All good things

It’s been a long time since I last posted here, mainly because I have been otherwise occupied.  This year has been very busy for me professionally.  Since January I have taken part in 6 exhibitions including 2 solo shows and 2 ‘Invited’ exhibitions, I’ve sold work through two craft outlets and other work has sold from the exhibitions and also from commissions as a direct result from the exhibitions. If that wasn’t enough, I have curated a showcase exhibition in partnership with the RHS and managed to secure 2 part time contracts as a freelance in the Arts and Heritage sector for 2 very different institutions, something I am delighted about as the work for both is so varied.  The icing on the cake is that I have also been accepted to start a Masters Degree (part time)  on October.  All of this won’t leave me too much free time over the coming couple of years I think.

In between all this work I have managed to fit in some interesting exhibitions, the best of which is the current retrospective at Tate Modern of work by Georgia O’Keeffe.  Most people will know her for her sensuous flower paintings, and while this is OK, there is so much more to O’Keeffe than flowers.She has long been an idol of mine, it would have been amazing to sit and talk to her about painting and the landscape she clearly adored.  A real pioneer, woman and Artist.  The exhibition closes at the end of October, so if you get the chance, do go and see it.  I am definitely going to see it again before it closes – there’ll never be another opportunity to see so much of her work together in one place outside of the USA again I think.  The exhibition did inspire me to paint a small still life composition using a badger skull (found by and) belonging to Daughter 1 with some garden flowers.

“After Georgia – still life with badger skull, cosmos and coneflower”

To stop getting too stressed out by all these different pressures I have recently taken up hand weaving.  It is challenging and there is certainly a lot of ‘jargon’ to learn, but I have managed to warp up my loom and have even made some progress with a small piece of cloth.  Throwing the shuttle across the shed and then beating down the yarn is very relaxing.  My cloth isn’t very even yet, but I am beginning to get a sort of rhythm going and with that the weave seems to be improving.  It’s early days yet and definitely a skill which needs lots of practice.  Still it is a great way to slow things down and be less ‘connected’ to the assortment of electronic gadgetry that dominates most of our lives.

Number One Sample – cotton yarn on cotton warp thread

So what is in store next? I have a couple of small exhibitions in the planning stages for 2017 and 2018 which will keep my artistic practice going; while my 2 jobs and my forthcoming studies will see me challenged intellectually.  All in all I suspect I have a very busy couple of years ahead.

Think I’m going to need the weaving….

A Gathering of Flowers

For the past few months I have been working on putting together an art exhibition in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society Wisley Garden herbarium (https://www.rhs.org.uk/science/conservation-biodiversity/conserving-garden-plants/rhs-herbarium/collections-in-the-rhs-herbarium).  The idea for this first came to me almost 2 years ago when purely by accident I stumbled across something called the Chelsea Floral Fringe (www.chelseafringe.com) which is an annual event of flower based art and activity that happens in the UK, Europe and now across the globe at the same time as the Chelsea Flower show.  Reading about the things people were doing gave me the idea that something could be done at Cranleigh Arts Centre at the same time as the annual village “In Bloom” event.  After several months of plotting and planning I finally installed (with the assistance of the delightful Marilyn) “Florilegium – a gathering of flowers” at Cranleigh Arts Centre in Surrey.

The ‘theme’ of the exhibition is the preservation of flowers and the centre piece is a 9-string set of images of specimens from the Herbarium at RHS Wisley who have generously loaned a beautiful set of scanned images.

RHS Herbarium images at Cranleigh Arts Centre

To complement these scientific specimen images I was particularly fortunate that the renowned botanical artist Gaynor Dickeson (https://gaynorsflora.com) agreed to loan some of her incredibly detailed botanical illustrations; while photographer Celia Henderson (http://www.celiahenderson.co.uk) has also contributed a set of her stunning, dreamlike macro flower portraits.  As if this was not enough, I couldn’t believe my good fortune when Guildford-based textile artist Gill Denyer  (http://greengillydee.co.uk) also agreed to exhibit a set of her life-like textile plant sculptures.

