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.  

From Liberty London to Anthropology

Ceramics at Anthropology

It has been a very busy couple of weeks - so busy I have been lapse in writing up my blog!  I have been working hard on pulling together some ideas for ceramics and have been to London to research what you can buy in the shops there.

First I wanted to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum to see some photographs of Ansel Adams and prints by Norman Ackroyd (both of landscapes).  They have this amazing centre where you can study work they have in their collection first hand.  It is a great facility but you do need plenty of time and I shouldn't have combined it with the trip round the shops!

I loved Anthropology and their eclectic mix of household goods.  I could see my telegraph pole designs fitting in nicely!  

All from Anthropology

Loved the pottery in Liberty's especially an outlet called Re-objects.  I will find some images and post about that later.