Art Sale at the Fence Gate Inn, Fence, Burnley

So tomorrow I am setting up for my first Art Sale ever at a bar/brasserie/restaurant. 

http://fencegate.co.uk/ 

I was approached by Kevin Berkins owner of the Fence Gate Inn to create something a little bit special 

for his refurbishment of the 

Fence Gate Inn pub/restaurant a few months ago and 

Fitzroy now resided over the bar surveying his manor so to speak. 

There is also a drawing of some hunting hounds and Duncan now sits proudly above the fireplace in the Restaurant area too. 

So tomorrow you are invited to come and say hello and have an exclusive preview of my new drawings and ceramics from noon to 5 pm in the function room off the bar area.

Framed by Richard Davis of Dysons Framers in Nelson 

http://dysonsartltd.co.uk/framing-and-restoration

and some very new ceramics too 

So hopefully see you there 

come and say hello, 

have a browse at your leisure 

and maybe purchase your very own piece of art 

or have something commissioned from me for your home.

Wheatley Lane Road
Fence
Burnley
Lancashire
BB12 9EE

New work, exhibitions and more.....

Angus and Neville

 So some of you may know I exhibit in at The Cross Gaits Inn, Blacko on a regular basis. Selling quite a lot over the last few years, this time with an Autumn theme with a mix of landscapes and animals all in very autumnal colours. 

The animals do go down very well and I nearly sold a few as I was setting them up. The landscapes are mainly birch trees as at this time of year they are stunning in actual fact I am a bit in love with birches and they have been a continuing theme throughout my work since college. 

They will be up for a few months till I get more mobile as still in a leg cast but seeing a surgeon next week. The theme of Winter won't be far behind.

birches

birches

Bobbie

Cross Gaits Inn, Blacko

 https://www.facebook.com/CrossGaitsInn

And along side this exhibition I have some work at the Winter Warmers Exhibition at Towneley Hall, Burnley and also this week delivered a mix of new trophy heads and parian slip cast cow parsley vases to the Christmas exhibition at the Platform Gallery, Clitheroe. 

Quite pleased with the new heads they are very cute and high fired to stoneware give the ears more strength as they have been the most vulnerable of late. I hope you like the sheep I think I now have an excuse to buy a book on different sheep breeds now and play!

Baabara the Sheep

Bonnie the hare

Gertrude the cow

Orford the Otter

https://www.ribblevalley.gov.uk/info/200303/platform_gallery/1545/platform_gallery_2014_exhibitions/6

Details of my Creatures in clay workshop at the Whitaker 22nd Oct 2014

King of the Cats

 

Exhibition and workshops.

4th October- 9th November 2014

Come and meet Boggarts, Haunted Hares, and Talking Cats, and be immersed in windswept moorland, snow capped hills and icy becks. Taking its inspiration the folktales of Lancashire it responds to them with 21st century wit and wonder. Spectral cats, unearthly black dogs and shape changing girls will haunt the exhibition as will earthenware geese and of course the King of the Cats himself.

Four local visual artists respond to old Lancashire folk tales and their contemporary retelling by acclaimed writer and storyteller Jackie Harris, to produce a stunning and varied exhibition of engaging contemporary art deep rooted in the local environment.

Running alongside the exhibition there will also be several fabulous artist led day long workshops, (including lunch, material and tools) exploring the different disciplines of each artist. These workshops are particularly suitable for teachers, and for all levels of ability.

These will be exciting and highly productive CPD opportunities for the facilitators of KS2 literary, art/design, history and geography. The artists involved all have extensive experience working in education and delivering CPD. 

Each one day course will cost £95 per person and will include lunch and refreshments. The Courses are running 10.00am – 4.00pm.

get in touch with The Whitaker on 01706 218858

or email: info@thewhitaker.org  to book.

My workshop is on Wednesday 22nd October 2014

Title: Characterful Creature Creations 

text taken from http://www.thewhitaker.org/events/king-of-the-cats/

Join Julie in this workshop to explore her imagination and learn how she creates her creatures in clay. From exploring the King of the Cats exhibition as a starting point to create your own characters from the tales using scribbles and sketches. From there you will learn how to create your own clay heads from a single sheet of clay. Manipulating, pushing and forming this versatile material into one of the characters from the stories or creating a character of your own. 

No experience needed just enthusiasm and a little imagination.

Level: suitable for beginners to the more advanced in clay techniques. All techniques will be taught step by step so don’t be shy and come and play.

Suitable for teaching literacy using it as a starting point in class for creative writing, design technology for use of tools and Art.

 

About the Artist:

Julies work has always been inspired by nature and landscape around her and is probably best know for her exquisite porcelain sculptures of natural objects or porcelain vessels. Julie creates larger scale installation pieces for exhibitions and display ranging from bone china feathers suspended from above the viewers head in the shape of a Harriers wing beat to celebrate the diversity of the Forest of Bowland to a full size cloak of ceramics crow feathers to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pendle witch Trails. Julies foray into animal sculpture is a new venture she is exploring for the King of the Cats exhibition.

http://www.juliemiles.co.uk

Launch of the King of the Cats at The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Rossendale

Launch night at The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery in Rossendale was a blast. Really busy and bustling with lots of people including family and friends of all the artists.

It was lovely to see old friends and supporters of Arteach. 

