Autumn tour of Scotland

Well what a lovely week off it was touring the western edge of Scotland with its Autumnal colours and an inspirational trip to Skye. Visiting the Handspinner having fun on the harbour at Broadford and maybe purchasing some blue faced leicester wool.

We saw some amazing colours across the landscape and sky resulting in getting my watercolours out whilst there so hoping to produce some new paintings in the next few weeks.

We spotted some wildlife too starting with a stag that crossed our path on the road to Poolewe, Wester Ross but of course the camera was not being kind and I missed the shot of him right in front of us on the road!

white tailed eagle

what we thought was an otter but on closer inspection.....

Birch, my favourite tree

Autumn colours

Tullie cove

Picture taken from the balcony of our room, Poolewe, Wester Ross.

C-Art Fair, Devonshire Arcade, Penrith

So this rainy weekend I spent up in Cumbria with my lovely friend Gwen exhibiting as a precursor to Nostalgia Meets Design in November. On Saturday we went to see her new studio space at Brougham Hall it's looking good so far and I can't wait to see it all finished it is an exciting time for Gwen. I would like to wish her luck with it all. We spent the evening at an event to raise money for Breast Cancer awareness in our cocktail dresses it was fab to go out soo dressed up but strangely felt out of place after in a nightclub! Well you don't normally get to wear evening wear for a night out in Penrith so we thought we should make the effort! No pics I am sad to say but it was a fun night out with a few surprises and naked men I shall say no more but to say we were very well behaved.

Unfortunately the week before the show my kiln is out of action so my lovely new work using my granddads button jar and my nans sewing box as inspiration was not on show still waiting for that all important firing! So I redesigned my stand again with new fabric and plinths hopefully to display work more successfully. Take a look as opinions and constructive criticism are welcomed.

The event was very busy with a selection of Nostalgia stands advertising the event at the George Hotel  with live bands there too to add to the atmosphere. A great day was had by all.

Advert for the Heebie Gee Bees who will give you a vintage make over at NmD.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nostalgia-Meets-Design/103276353054252

Creative Style stand run by Maggie my course leader on my Degree at Cumbria

I thought I would make the effort and was dressed by my stylist Joejoe Hesketh in full on 1940s hat handbag and crochets gloves.

Gwen Bainbridge

looking good, Gwen Bainbridge jewellery 

As it was an Eden Arts event it would of been wrong to not make a pompom sheep for their fantastic 'Flock' a public arts project promoting the wool industry http://www.edenarts.co.uk/flock/ mine was a little scruffy but Sarah who came to see us at the show made a really lovely one and will be sending pics of it on its travels will keep you posted when she does.

And it would be very wrong not to post a pic wouldn't it so here it is! It was lovely to see my snooty fox friend Dylan who was looking as snooty as ever bless him sat between his to besties Gwen and Simon. Ooops I seemed to have missed them off ;-)

a trip to the British Ceramic Biennial

Well today was a clay gathering day for the onslaught of one day shows on the run up to Christmas the first starts on Sunday at the Devonshire Arcade in Penrith 11am - 3pm as a run up to Nostalgia Meets Design in November with some new work which is sat waiting for firing whilst I update you on the lovely exhibition I saw this afternoon. Well as I was in Stoke or more precisely Basford after visiting Potclays, Potterycrafts and Valentines I received a call from David Smith who had read a rave review of the newly opened Ceramic Biennial exhibition 'AWARD' at The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery. Well with such a recommendation I though I might as well.

Merete Rasmussen

Merete Rasmussen

Ken Eastman

Ken Eastman

Katharine Morling

Katharine Morling

Robert Cooper

 And look who we spied as we walked around the permanent collection f the museums contemporary ceramic collection but Dylans mum oh alright Gwen Bainbridge and her lovely LizzyBet collection of jugs.

Great Marsden St John's Church of England Primary School Mosaics

So this is the first school project of the new term and we looked at what would help make it into an attractive Eco School. Working with Year 4, 5 and 6 from Great Marsden St John's Church of England Primary School where we looked at wildlife they would like to attract to the school grounds. There is a lot of building work going on but with this project the school wanted the pupils to be involved in all the processes involved in designing and creating the new art work for the school entrance railings. Here we can see my dad learning to use a jigsaw to cut out the exterior ply shapes as I was out of action with cellulitis in my forearm and rendered useless in my jigsaw skills. My dad was rather proud of himeself as he had never used one before.

the children looked at photos to help them draw some of the birds and animals they wanted to see more of in the school grounds

large hare

butterfly being grouted by Year 5s

 Today whilst the sun was shining I installed the mosaics on the railings leading to the school just in time for the children to see them on their way out at home time. Everyone seemed really pleased with the results they just need a final polish now in situ so that's tomorrows job for the children involved.

 

new work at the Heart Gallery

Well I haven't written anything for a bit it feels like I have not achieved a lot in the last few weeks two steps forward three steps back but I am now getting work out to galleries so cross fingers that there's one near you. The first one is the lovely Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge the opening is on the 8th September of the Five and Fabulous Exhibition not on Sunday as I originally thought! So I am off to see my work on display after a sneaky visit this week where Anna, Saras' daughter squealed with delight and gave me away as I was just having a sneaky peak.

flock

alliums

lavandula

http://www.heartgallery.co.uk/gallery.htm

A tribute to a very lovely man

I heard the sad news on Friday lunchtime that Paul Connery had lost his fight against cancer and passed away that morning. He was without doubt a really lovely man who would always have a smile on his face and a cheeky quip or two about how life was treating him and his lovely wife Sharon. A couple who grasped life by the neck and enjoyed it all travelling and basically having fun wherever they went and I would talk to Sharon on facebook chat from all corners of the world. He will be deeply missed and my love goes out to Sharon and the family but on Friday we could not let it pass without a drink in the Bridge across from the studios the last place we were all together having a drink and a smile not letting any of lifes crap get us down.


To Paul....cheers my love xxxx

An arty weekend in Liverpool

Art on Hope Street

Well that was a lovely weekend of fab art, good food and good company in the metropolitan city of Liverpool. We stayed at the Hope Street Hotel which had embroidered room numbers on the walls and key fobs which made me smile.

The weather wasn't great but we went from the Bluecoat to the Tate and the Magritte exhibition. Obviously my favourite painting in there(below) well there were a few but this made me smile and I sadly wrote down the brick bond in my sketchbook! Well I am working on a new sculpture design based on a man in a wall so I thought this was appropriate.

Then they have changed the This is Sculpture exhibition in one of the rooms to one curated by Phillip Treacy with a display of some of his hat moulds.

Robert Therrien: Smoke Signals

Street Art outside FACT on Bold Street.

Favourite pieces in the John Moore Exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. The top painting is called Cow Mutations by Tim Head and won the prize in 1987 and the sculpture is by Paul Morrison.

The Little Artists - Emimns Unmade bed and Hirsts Shark tank in Lego, I loved these.

On the way home I noticed even though we are still at the beginning of August the leaves on the trees are turning very Autumnal my favourite season, this was taken on the walk back to the hotel. It was a lovely arty weekend just what I needed after a hectic one last week with Potfest. I think I might get to like having weekends off.