Designer Crafts at the Mall 2015 - The Twenty Five Exhibit

I am excited to be exhibiting again at The Mall Galleries London.

It is the 25th anniversary of the Society of Designer Craftsmen exhibiting at The Mall and they have asked for pieces of work 25cm x 25cm to commerate the occasion.   I have produced a solar print which I have stitched into.

20:20 PRINT DESIGN PROJECT - NEO ARTISTS STUDIO - "LIFELINE"

"Lifeline" Solar plate etching with copper and stitch

This is a print I created by solar plate etching made from a photograph my son took.  I was quite moved by these photographs he was at school at the time and took them on his mobile phone (see below).   I was intrigued with the idea of the lifeline in the hand and the faded dried rose.   I added copper and machine stitch to the image.

 

Hand and Rose Photograph

In the second image he has drawn lines and tattoos which were quite thought provoking to me giving an image of scaring and lifeline.  

Tattooed Hand

I may do more work with these images.  It makes me think that tattoos show a  partial insight into a persons life history just as wear and tear and old age does.

William's Wish Book Illustration

This summer along with the workshops,  and print work I have been illustrating a children's book "Willliam's Wish".   It has been incredibly hard work but I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  The characters were originally puppets created by children using socks so the machine stitch interpretations worked well with the theme.  It is not quite finished but I thought you might like a sneak review.

Machine Stitch on Paper

Recently I met Bridie the owner of a new wool shop in Horwich, called Fine Yarns, we got chatting and I am doing a workshop there on Machine Stitch on Paper.

The workshop will be held Fine Yars, 99 Lee Lane, Horwich on Saturday 19th July, 2014 12 p.m - 3 p.m.  The cost is fifteen pounds and includes refreshments and materials.  An easy going workshop suitable for beginnings, you will learn how to free-machine stitch on paper and use brush watercolour paint to produce lovely designs.

To book a place please call in to Fine Yarns or ring 07866 328645.

Danish Felt Artist Kirsten Lang Visit to my Home Studio

I had a lovely Sunday morning this weekend.  Kirsten Lang a Danish Felt Artist and her family visited my home studio.  We had met when I was exhibiting at the Knit and Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace last year and she said if she visited her friend in Manchester she would make a trip to see me and she was true to her word.



It occurred to me how wonderful it is to share creative ideas with fellow artists who love to express themselves creatively.  She is a lovely person and very interesting and I was so pleased she liked my work.



The sun was shining I sold some work and even the hens got in on the act!

The Dairy Barn Arts Centre U.S.A. "Art We Use" Exhibition

I was pleased to be accepted for the Art We Use Exhibition at The Dairy Barn Arts Centre.  I have just sent off my Quirky Telegraph Plates really excited.

The Dairy Barn Arts Center is one of Southeast Ohio's premiere art galleries, drawing nearly 15,000 visitors to the region every year. It is The Dairy Barn Arts Center's mission to: offer exhibitions, events, and educational programs that nurture and promote area artists and artisans; develop art appreciation among all ages; provide the community access to fine arts and crafts from outside the region; and draw attention and visitors to Southeast Ohio.

Built in 1914, The Dairy Barn Arts Center was originally a functioning dairy barn in part of a complex owned by the Athens State Hospital. No longer of use, the barn was scheduled to be razed in 1977. A Citizens Task Force Committee headed by artist Harriet Anderson and her husband, Ora, was formed to preserve the barn and turn it into a non-profit arts center. With only nine days to spare, the Task Force Committee and the Hocking Valley Arts Council succeeded in their petitions to the governor, and The Dairy Barn Arts Center was founded and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Since then The Dairy Barn has become a respected arts center with 5,423 square feet of gallery space in addition to a gallery shop, offices, and five spacious rooms for arts classes and community events. The Dairy Barn Arts Center features a variety of exhibitions and events, from the regional artwork of OH+5 and Athens Voices to the internationally famous Quilt National and Bead International.

The Dairy Barn Arts Center is supported by admissions, memberships, corporate sponsorships, grants, exhibition tours, and art sales. The full-time staff of seven is assisted by a corps of more than 200 volunteers who donate thousands of hours annually.

The John Ruskin Prize 2014

I recently entered The John Ruskin Prize 2014 competition.  The subject was Recording Britain now and entries were invited from all over the UK offering "Fresh, contemporary visions of the UK's urban, rural or social environment.  I entered this image above.  I used watercolour and stitch and manipulated it digitally.

I was very pleased to be included in the preliminary shortlist of 90 artists out of nearly 600 submissions.

Joana Vasconcelos "Time Machine" Exhibition at The Manchester City Art Gallery

Full Steam Ahead (Red, Green and Yellow) by Joana Vasconcelos

I had a great day out yesterday at Manchester City Art Gallery.  In recent years the Galllery has brought some amazing and exciting exhibitions to Manchester and this was no exception.  Joana Vasconcelos is a Portuguese artist who lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal.  She is internationally renowned for her exquisitely crafted, monumental installations.  Using humour and riotous colour she reappropriates domestic objects (as above the use of irons) and employs artisan techniques associated with female labour.  She seeks to challenge traditional views about the status of women, class and national identity.  