The incredibly detailed botanical illustrations of Gaynor Dickeson

Dreamlike flower portraits by Celia Henderson

Quirky, life-like textile flower sculptures by Gill Denyer

I now have 3 artists and the RHS images which by themselves would have made for an interesting exhibition, but I felt that I needed a little bit extra and couldn’t quite believe my luck when it turned out that a fellow volunteer at the Arts Centre was a horticulturist and had an herbarium of her own which she was happy to lend.  I selected a few specimens, framed them up and they complimented perfectly the RHS specimen images.  To finish off I added in a small static display of vintage gardening equipment and a ball gown which I have made a few years ago which is covered in dried pressed flowers.

Dress with dried pressed flower detailing and Weed Herbarium specimen

As a fan of what is known as ‘Yarn Bombing’ it seemed like a good idea to ask the ladies of the Arts Centre Knit n’Natter group to knit and crochet flowers which could decorate the entrance to the  Centre.  They and some of the other volunteers at the Arts Centre rose to the challenge by creating over 200 flowers, leaves and creatures which I then stitched on to a banner over the recent Easter weekend.

Floral display by members of the Knit n’Natter group at Cranleigh Arts Centre

The opening evening was a triumph!  I am so proud of this exhibition and grateful to everyone who has loaned work or objects.  Thank you to everyone who has helped to make this exhibition such a success.

Nibbles and tipples await guests at the Private View Opening

Cranleigh Arts Centre Manager, Ms K Backhouse stands beside the Herbarium specimen Galanthus (Snowdrop) Mrs Backhouse No. 12

Florilegium – a gathering of Flowers is at Cranleigh Arts Centre, 1 High Street, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 8AS until 11 June 2016.  Open Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4.30pm, entry is free.   http://www.cranleighartscentre.org

 

 

The Cult of Cute

The other day I made a trip back to my old university to see Kawaii!!!? an unusual exhibition currently on display in the James Hockey Gallery.

 The main entrance to UCA, Farnham, Surrey

So what is Kawaii?  It is the Japanese word for Cute.  But this is a very special kind of cute; something small, shiny and bright.  It’s most obvious manifestation is in the well known and popular ‘Hello Kitty’.  It is also found in Manga (Japanese comics), Anime (Japanese animation) and the sub-culture of CosPlay (a type of theatrical role play where people dress as characters from Anime and Manga.  As with all of these things, Kawaii has a deeper and darker side….

Bear welcomes the visitor to Kawaii

In Japan, Kawaii is a constant reference in the conversations of young girls who dress in bright coloured baby-doll like clothing reinterpreting the ideal of Lolita – genres include Sweet, Princess and Gothic and the streets of the Harajuku area in Tokyo are filled with girls and young women in these costumes.  This is taken to different levels with the introduction of other ‘fashion cults’ such as Decora Girls, Schoolgirl, Maids which lead on to more fetishised clothing as seen in Keisuke Kanda and the androgenous music inspired Visual Kei.  All of these fashion styles can be found in the pages of Manga such as Vampire Knight, Maid Sama, Naruto, Code Geass and Blackbird as well as in the Anime of the same – ordinary people living the fantasy extraordinary lives of their comic book heroes, females with their overlarge doe eyes and male characters with the ‘LadyBoy’ look, youthful yet chiselled.  In her catalogue essay, exhibition curator Lesley Millar says of Kawaii “As a construct Kawaii embodies contradiction: it is ‘official’ (cute and sanitised) and ‘underground’ (pornographic, iconoclastic and anti-bourgeois).  It is a means of sexualising the pre-pubescent/adolescent girl fuelling and fuelled by male erotic fantasy.”  One of the artists in the exhibition Minako Nishiyama has taken this to another level by recreating a Tere-Kura ( telephone dating clubs popular in 80’s Japan where men could phone in, book a room and receive a ‘sex call’ from an unknown young girl). A series of posters with the face of girl comic book character and a telephone number were placed all over Tokyo and men could ring in to a phone in a gallery where visitors were encouraged to answer it. Out of hours, a recorded message in the style of Rika-Chan (a popular Japanese Barbie type doll) would be played.  Cute the image may be, but its underlying message is very far from it.

