Goodbye "Transformer"!

Transformers

I have had a really busy week since coming back from Harrogate and not been able to find time to write up my blog!  

I have had to say goodbye to my 6ft "Transformer" piece which is making its way to its new home in Dublin.  I hope its new owner enjoys it as much as I did making it.  I know its going to a lovely home.

Its funny how attached you get to your work.  Its great if people want it and appreciate it.  Being an artist can be a lonely profession and you don't know how people will respond to the work when it goes out into the real world!  Going to a large show like Harrogate is great because you get positive feedback from people.

From Ally Pally to Harrogate Knit and Stitch Show

Graduates from Alexandra Palace Knit and Stitch Show

I am looking forward to seeing all the other Graduates from the Knit and Stitch Show in Alexandra Palace in Harrogate this week.  Everyone was so friendly.  Some of us were able to go to Dublin but not all of us but hopefully we will all be at Harrogate.

Dublin Knit and Stitch Show

Section from one of my Painted and Stitched Quirky Telegraph Poles

I have just returned from the the Dublin Knit and Stitch Show where I was exhibiting in the Graduate Showcase.   I had a wonderful time.  The people were wonderful and it was great to meet the Irish Graduates and catch up the graduates from the London Show.

I will be blogging about some of these when I have organised my photographs!

Dublin Knit and Stitch Show Preparations

Machine Stitch and Paint

I have been making preparations for the Dublin Knit and Stitch Show.  Looking forward to it but nervous as I am flying!  I will get over it.  The past few weeks have been very busy working on various projects that have arisen from the Alexandra Palace Show.

Sorting out commissions and also last week I went to see a colleague who produces hand-made wallpaper she is interested in doing a collaboration with me on a range of exclusive stitched wallpaper lengths.   Very exciting.   I shall keep you informed of our progress.

The Infinite Idea

Detail from my work inspired by  The infinite Idea

I am back in the studio after a busy week at the Knit and Stitch Show.  It has made me eager to get on with some work.   I have been asked to join with a Conceptual art project called theinfiniteidea@theinfiniteidea.   It is the inspiration of conceptional artist Jane Orange.   She has created an installation at Neoartists Gallery (follow the link above to see her work) involving twelve eggs.   She has appoached twelve artists to respond to her installation in whatever medium they work in.  It has got my creative juices thinking again and I was pleased to be asked to join in and stand along so called "fine artwork".   It is a bugbear of mine that textiles are considered as craft rather than pieces of art and I hope to break down these barriers which have already begun to fall.  Grayson Perry has helped build up the interest and standing of textiles with his ventures into tapestry.

I am thinking of doing a series of twelve pieces in response.

Happy Stitched Taxi at Knit and Stitch Show London

Happy Stitched Taxi a the London Knit and Stitch Show 2013

Just a quick post about last weeks Graduate Show at the Knit and Stitch Show.  I have just arrived back and thought this Happy Taxi describes how I felt about the whole experience.  It was a very busy, exhausting but exciting week.   I just wanted to say hello to the many people I met and talked to and to thank you for  all your kind comments.   

I have returned home eager to start on new work inspired by all the wonderful artists work I saw and new materials I bought!   Some of my work has gone to lovely new homes and hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them!

Knit and Stitch Show Alexander Palace - Quirky Plates

Set of six 12" Bone China Plates Design Quirky Telegraph Poles

It is the Knit and Stitch Show at Alexander Palace next week and I will be exhibiting at the Graduate Show Stand 8.  At the show I will be exhibiting a variety of objects including these plates which I designed from painted and stitched telegraph poles.

I have also produced a mug design especially for the show.

Egon Schiele Boats

Egon Schiele Boats

I have been researching boats for my present work and came across these beautiful paintings by Egon Schiele. 

I love the movement in these paintings and think I will work on my tribute to Schiele by producing a mixed media painting using stitch in his style.

