Some of my sketchbook work. Silkscreen prints on newsprint.

Definitely worth a visit (entry is free).

On Friday 14th August, I went to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition. The exhibition has been an annual event since 1769 and each year there is around 10,000 entries.

I particularly enjoyed the rooms packed with prints that were diverse in scale and process. It was really inspiring and I have made a note of several artists that I want to research further. If I find some good images, I'll post them later.

'Dynamism of a Soccer Player', oil on canvas, 193.2 x 201 cm, Umberto Boccioni

For me, the work of Umberto Boccioni was the most sensitive and astute. His work is dynamic, full of formal contrasts and truely explores the the Furturist's ideal of simultaneity: showing different perspectives of objects, people, and the environment in one composition; everything connected, one aspect affecting another, merging together. This really struck a chord with me as I am producing work that is emotionally responsive and, my environment and the objects I interact with daily are significant and representative of who I am and how I feel....

Martin, S. (2005), Futurism. Taschen: Bonn

On Monday 10th August, I went to Tate Modern to see the Futurism exhibition. Most of the works on display were paintings and sculptures, but one room held a glass cabinet which contained early printed examples of F.T. Marinetti's manifesto of Futurism first published in 1909 with related books and newspaper articles. For three decades, the Futurist group consisting of many artists from various creative fields worked hard to directly influence peoples lives. Technological and scientific advancements were key to their ideas.

Inspirational images taken on my holiday in Kefalonia.