From Neo to Hotbed Press! Studios!

Hotbed Studios

Hotbed Studios

Hotbed Studios

As part of my research I have been looking at all sorts of studios.   I hope to share a studio with a colleague when I finish so this is of great interest to me.   I have used the print room at Neoartists in Bolton before and they are very helpful.  They are quite reasonable in price and accessible.  This week however I went to see Hotbed Press Studios in Salford, they were running a short course on painterly screen printing and took the opportunity to see what facilities they have.   

Both are good spaces but what they don't offer is a space to sell direct to the public.   Manchester Craft Centre and Cedar Farm both have this facility.   You have a small workspace and selling area.  I visited Manchester Craft Centre this week.  It's a beautiful Victorian building but there are no shops available at present and they are more expensive to rent.  What I did notice was they have recently opened an area to do workshops which are useful to generate extra income.

Manchester Craft Centre

Inside Manchester Craft Centre

Cafe at Manchester Craft Centre

Corridor leading to Studios 

Down to Basics

Digital Print Sample on Velvet

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Digital Print Samples

I've  been really stuck these last couple of weeks, blocked by the amount of work to do but also the process of designing.    I have extended my collection to include pylons, telegraph poles etc but I need to combine this with other elements in the landscape.

What's really worrying me is how can I reproduce the tactile quality of my paper pieces.  The other day I scanned in some mixed media pieces, altered the threshold to create black and white images for acetates for silk screening and I'll work with these on different fabrics.

I have printed off three digital pieces but they need work to make them interesting.  The first fabric proved to be dull and lifeless but the samples above produced on velvet were better but the fabric was difficult to work with and kept crumpling in the machine.  It required two of us to hold down the fabric in place.    

I've bought some dyes to create painted effects on cloth similar to the marks I can make on paper.  I need to have the same approach I use to paper as I do with cloth and not be frightened to experiment.

Twentieth Century Design at the City Art Gallery

Cabinet Made of Mixed Media Punched with Decoration

Close Up detail of Cabinet

Organic Chair Created with Layers of Metal

These two pieces of furniture were on display at Manchester City Art Gallery in their Contemporary Twentieth Century Display.   Both are inspired by nature and form.   I love both these pieces.  The cabinet was a combination of metal, lacquer and wood and had a lovely feminine feel despite the hard sometimes harsh metal.

The second piece, the chair reminded me of being by the sea and the weathered contours of the rock weathered by the sea.

Land Art at the Whitworth

On visiting the Whitworth to see the Richard Lang Exhibition I was struck once again by this installation in the grounds outside which has been there for some time now.  I love the beauty of the tree roots and it always makes me smile.

Richard Lang

Richard Lang

I visited the Whitworth Art Gallery to see the work of Land Art of Richard Lang (unfortunately I was unable to take my own photographs of the work due to copyright issues)  but I enjoyed the exhibition and feel it is interesting in relation to my own theme of pattern in landscape.   He seems to take the beauty of natural material and manipulate it in various locations.  Another view of the landscape is shown in the  current exhibition of John Piper and his Snowdonian watercolour landscapes.  These were beautiful atmospheric paintings.

Pop-Up Exhibition/Shops

Pop Up Exhibition by Neil Dimelow

Close up detail of one of Neil Dimelow's Paintings

Visiting Manchester the other day I saw this pop-up exhibition in Piccadilly Gardens.   Usually this type of "Pop-Up" shops are placed in empty shops or outside areas and offer the landlord an opportunity to improve the look of their empty shop.  This may be an interesting and attainable way of showing work.   I think I need to research into this for myself.

Alice Kettle - Unexpected Find

Piece by Alice Kettle at Platt Hall Gallery of Costume

Detail from work above showing stitch detail

Close up Detail

Whilst visiting Platt Hall Gallery of Costume I came across this small picture by Alice kettle.  Most of the work I have seen of hers has been on a very large scale such as those in the Whitworth Art Gallery, but this piece was relatively small.  It was donated by the artist herself after her exhibition "Telling Fortunes" in 2010.  I was able to buy a copy of a brochure produced for the exhibition.  It was interesting to read the artists statement, her inspiration and explanation of how she views the work.    

Another interesting find were some ceramics she produced in collaboration with Alex McErlain.

Raqib Shaw Exhibition at Manchester City Art Gallery

On arrival at the Manchester City Art Gallery today, to see the exhibition by Raqib Shaw, I was faced by this magical series of willow and spring flower installation by the artist.   The pattern of the willow following the regimented railings created a beautiful hedgerow in the city - it  took my breath away.  

Raqib Shaw is an Indian born, London based internationally known mixed media artist.  His work  reflects the ornate style of Persian miniatures and Kashmiri and Japanese textiles.   They are bejewelled like surfaces with sometimes violent story telling and images.  The artist who is inspired by nature felt he wanted to create this magical wonderland that almost encases the gallery.    It took two weeks to complete it with an army of helpers.

Inside the exhibition was just as magical.

Detail from a Raqib Shaw painting   (Watercolour, graphite, acrylic, enamel, glitter and rhinestones on paper)

Detail from large painting of poppies

By Raqib Shaw

This work was certainly inspirational, his observations of nature and animals were beautiful.