Rika-Chan poster

Probably more recognisable is the Red Riding Hood costume by  Chie Kinoshita.   Although Western in style, it is made using traditional Japanese hand dyeing and kimono making techniques.  It tells the story of Red Riding Hood  in a different way where the wolf represents men, and being eaten has a sexual meaning.  The artist explains in an interview in the exhibition catalogue “did she (Red Riding Hood) deliberately set out wearing a garment she knew would attract attention to herself and pretend not to care?  It is a different kind of Kawaii-ness, a sweetness that belies a hidden poison.”

Red Riding Hood Costume

 Japanese clothing and fashion is famous for it’s folding and pleating which is an art form in itself.  Two incredible examples of this can be seen in the work of Chie Sakai who uses the folded fabrics as a metaphor for female sexuality.

Ring a Ring o’ Roses 

Shin Enomoto’s peculiar Nobigurami characters look cute in a sort of weird, deformed way.  The artist says their name comes from a combination of his nickname ‘Nobi’ and the Japanese word for stuffed toy “nuigurami”.  He says they are like his alter ego, living things, strange and weird.  They don’t like Anime and Manga and probably prefer dinosaurs to monsters.  They remind me of some of the odd sock puppet-style toys that are so popular with young children now.

Nobigurami

Kawaii is a phenomenon that has swept across the world with international conventions such as London Comic-Con which takes place twice yearly celebrating all that is Kawaii by the thousands of people of all ages who attend dressed as their favourite characters.  Kawaii is populist and consumerist, yet it also fulfills people’s inner desires.  At face value Kawaii appears at face value to be fun, shallow and probably something for children; scratch away at the surface and a deeper, darker meaning exists… the journalist Mikako Sawada says of Kawaii “kawaii in the 21st century is moving at a pace which cannot be kept up with by critics and authority, it is a culture which is ushering in long term values and will remain with us.”  The question is are these values ones which are desirable in our modern, equal world?

This piece by Gendai Bijutsu Nitouhei sums up the true meaning of Kawaii, cute but perhaps not quite so cuddly.

Please Hug Me

This fascinating exhibition is at UCA Farnham, Surrey until 12 December when it then moves to Rugby Museum and Art Gallery from February to April 2016.  Entry is free.

All stitched up at Knit and Stitch

It’s THAT time again, the time when the exhibition hall at Alexandra Palace is invaded by armies of middle-aged women tugging wheeled suitcases to hold the spoils of the show.

Ally Pally

Grey London City as seen from Alexandra Palace

Yes, the 2015 Knitting and Stitching Show is open for business, not only that it is on for a full 5 days now!  This is probably a good thing as I have been on Fridays and Thursdays previously and it has been horrendously busy, I’ve never been brave enough to go at the weekend!  Today I went with daughter 2 and after an uneventful train journey we staggered up the hill from Alexandra Palace station (I thought I was about to have a cardiac arrest at one point) and arrived at the show which was ticking over nicely at the time of arrival at 11.30am. We thought that the first thing we’d do was to get a cup of tea and eat our lunch (bring your own food as catering here is not cheap or particularly inspiring) to avoid the predicted crush and with this in mind we made our way to the designated “picnic area”.  This is in a marquee alongside the main building but is access through the small exhibition hall.  While it was shelter from the drizzle outside and had seats (picnic benches) I am at a loss to find anything else positive to say about it.  the marquee had obviously leaked at some time in the night as the floor was wet and covered in puddles, the whole place was freezing and damp with a small coffee stand at one end.  It wasn’t the sort of place which invited visitors to sit and enjoy a restful coffee and cake with their picnic lunch before piling in to the show proper.