Including Bob Frith was there from Horse and Bamboo who we went to talk to when we first set up as a group quite a few years ago now. Frank Royal and Lynsey from Traweden Primary School who were one of the first to buy into the vision of giving artists space in their school for us to work as well as working with teachers and children throughout the school. 
It was also good to meet curators from the future venues where the exhibition is touring too.

Carl from the Whitaker gave a fab speech, at first voicing his concerns when we turned up the day before to set up the exhibition and then his surprise and pleasure at what he thinks is a fabulous display of high quality diverse range of work that fits together to create a very good exhibition with work for everyone to engage with and enjoy. 

We then had three of the tales retold by Jacqueline Harris our storyteller standing behind
Dildrum, 

the King of the Cats.

Thank you for everyone who made the journey to the show which is now on till 9th November

Opening Times  are 10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.

The Whitaker Whitaker Park Haslingden Road 

Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire
BB4 6RE 

Phone 01706 260785

Don't forget there is an opportunity to work with all of the artists in full day adult workshops suitable for beginners upwards and also teachers who would like to take it into schools. 

for details please follow the link below

http://www.thewhitaker.org/events/king-of-the-cats/

King of the Cats - well nearly

 First look at the Milk White Doe of Lady Sybil and the Milk White Doe

Well its nearly here only a few weeks to go before we open and all hands to the pumps. I'm still in a leg cast till Friday so frustration is setting in too but I will get there she says crossing fingers. These are images I am using to assess what I need to do I have a few props to go with them pieces and the goose has just gone in the kiln tonight!

This is Dildrum who has the bluest of eyes and quaker grey coloured fur with a rich plum colour to his nose and the tips of his ears. 

Well almost. 

The Dun Cow of Parlick lived on the hill and came down daily to feed the poor and needy with her milk. They were allowed to milk her gently and fill up a bucket or jug for their family put if they tried to take more she would swish her tail and stomp off indignantly. The Witch that lived close by was cross that the poor and needy went to the the Dun Cow instead of her so came up with a cunning plan to milk the Dun Cow dry.

Just a peek at the work going into the exhibition you'll have to come and see the exhibition to see the whole picture. 

prep for the King of the Cats Exhibition

Well it's been a long time coming but Arteach are on the final leg of prepping for our major touring exhibition  

'The King of the Cats'- Retelling of old Lancashire Tales, 

launching at The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Rossendale on October 4th 2014.

We have the fantastic news that we have acquired funding from Arts Council England to produce all out printed materials along with some fabulous schools workshops including a traveling suitcase that will be loaned to schools, community groups, residential homes etc to encourage interaction with the exhibition and hopefully capture some new Lancashire Tales along the way. 

We are producing a book to go along side the exhibition to include retelling of the tales by the storyteller Jackie Harris and our work as Arteach in response to the tales including the King of the Cats. There will also be a set of collectable book marks that will be used to advertise in libraries and other museums that the tour will be going to. At the moment we have 7 confirmed venues and a few more in the pipe line. We have 5 schools confirmed to work with each member of Arteach: Marjan Wouda, Christopher Rainham, Patricia Ramsden, myself and Jackie Harris across Pennine Lancashire. Each of the artists will be running one day workshops at the first venue in the Autumn so watch out for booking details too.

I will be running a clay workshop demonstrating and teaching some of the techniques I will be using to create my characters for the exhibition on Wednesday October 22nd at The Whitaker Museum in Rossendale. 

10am-4pm £95 including all materials, firing and a delicious lunch laid on by the cafe within the museum and art gallery too. Bookings will be taken by the Museum on 01706 260785. 

More details to follow soon

my prelim drawings

getting there

Christopher Rainham

Christopher Rainham

Marjan Wouda

Marjan Wouda

Marjan Wouda

 We have a blog where each one of us is posting works in progress and also some of the tales to be featured in the exhibition. Click the link below to find our blog.

http://thekingofthecats.wordpress.com/about/ 

I will post more from the other artists involved as and when but we had a little 'show and tell' this week so I thought I would share here too. 

The traveling suitcase soon t be filled with lovely things

#RHSTatton Park Flower Show

We how much fun was that and also how many plants did you come home with? I had to steal myself but in the end I brought 9! Not at all tempted by beautiful flowers am I?

Sweet peas from the garden were quite good even in that heat we had. All but the irises were from my or mums garden and they looked brilliant in my opinion especially in that heat. It was hot as a really hot thing all week which was ace but in a leg cast maybe not so great.

Pimms O'clock

We soldiered on and I had the lovely Sara and my dad to help me over the 5 days we were there.

Mavis and Gladys went to their forever homes too

Deer in the car park as we were leaving :-) 

Duncan had quite a few admirers too.

New larger pendants with the latest designs.

It was a fab week though tiring on crutches but for the first time it was a brilliant show for sales of drawings and pots too.  The sun shone a little too hotly but we survived, the M6 was a little trying but we got there most days on time :-) I think it maybe one we go back to next year too.

Then on Wednesday Stephen Kingsford and I went up to Whitley Bay to sadly to attend the funeral of fellow potter Michael Palmer, one half of the Geordie Boys. He was always there with a grin and a beer in hand at every Potfest and even came over to the Park with his business partner Andrew. They were a fab duo always up for a beer and a chinwag and good hugs. He will be sadly missed by all the Potfest family and thoughts go out to his wife Jeanette and family and our Andrew Geordie Boy.