BA samples for wk 9

This week we're on to townscapes. The students will go out and draw in town - weather permitting! Then back to the studio for a bit of mono printing ready for stitching into. We're looking particularly at arches, doors and windows. These are the quick mono prints I've just done from my sketches in Spitalgate, Thomas Street and in the church.

BA samples

More samples for BA classes inspired by sea and land scapes. Three more weeks of term left. How quickly it has gone! Working today on new samples for Christmas workshop this Friday.

Sewing Machine Project

As I was passing nearby, I stopped off in Bracknell to see the Sewing Machine Project. The gallery was in an old country house set in a lovely park with walks & lakes. A group of artists were given 3 old sewing machines which they took apart and used for inspiration. Mini projects involved the colour blue, printing, 3 words, sound and research into the history of sewing machines. Two sets of sketchbooks and workbooks were a highlight for me. Sorry but I didn't get time to write down individual artist names. There is a little book to accompany the exhibition and it will be going to Stroud next year though I'm not sure how they will fit all the lovely work into the small Lansdown Gallery.

Week 4 at BA

For this session we looked at the sea coming in from the beach. The colours were in quite distinct bands and I made lots of drawings on holiday to work from.

Drawing class

Last week we were doing portraits to practice mixing flesh tones and looking at artists such as Van Gogh & Matisse who used all sorts of colours in their portraits. I like the way that Van Gogh often uses colours opposite in the colour wheel in his paintings. In the self portrait of his that I worked from he had used an interesting shade of green to contrast with the orangey red hair.

Week 3 at BA

This week we looked at a technique Carla showed me whilst stewarding at Nature in Art in the summer. Using blanket as a base thick yarns are couched down using 4-6 mixed strands of stranded cottons. The 'rocks' in the swirling water were created from felting fleece.

Week 2 at BA

This week we're going to visit Sarah Brooker's lovely exhibition of felts at the Corinium museum in Cirencester which tie in nicely with our seascape theme this half term. When we get back to the studio we'll make some traditional wet felt to stitch into. Preparation - finding shells & pebbles and making sketches.

First drawing class

After being told to draw a bicycle, cow or horse from memory we were let loose on museum cases of natural objects - fawn, skulls, insects, barn owl, barnacles etc.

New term

The new term at Brewery Arts starts today and I have two classes as the usual one was oversubscribed. We'll be looking at 'Scapes - sea, land & town. First up is seascapes and in today's class using transfer dyes and sheers to build up a picture.

Nature in Art

Stewarding at Nature in Art today withe Carla and she was doing some stitching of thick wools on blanket. I was working on the second of my pair of pockets for next year. We had a busy day with 87 visitors in spite of a very wet morning. Only one more week left of the exhibition so do catch it before it's too late!

Starting new work

Stewarding today with Carolyn at Nature in Art and met some interesting people. In quiet periods I starting stitching a new piece for our exhibition next year at Newark Park. This the back of it which I often find more intriguing! Stitched using one strand of stranded cotton on some old recycled cotton fabric, the piece will relate to my Hidden Secrets theme based on the fairy tales told by the brothers Grimm.

BBs at Nature in Art

Work was put up on Monday, exhibition opened Tuesday, artist in residence this week. Much rain but bit of sun. Lots of interesting visitors.

Brunel Broderers

The Brunel Broderers' latest exhibition called 'Inside Out' goes up tomorrow at Nature in Art near Gloucester and opens to the public on Tuesday. I've been finalising some little hand painted and stitched notebooks made from recycled envelopes.

Washing Lines

Having been making washing lines for the BBS exhibition, going up next week at Nature in Art, I was very interested to see the washing facilities at Berrington Hall near Leominster.

Away from home

I'm away at the moment at the wonderful Oxford Summer School. Lots of different art / craft courses to chose from. I'm doing a 5 day textiles one with Angie Hughes.

Was thinking last night about what I might do for last 2 days here when we will be working on our own projects. Would like to make something for the Stroud book group - theme is Enclosure. Remembered a sketch I did some time ago when out walking of fields enclosed by hedges. Then thought of Inclosure Acts of 18thC & looked them up. So might amalgamate the two. And also tie in to class theme of Vanishing Worlds as the ancient way of everyone having access to common land was swept away when the land was stolen by the rich, & enclosed.

So, proposing to make field boundaries out of translucent lutredur - strips that are joined into rings. Then enclose these with much heavier & darker coloured pelmet vilene to represent the act of enclosure. Onto these rings I want to print some of the text from the Inclosure Act. Not sure how I will do this when I don't have access to a printer here. Either will have to write it or it will just have to be a sample to try out the idea & finish it when I go home.

Next exhibition

I've been working on pieces for an exhibition which is with Creative Forum at Corinium Museum in Cirencester opening at the beginning of August and closing in September. The group of artists meet at the Brewery Arts each month and there is a range of work from leather to sculpture. The theme for the exhibition is Discovery. I decided to be inspired by what I find in the hedgerows around the village.

Turtle Dove

Embroidered baby's sun hat to go on the washing line as part of the Inside Out exhibition by the Brunel Broderers at Nature in Art in August.

Landscape

This is one of my favourite views. Endlessly inspiring in all the seasons

Fresh Air

To Fresh Air sculpture exhibition at Quenington today and saw some interesting pieces of work. Sorry I forgot to write down details of the artists. Well worth a visit.

Ideas - 5

Trying out paper 53 to generate ideas for washing line work

Garden Cliff

Yesterday we went to Westbury Court Gardens and walked from there across fields to the River Severn. Over a wall and a scramble on rocks gave us access to the beach, slick and sticky with mud. Layers of sediment in reddish Marls banded with the bluey greys of tea green and keuper marls. Little stones kept falling and the base of the cliff is a scree. The river was flat & glossy, yet flowing fast. Sandbanks appearing as the tide went out. Found two good rusty bits of iron to use in staining paper & fabric on the beach and some drift wood.