The picnic area coffee stand

The picnic area

Marks out of 10 for this… 3 but only because there was actually somewhere to sit and there was a coffee stall (it only sold coffee, tea from a portable machine and a few muffins and cookies in a cellophane wrapper).  For the entry fee to this event you’d think they could do a bit better than this.  So a resounding “Boo” to Twisted Thread for the “picnic area”.

After refreshment had been taken we pitched in to the exhibition areas and wandered up and down the aisles of traders and exhibitors.  Many of the trade stands sell the same thing, and it begs the question “just how many quilting rulers and rotary cutters can a person need?”  Not being a quilter, the answer for me is none at all, although I do own a rotary cutter which I never use because I don’t like it.  There were many stands selling fat quarters, beads yarn of all shades and thicknesses as well as thread by the mile.  For my part, I found some lovely natural thread on the stand of “Rare Swedish Flaxen Threads” (http://linladan.com) as well as a pretty box of perle cotton threads in lovely greens – not a colour I generally gravitate towards, but these just spoke to me, so I am anxious to find a use for them.

My haul from the Knit and Stitch Show

A second set of threads on small spools came from the fabulous Bizi Bee Embroidery (http://bizibeeembroidery.com) and the bonus with these lovely earthy colours was a yummy lemon lollipop!

After a while most of the trade stands seem to dissolve into a blur, so it was with great relief that we came across the Holly Hart who was exhibiting her beautiful machine embroidered ‘flat taxidermy’ dioramas.  Holly’s work is inspired by the natural world and memories of her childhood spent in her grandparents garden.  She makes the most intricate machine embroideries which are then arranged in the manner of Victorian taxidermy dioramas under glass bell cloches.  Holly was happy to talk about her work and the beautiful sketchbook she had with her.  She is definitely “one to watch” for the future.  Find out more about her at https://www.facebook.com/hollyharttextiles or at https://twitter.com/hollyhartart.

Holly Hart on her stand

Holly’s work

Flat taxidermy by Holly Hart

Faith now being restored that there was something of interest at the show, just around the corner I met with another incredible artist – Lou Baker.  I could wax lyrical about Lou’s work and indeed the artist herself.  The work is really intriguing and completely unique and after a conversation with Lou about her work I am even more impressed and a Fan.  Rather than me trying to explain her work or describe it here, pop over to her website at http://www.loubakerartist.co.uk/ and read her artist’s statement and blog.  The gallery is fabulous and underlines how Lou excels as a maker and thinker.  She was awarded the Embroiders Guild Scholarship for the Over 30’s for 2015 and received a bursary of £1000 as well as exhibition opportunities at the 3 Knit and Stitch Shows (London, Harrogate and Dublin).  It was an excellent choice.

The ebullient Lou Baker with one of her soft sculptures

A final flog round the remaining trade stands found some interesting and funky knitted creatures at Toft Alpaca as well as some colourful felted images and the most incredible chess set made by the Quilters Guild UK.

Giant Flamingo on the Toft Alpaca stand

Cute sheep at Toft

Colourful felted face

Amazing chess pieces made by members of the Quilters Guild UK

All in all the show has lots to see, but I do think that sadly this year it seemed a little more sparse than previously. The exhibition stands were fewer in number and I think also the trade stands, although there were still a great many stands selling the same products.  Maybe this is down to traders having to commit to 5 full days, this is difficult for smaller traders.  Maybe the K&S has become a victim of its own success – it does now have a sister show at Olympia in the Spring, so perhaps traders need to decide which is the better show for them.  I hadn’t been for 3 years so it was interesting to see small differences.  The door price is still quite high at £17 a head it’s a fair old cost for what is essentially a shopping experience, a sort of giant market where you are likely to part with even more cash, and with the added cost of travel it’s not a cheap day out.  There are bargains to be had, but I don’t think it’s the sort of event to go to just to browse.  If you know what it is you want before hand I am sure you can find the best deals – this is borne out by the vast number of people who attend pulling suitcases to stow their swag.  Would I go again next year?  Probably not as I think that any savings I might make on goods would be swallowed up in travel costs and the door price.

