic of Gilgamesh, or the Emerald Tablets of Thoth). This is exactly what Planescape represents, and in all of its thoroughness and depth, it challenges and intrigues beyond the common purpose of conventional gaming. This common purpose is, of course, to entertain and engage. So, what happens when the common purpose is re-focused through the lenses of imagination and philosophy?

Who are ‘they’ ?

I bet you’re thinking: what do you mean when you say “they”. Well, I’m about to explain this whole concept in just a second.

It starts with a mystique, a hidden identity of someone or something cloaked in some menacing or foreboding silhouette…or does it?

My first Zine – Another snippet

As promised, this post is a continuation of more parts from my first zine, titled “Corpuscular Moon”, a project currently in the work. Today, I’m sharing a selected piece that will be present in the final work.

Zines – what they are, and examples of my own.

There’s a certain fascination in being able to publish and disperse your own written or visual material in good ol’ physical copies. This is, essentially, what zines cater for. During my recent internship at Bunbury regional Art Galleries (BRAG) – see http://www.brag.org.au/, I found out exactly what a zine was for myself for the first time. […]

Between obsession and passion

Sometimes, it’s hard to define the exact line between an outpouring of creative electricity and that numbing, somewhat blinding charge of having gone too far. Passion or Obsession? Recently, this is what too much artistic focus has shown me – particularly given that the subject of this artwork has been self-portraits. This study into self-portraiture […]

Uncertain Path

Uncertain Path This is is something I wrote a long time ago. I’m watching your voice go out. It is dying in the rain against the cool sweeps of grey. There are cinders of paper that curl in the wind, and your image is distorted. I’m un-aware of your awareness, your hope of […]

The Eternal Midnight

Welcome back, dear readers and drifters.

I have not wrote in a long while, and now feel that I have something to share again with those who wish to see it.

This post follows my particular concept of the ‘eternal midnight’ and, further, my ideas about it in the context of a poem and some recent artwork.

But, what constitutes my thoughts is more than an idea; it is a feeling, a sense of being. In this being, there is an activation of some special source.

The source of the idea, or where the idea arrives to me from is of a mysterious nature and something of an endless, ever present fascination with the absence of light. This feeling is a spur that allows me to follow and search for visions, images, and play with this force of ideas in the dark.

The trigger comes by through my experience of the natural world in constant change and the process of the planets, the sun, the stars, and the moon. This allure is one of change and a particular transitory, almost ephemeral moment that is, to me, incredibly sensual, intimate, and alive. It is a muse and a delight.

What follows below is a written piece that is the immediate articulation of what I believe to be the eternal midnight for me – the thought of it, the feeling, the sense of being and all its possibility. After all, poems lend themselves to the these things.

The night conjures an eternal searching

In silence, it speaks

I witness the blackness and in it I am

It provides more than the senses can experience and more than explanations or definitions grant

I utilise it, endlessly, and it does not wane

The absence from form entices mystery

I feel alive in the dark and the dark encompasses me with warmth and guidance

The source of shadow brings focus and clarity, oneness and purity to my being.

In this sense, the release of the source comes through in the writing. As I follow the source, there is no single pattern that emerges, but a whole configuration that is much akin to a constellation of light appearing.

Below are some snapshots of some recent drawings from my Visual Art Honours Degree. These portraits and figures were created in either low-light sources or during night, all utilising a single and focused light source.

The particular aesthetic I explored with these artworks was one of a fundamentally implicit and suggested nature, allowing for the look of a distilled life force. Being all life drawings, these works allow for a more lively presence and fascination with the energy that living things imbue and impart: Change, movement, a dramatised sense of emotion and character, as well as a fascination with mortality and expiration.

Man in Wind (detail). 2016. Ink with Toothbrush on Paper.

Searching. 2016. Bitumen, Ink, Oil, Charcoal and Dammar Varnish on Hemp Canvas.

Man at Night II. 2016. Bitumen on Cardboard.

I am now preparing to create a new body of work extending upon these original artworks and the poem. I look forward to sharing these with you when I can.

Until that moment, godspeed.

A note about my work: for anyone who wishes to utilise my words or images, please send me an email at the address provided at the bottom of this post. I would also greatly appreciate it if scammers from websites that hunt and scourge blogs like my own and others, do not utilise these works for their own profit. Thank you.

My email: tansell@our.ecu.edu.au

A found thought

Welcome, In continuing with the current poetry/prose/stream of consciousness theme, I have another piece to share that I thought would suit the environment and atmosphere that has been created here on His Empty Space. I found this on a note of paper and thought of it as more as a series of questions or way […]

The pattern that beats

Welcome dear reader, Tonight I share a new piece that I wrote whilst observing nature, which I then recalled late one night. The night brings many things to the surface. I think the piece is self-explanatory and doesn’t need any introduction. Sometimes it is best to sit and watch in awe the splendour of this […]

That which twinkles at night

…Betwixt way home and wayward
To the abroad, light of noiseless remembrance

The Plastic Skin: Revealing the Epidermis

What does the environment mean to you? And, are you apart of it or are you not? If you are, would it change how you see it and treat it? If you are interdependent, then would you consider embarking on such a project?

A letter for still eyes

Welcome, dear readers.

I wrote this piece a not too long ago but long enough to have to think where I put it. I say that because it was penned on a small piece of French paper that I tucked away, waiting for it to surprise me by some benign and winding memory.

To contextualise this piece, I was thinking back to the days I was sailing on the STS Leeuwin II on my scholarship, except placed myself as a real sailor-and a married one at that-which is far from my position.

The sea and some distant family or promise of these when we go out venturing is what enabled the thoughts behind ‘A letter for still eyes’.

The value a written letter had, the treasure in an immortalised sepia daguerreotype, and the hope in a return with the closing valediction are all aspects explored.

Enjoy.

Darling,

I write to you as I exhale upon a glimpse of still eyes.

The clouds coalesce a lilac vision of you out here, and on the

rare day when it is warm I only wish it cold

to remind me of our little family.

☾☽

But I am sailing away from what I really need.

That is as clear as buffed iron cutting the waters

which is as sensitive as it is sharp.

☾☽

For know now that with each rising moon

I am the lantern who watches over you and

our daughter.

Yours always,

Will.

The Plastic Skin

I travel a fair bit during the week. This place and space I travel along and through is one I have begun to know a fair bit. It is a highway and a key route between rural towns and onto the larger ones. However, there are some troubling thoughts I digest at times along the […]