Dionne Swift Workshops

Mark Making Dionne Swift Workshop

I have just completed an on-line workshop with Dionne Swift the Textile Artist.   I can really recommend this.  Unfortunately  I was too busy with my Degree work to complete the exercises which you upload onto a group Facebook page, but I used it as a form of relaxation and inspiration.   The workshop was on drawing and mark making and translating that to fabric.  I loved it and will definitely do another course in the future.  I was able to make some new friends on Facebook with common interests and was an excellent form of networking.

Dionne Swift Textile Piece

Dionne Swift Textile Piece

Dionne Swift Devore Piece

The workshop was informative, interesting and stretching.  Worth a look!

Norman Ackroyd Landscapes

 

Just watched a great programme about Norman Ackroyd  an artist who specialises in monochrome  etchings of the British Landscape.   He is inspired by the breathtaking coast and islands which make up the Shetland Archipelago.  These prints are beautiful atmospheric semi-abstract pieces.

The programme "What do artists do in a Day" followed the artist on his day in his wonderful studio filled with interesting pieces of equipment, maps and artwork.

Pylon Heaven Escape

Had meeting this week with Nick and Donna which helped enormously.   I have been swirling around going from one idea to another.  Working hard but due to one thing or another the ideas have not worked as I had hoped.   I had been struggling to transfer the quality of my mixed media pieces from paper to fabric - and it has been concerning me to the point where I had become stuck.   Having someone else look at the work from a different angle has helped and I am now working my way through a list of art pieces.

Today I have worked hard on translating a few photographs into sketches which have been painted and stitched.

Pylon station

Cylinders

Telegraph Pole and Birds

Section from Pylon

These I hope will be a collection of artwork and plate designs.    I have enjoyed getting on with the work and observing these peculiar objects in our landscape.   I have added my own quirky colours in a way I see them!

Giant Human Shaped Pylons

Design for High-Voltage Electrical Pylon International Design Competition

While looking for images of pylons I came across these amazing designs for enormous figures which would only require slight alterations to existing pylon designs.   They were designed by Choi and Shine and was submitted as a design for the Icelandic High-Voltage Electrical Pylon International Design Competition 2009 carrying electricity cables across the country's landscape.    Amazing.

 

Lazor Cutting

 Laser cutting the over day at Fred Aldous.  This was the third attempt and I finally managed to get some good results.     It's an expensive process (25.00) per hour and its quite slow.  I had a relatively simple design and for an A1 sheet it took a good forty minutes.

Laser Cutting Machine

Fab Lab do offer a free service on a Saturday but the wait was frustrating and you can only book an hour at a time and most things need longer.   Fab Lab were an interesting community based organisation who try to encourage people to be creative.  They had an embroidery machine and many other pieces of equipment.   You need to have plenty of time though!

This has made me realise that the laser cutting can be an expensive and frustrating process!

Farm Visit

Winter Reeds

Tall Reeds Blowing in the Wind

Electric Pylons through the field

Loved these ploughed fields with the old potato left on the surface of the soil

Pieces of Plough

Close up of Plough

I travelled over to a farm near Southport today to take photographs of arable land.  It was a beautiful cold but sunny day and showed off the barren fields.  I was hoping to take photographs of telephone wires and pylons as well.

On the way back I took a turning off the motorway on the spur of the moment because I could see wonderful pylons and gas plants in the distance I think I was  near Ellesmere Port.   I would like to go back and take more photographs and research the area better there were some amazing industrial plants by the river that would make a great future project.  Here are a few of the pylon photographs -  I know I'm now getting obsessed!  But I don't care!   I think they are surreal and have a certain elegance.

Loved these Power Points

Collecting different pylon shapes

Loved these Cylinders

Section of Pylon

Uppercase

I went to the Tate Northern the other day and found this magazine "Uppercase" in the shop there.  It is a Canadian publication for the creative and curious and features artists, illustrators, designers, photographers, filmmakers.  It has an eclectic mix of enchanting art and craft work.   I love the magazine content but especially the layout and format of the pages.

On the front cover is the crayon carvings of Diem Chau.  They are intricate carvings.

I love the way the magazine is put together, it's matt finish, contemporary and quirky and I'd like to apply this style to my own digital book.

Barbara Rae Abstract Landscapes

Barbara Rae

I came across Atelier Rose and Gray an art gallery based in Ramsbottom the other day.  They specialise in original artist prints, which range from original etchings, screen prints, woodcuts and lithographs.  Represented artists work are Sir Peter Blake, Tracey Emin, Barbara Rae and Grayson Perry to name but a few.

Above are beautiful prints by Barbara Rae.   I love these screen printed vibrant abstract prints inspired by landscape.