Yorkshire Sculpture Park

I remember my first school trip, only a wee thing and lining up outside the primary school gate, each of us with a brown luggage tag tied to our coat buttons with our name on. How times have changed.

The Yorkshire Sculpture Park is one of those places I’ve always wanted to visit, but being without a car I haven’t yet managed.

We were told about a fantastic piece of art to look out for, a sculpture by Fiona Banner called Chinook. Two helicopter blades, suspended from the ceiling.

Yep, well…

I struggle with art sometimes, like on Monday, when we were shown an image of a shed in a room and asked to write words about it. People were coming up with words like, lonely, room within a room… I though shed with a light on, in a room. After a while I even managed, should be in a garden.

I’d be impressed if the helicopter blades were made by the artist, but I’m not even sure she personally put them on the ceiling, so I struggle with art sometimes.

It was nice though, the breeze from the blades, and the scenery from the gallery window of the Yorkshire landscape was stunning, but I don’t think that’s what the artist wanted.

I didn’t waste my time though. I found an exhibition by Ursula von Rydingsvard http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/ursula-von-rydingsvard-2014

Now, this is art.

Part of the trip was to spend time drawing and painting sculpture from the park, this was something new.

I’ve had watercolour paints for years, and am a secret painter. I’ve never left the house with them or shown a soul, so being told – or rather – given permission to go outside and paint was a tiny bit of a life changer.

I found a quiet place in the woods, with a few picnic benches, and sat there with my little paints. I painted a happy little tree (I’ll put a picture of it when I get the nerve to try the Uni scanner) People walked by, a few tried to grab a view of my painting, without being obvious, but no one laughed. The years of dreaming of this moment, sitting there, having people wander by, look and fall on the floor in laughter. It didn’t come true.

After a while my confidence grew and I left the hidden woods and found a little sculpture I liked by Masayuki Koorida.

Now this I like a lot.

I could see this being climbed on by kids, sat on by adults. Art with a purpose.