20:20 Print "The Fishing Boats" Neoartist Susan Syddall

20:20 Print "The Fishing Boats" Neoartist Susan Syddall

It has been a busy time.  I have moved into my studio at Neoartists which is exciting and scary and have started a new range of work based on Majorcan Fishing Boats as above.    This is a print which I have stitched into and is my piece of work  for the 20:20 Print Project.   I am looking forward to seeing the work of the other artists.

Funky Aardvark Gallery Visit

The end of the exhibition of textile work today at Funky Aardvark Gallery in Chester and so picked up my work.  Had great response.

Edgar's Cafe and Boutique B. & B.

While we were there we felt we deserved a coffee and cake and found this wonderful place along the river called Edgar's.  The gardens are beautiful overlooking the river and sheltered by an old tree.

Ruthin Craft Centre and Mary Lloyd Jones

Mary Lloyd Jones

Visited Ruthin Craft Centre today which I really enjoyed and the exhibition of the work of Mary Lloyd Jones.  

Mary Lloyd Jones is a well established and popular artist in Wales. She has exhibited widely since the mid 1960s, in Wales, elsewhere in Britain and internationally.

She was admitted to the Honorary Degree of Doctor of the University of Wales in November 2008. She has been one of three artists from Wales selected to take part in a touring exhibition in China in the Spring of 2009. This project is supported by Wales Art International. She has also been invited to take part in the Wales Smithsonian Festival in Washington DC in the summer of 2009, supported by Wales Art International and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Of her work she writes "My aim is that my work should reflect my identity, my relationship with the land, an awareness of history, and the treasure of our literary and oral traditions. I search for devices that will enable me to create multilayered works. This has led to my involvement with the beginnings of language, early man made marks and the Ogham and Bardic Alphabets."

Joan Peix

Work of Joan Peix

I have just returned from a holiday in Mallorca and took the opportunity to look at as many galleries and craft shops that my teenagers would allow!

I came across a great gallery in the old town of Pollenca called Galeria Dionis Bennassar  where they had an exhibition of the work of Joan Peix.  They were mixed media pieces that had lovely detail and subtle colours.

The ceramics in Mallorca are bold and beautiful.  In Pollenca we found this shop selling ceramics called Ceramiques Monti-Sion.  There were gorgeous new designs and also antique tiles.

Ceramics Monti-Sion, Pollensa

FROM NEW DESIGNERS TO FUNKY AARDVARK TEXTILE EXHIBITION

"Faded Lilies"

Sorry it's been so long since I last blogged but work for my Final Show and getting ready to go to New Designers just went crazy.   FINALLY  I have completed my degree and my graduation is on Friday.  Looking forward to seeing all my uni friends and proud to graduate.

It has been a very busy few months.  New Designers was brilliant.  It has given me lots of leads and contacts to follow up and given me the confidence to push myself to follow my dream of becoming a designer artist/maker.

One of the contacts I made was with  Bex Raven at FUNKY AARDVARK a gallery in Chester.  They are having a textile exhibition during August and I shall be exhibiting some of my work there.  Very excited.

I have been playing around with some images that explore the use of appliqué for a project I am working on.  The image above is part of this collection from a series of work that I have called "Reflections" based on some airmail letters that my mother sent to my father in India while he was serving in the RAF during the Second World War.

"LETTERS OF LOVE"

"DARLING NORMAN"

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU WRITTEN!"

I have used paper, fabric and stitch to knit together different images and thoughts that I have about these letters.

I have also been working on my new website and as soon as it is live I will connect it to my blog!

Crafts Council Hothouse Taster Day Workshop

Today has been a long but interesting day at one of the Craft Council Hothouse Taster Days.  There were several guest speakers including Rachel Kelly of Interactive Wallpaper, Jane Dzsiesiewski Jewellery Designer both giving their personal view of working in creative craft and Ruth Raban of Creative Lancashire and Angela Mann of Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.

