Summer fairs 2015

Ok so I have got out of writing this blog I am sorry 

I will start to be more conscientious and update it more promise :-) 

I seem to be really busy of late after 

RHS Tatton and Art in the Pen 

RHS Tatton Park Flower Show 

Buttercup & Flora the cows and Frank & Felix the Foxes

It rained a lot 

hey ho but some lovely customers

though not the same type of sales as last year. 

I took more framed pieces but guess who were the stars of the show.....

I had to make more on the stand to restock for the weekend. 

Bless them mini hares a plenty. 

Then after a two weeks of going slowly in recovery from Tatton I was prepping for

Art in the Pen with a few new additions to the Trophy Head series. 

Meet Gilbert and Bernard 

Gilbert

Bernard

 

and so this Sunday I will be at Scorton Village Hall with the Hopeful & Glorious fair. 

Come say hello :-)

and then in two more weeks I will be at 

the WI Centenary Fair in Harrogate. 

Keep an eye on FB and Twitter for updates to maybe win a ticket or two. 

Playing catch up - a busy June/July

So new work  is in the web shop!
Moon gazing hares and Mini hares too.
http://www.juliemiles.co.uk/shop/

Its been a busy few weeks hectic, enjoyable, stressful, hot and fun to be honest.
We had an exhibition, Open Studios and an Art Market and I have been neglecting this blog as I have been moonlighting as Higherford Mill and doing lots and lots of social media and blogging so sorry about that. We had a fab day.

Open Studios

New hares

Art Trail to the Art Market Anita and I organised at Pendle Heritage Centre

and an exhibition in the gallery.

Ida the Cow

And if that's not enough I have been in a school all week too.

This is a really bad photo but I am off to finish and glaze it today so more to follow this week

Duke Street Primary School Centenary Mosaic

So this week I have been working in a primary school on Chorley with all the students and mostly all the staff in the school. I was invited after completing the Aughton Town Green School mosaic last year where the Deputy head of Duke Streets Mrs Ridleys son attends. We talked about the best way for whole school collaboration on the Centenary celebration and mosaics are a great way for all to contribute from ideas gathering to drawing and actual completion with each process competed by the children. 

I worked with the juniors on Monday gathering ideas about the school and what they liked best about their school. Monday I had a meeting with the teaching staff and talked about what the children had drawn which centred on friendship, sharing, growth, from small acorns etc. It was quite a lovely thing as most schools want to centre on what they do, curriculum based but this was a lovely idea that came solely from the children.

I amalgamated all the ideas into 3 large designs and had a quick meeting with the staff on Tuesday morning leading to the the final ideas which I drew with still some gaps for developing as we created the final design.

I couldn't do any off it without the amazing TA staff namely Mrs Wilson and especially Mrs Cameron who was not fazed by the untidy state of the floor after polishing the final design with newspaper which is the best way to remove grouting dust helped by Y6 with 3 students giving up their Golden Time.

So after one very busy and exhausting week the final design is now complete.

We took some final photos that will eventually be used on a mug that will be given to each and every child in the school. A well deserved reward for all the childrens and staffs hard work.

Best of Britannia #BOBNorth #Preston

I am at #BOBNorth this weekend in the old Post Office building in Preston do come and say hello and also we are selling the work here too. Open tomorrow 10am - 8pm and Sunday 10 am - 6pm come say hello

Exhibiting at #BOBNorth Preston 15th - 17th May

So this week after the mural I am prepping to take my work to Best of Britannia in Preston. 

It's the first time that is has been done outside of London so a bit of a coo for me. I was invited by Creative Lancashire to have a stand in the Old Post office building for the weekend. I will keep you updated via facebook https://www.facebook.com/bestbritannia and

twitter https://twitter.com/BestBritannia of the goings on. 

Or email me and I will send you an invite. Friday is trade day though doors open at 6pm to the general public. It looks from the website a fabulous show check it out here. http://bestofbritannia.com/

Friends of Serenity Mural

I was asked a while ago if I would help with the refurbishment of a room at the Birth Centre at Burnley General for the Friends of Serenity. My friend Jo set up the charity when she unfortunately lost her baby and has been campaigning to get a second suite for all those other families that are dealing with the loss at birth. She has successfully raised enough money to refurbish a second suite and asked if there was anyway of painting a mural on the wall in the bedroom. 

I did a selection of 5 designs which went to a select group from the hospital, charity and friends who chose their favourites. It was a cross between the two designs above. Using the formation and moon phase from one with the butterfly designs of the other. Once the room had been painted with two shades of a pale green we were ready to get in there and get going on the design. 

I say we, I had help from Carl Hazelden an artist from Colne who has been picking my brains about applying for an arts council grants lately. Part of his proposal is to work within the community to create a mural with a participants essentially expanding his practice as an artist. I asked if he would like to help and get some hands on experience with working on a commission but of course for no money as we were not being paid. . First steps were to blow up the design from the A2 size to well wall size. We drew out the design using blown up photocopies of the butterflies to help with placings and also cutting them out with a knife which left us with the perfect stencils to white out the wall for the deisgn. 

Doing this helped the colours to be brighter against the soothing herb green wall colour.

The paint was donated, specially mixed coloured paint from the Velspar range from B&Q Blackburn.

We used the designs loosely based on actually British Butterflies. They are very stylised with Carl blocking out the colours so that I could painting the detail keeping an overall uniformity to the pieces as we both have very different painting styles.  we also added a paler brimstone to lift some of the darker areas. 

We dotted them around the suite from the entrance hall, kitchenette, and bathroom. With a small tortoiseshell hiding in the corner as you turn around to leave the en suite. 

The finished main wall.........Just waiting on the new furniture and we will have a fully functioning suite.