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.