Time Machine is a major exhibition of new and recent work including new pieces such as "Britannia" especially commissioned for the gallery.

Vasconcelos's work is placed throughout the building some work commenting and responding to existing work within the gallery.

The exhibition is well worth seeing and joyful and I am going back soon with an artist colleague to soak up more of the joyous atmosphere and will post more about it then.

The Coffee Art Project

Coffee Wood by Susan Syddall

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had entered The Coffee Art Project with the above art work.  The original illustrations were painted and machine stitched (of imaginary coffee trees) which I then transferred to acetate and pressed between perspex to create a wood.  I was really pleased to hear yesterday that I had been chosen to be in the final 40 art pieces.  

The concept of the Project is an art competition linked to the theme of coffee.  Emerging artists are encouraged to submit work which is then sold to raise funds and awareness for the Project Waterfall which supports clean water and sanitation initiatives.  This year it is in association with the Mbulu District in Tanzania,  in partnership with Water Aid Charity.

I feel really excited to be part of this inspiring project.   All the artwork will be sold at the end of the exhibition.

Queen Street Mill Textile Museum Burnley

Queen Street Mill Textile Museum Burnley

I visited Queen Street Mill Textile Museum yesterday.  I must admit I love old mills.  It is a unique survivor of the textile industry reopened in 1986.  Based in Burnley it is a Grade I listed building.  It is the only surviving steam-driven weaving shed.

I loved the building full of light from overhead windows but also the beauty of the machinery and materials.  The patina and marks created by use intrigues me.  It confirmed that I am inspired by industrial objects and their influence on our local history and our human relationship with it.  They are practical objects but I find beauty in them and will be creating some artwork based on it.

Helmut Lemke Sound Artist

At the weekend I was privileged to have the opportunity to meet Sound Artist Helmut Lemke.  He was undertaking Portfolio Surgeries at Neo:gallery 22 Bolton.  He offered me some interesting critiques on my work which were very useful and informative.  

Knowing I would be meeting him I did some research on his own art practice and was intrigued.  He is German and moved to England about ten years ago.  He has been investigating sound for more than 35 years and has performed and exhibited process based work responding to his investigations.  He has worked in concert halls and out door markets, galleries, museums, the frozen seas of Greenland to Function Rooms in Pubs and International Festivals.

His work ranges from writing, drawing, photography, sound recording and performances and well worth looking at.  He has made me reassess how I look at my work and have confidence in what I like in it and respond to emotionally.

Arbitrary Ground Neo Gallery Bolton

Gloss Paintings by Jason Simpson

Last week I helped to curate an exhibition called "Arbitrary Ground" at Gallery 22, The Market Place, Bolton with two other colleagues from Neo Maggie Hargreaves and Angela O'Mara.    It is the first time I have curated an exhibition and it was more difficult than I anticipated but it was very interesting and I enjoyed working with Maggie and Angela.

The exhibition features work from all disciplines.  It was selected through open submission and features work from new and better known members of neo:  The exhibition is another celebration of the diversity and breadth of membership at Neo.

Painting by David Winning

Jason Simpson and David Winning are just two of the artists exhibiting.

The Coffee Art Project

My piece entitled "Coffee Woodland"

My Piece entitled "Coffee Woodland"

I have just completed this piece above for submission to the Coffee Art Project.  The concept of the Coffee Art Project is a high profile art competition linked to the theme of coffee.  Emerging artists specialising in all media types are asked to submit a unique piece of artwork that connects to coffee.

The aim of the competition is to showcase the creativity and talents of emerging artists while raising valuable funds for and awareness of Project Waterfall which supports clean water and sanitation initiatives, this year in Tanzania in partnership with Water Air Charity.

All the artworks are sold off in aid of the charity.

For my piece I used watercolour and stitch to illustrate imaginary coffee trees such as the Cafelatta Tree, Americano Tree, Marochino Tree and finally the Cappachino Tree.   I then multiplied the images to create a woodland and encased them in acrylic.

I really enjoyed the process and pleased that it will help to raise money for such a good cause.

Patchwork Puzzle

As I mentioned in my previous blog I am playing around with images to piece together to create a Patchwork or Quilt.  These are some designs I was considering for silk scarves but I wasn't sure anyone would want them as a scarf!!   I am back to that research stage when you have an idea in the back of your head but you need to do lots of trial and error to get near to the original idea.

I think I need to start a new sketchbook!  That always helps.

Some tentative ideas for the patchwork!

Patchwork

I have been in the studio today working on drawings and sketches that I a  planning to work into a quilt. Going through the February blues maybe that's why everything is blue!

Busy Bee

My 16 year old son has been busy taking photographs on his 'walkabout' travels with his friends as sixteen year olds do!   But I must admit I was impressed with the quality and composition of the photographs as they were only taken on a mobile phone.   They are quite painterly and he has agreed for me to use some of them as inspiration for sketching and painting.

Thought you might like to see some of them!