It was extremely useful for networking and talking to other graduates and creatives.   I will definitely go on more of there courses.

Another speaker was Alison Branigan who has written books on "Business for Creatives" who gave a seven step guide to starting up in business.   I have several leads and information to follow up from today.

IT's ALL IN THE DETAIL

PLATE

Finally sent my images to Foto Ceramics a digital ceramic transfer company.  Luckily spoke to a really helpful man who advised me about  the plates.   The plates I have bought (cheap and cheerful) may not give the best results so I have been trying to source an alternative.   He suggested speaking (to another very nice man) Jeff from Pottery4-U who was very knowledgable about the firing process.  Want to get this right will be disappointed if they don't have the right finish.

ON-GOING WORK - LISTS AND MORE LISTS

Detail from Design

This week I have to get back to the work.  I have a lot to do to either finish designs, alter them and create a few more.

MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO IS GETTING BIGGER BY THE DAY.

LIST


First there is the work to finish and start.

I have four images I need to do for my larger stands.

Source bolts.

Send blog to print.

Pull together the press pack.

File   -paper work.

Send off images for Digital Ceramics for plates.


NEED TO GET ON!



Get stands to Joiner to make me the bases.

PRESS PACK BLUES

PAGE FROM PORTFOLIO

Finally pulling together all the images for my press pack and portfolio  -  I find this not an easy task but I've just got to push myself in these last few weeks.

Time seems to be passing so quickly towards the end and final show and there is so much to do before then!

I'm just blogging a couple of more pages then I need to send my blog off to print!

It just seems too many lose ends at the moment!

 NOT THAT I'M PANICKING!

PERSPEX FREE-STANDING UNITS

For the past few weeks now I have been working on a design for a  free-standing perspex stand to hold my art work.  I have found a local company that makes stands for shops etc., and they have been very helpful.    I wanted three stands 4 ft high (l ft wide) and two at 6ft high (l ft wide)  but they would not stand upright by simply placing them in a wooden stand as I had hoped.    To get round this problem I had to have a T-junction shape (as above  - without wooden base).  Once the pieces are completed I will get the joiner to complete the bases.

Peron Plastics

I need to source suitable bolts for these and size the images correctly.  Need to do more work on this.

Denis Whiteside at Neoartists

Denis Whiteside at Neoartists

Denis Whiteside is an artist working at Neoartists.  He very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for my research file about being a creative working from a studio.  He is an artist who does not like to be categorised.  He works in all media but currently, printmaking is his most frequently used medium.   

Work by Denis Whiteside

Work by Denis Whiteside

Neoartists have a great set-up in Bolton.  The Gallery is excellent.  They have a website, the print room has good resources and they are very helpful.  They have the neo:art prize which has an excellent reputation and a prize of a thousand pounds.  Below is a picture of Loraine Morley's work who was a finalist in 2012.

52 Bowls of the Year by Loraine Morley (Re-cycled materials)

ANITA HENDERSON NEOARTISTS

Anita Henderson Artist at Neoartists

As part of my research I wanted to interview people who work from a studio.   I know Anita from participating in a workshop at Neoartists so felt I could approach her.

Anita works with oil and builds up layer upon layer of fine glazes.  Her current theme is working from stills from film.  The work is beautiful.

I wanted to know why she wanted to work in a studio rather than at home and her main reasons were space, the resources of the print room and contact with fellow artists.

Anita Henderson Oil on Canvas

 

Anita Henderson Oil on Canvas

MIXED MEDIA PIECES

Sections from a Mixed Media Piece 

During the holidays I have been trying to catch up with an enormous amount of work.  Everyone is feeling the same.  These are small sections of a piece I have done.   It is a mixture of material (screen printed)  and paper with stitch.

I might use these as postcards for my final show.    Have big confidence issues at present especially as I  am not producing fabrics for fashion collections or interiors more one off pieces.