The plus side is that I did meet two talented and delightful artists, which really made my day.

The Knitting and Stitching Show is at Alexandra Palace, London from 7 to 11 October 2015, entry costs £17.

Making a contribution

I like to contribute art to worthwhile causes.  Recently I made a piece for a Secret Auction to raise funds for The Martlets, a hospice near Brighton not far from where I live.  I have no idea how much it will eventually raise – 50p, £5 or even £50, who knows.  But every little bit helps and it costs me nothing apart from my time and effort.

donated artwork to The Martlets Secret Auction

I made the above piece of work which I called “Peel of Bells” using mixed media that included a photograph I took of a foxglove plant in my garden, free motion machine embroidery and water-soluble paper.  The piece is 21cms X 15cms which was the prescribed size.  I hope somebody likes it and buys it to raise money for this worthy cause.

I have also just recently contributed a piece of work the AccessArt Share-a-Bird project which is a nationwide initiative aimed at schools and has two main aims –

• To celebrate and highlight the diversity of artists and makers in the UK today.
• To demonstrate the importance of visual arts education for all.

Earlier this year a call out was made to artists to create a bird which would then be sent to a school to spread the message.

• Artists, makers, designers and craftspeople are openly invited to make, sculpt, paint, draw or make a print of a bird and send it to AccessArt. A label will be attached to the bird, naming the artist /maker, and describing their inspiration.
• AccessArt will send out the birds to schools in the UK. No money will change hands, though the artists/makers will receive recognition, and the school (teachers and pupils) receive a gift: the artwork (to keep) and the gift of inspiration.
• A bird has been the symbol of AccessArt for many years. AccessArt is a UK charity which aims to inspire and enable through sharing of good practice and we see the bird as a messenger. By creating a flock of birds, and sending them out into the world, we hope we can help new ideas spread and new connections to be made.

My contribution was a peacock.  I had intended to design and make a fantasy bird, but everything I drew looked a bit like a peacock so in the end I just thought… OK, it’s a peacock.  I made a watercolour sketch which I then scanned and printed digitally onto soluble paper before stitching over it and finally dissolving some of the paper.  the end result was mounted in an embroidery hoop.

watercolour sketch

the end result

a thank-you from AccessArt

Collaborative and contribution projects like this are great fun and a fabulous way to make some work that is a bit different from what you would normally do.  It frees the mind up and also hopefully does a little bit of good along the way.

Find out more about AccessArt at http://www.accessart.org.uk.

The making of an exhibition

Recently I have been very busy with the organisation of a new art exhibition of work by a group I belong to.  We call ourselves Ten (although there are actually only nine of us) and the name came from the year in which we graduated from the BA (Hons) Fine Art course where we met one another.

Way way back in the mists of time, September 2005 to be exact a group of “mature” students were ‘Freshers’ at the University for the Creative Arts at Farnham in Surrey about to embark on a BA (Hons) Fine Art degree, full of anticipation, hopes and dreams about what the next 5 years (this was the duration of the part-time course) would hold.  After many trials and tribulations, friendships were formed and we finally graduated in June of 2010 with a ceremony at Guildford Cathedral.  Inevitably some members of the course went their separate ways, but a small group stuck together and formed an exhibiting and support group to ensure that we kept working.  The group now meets once a month to plan exhibitions and more importantly to talk about our work and exchange ideas.

Rear view of Guildford Cathedral

2015 is the 5th anniversary of our graduation and we felt that it should not go unmarked, and with that in mind an approach was made to Guildford Cathedral as a potential venue in the summer of 2013.  The selection process is rigorous and only takes place once a year, so we had to wait until the following January (2014) before we found out if we had been successful.  Having written the application submission, I was particularly nervous – what if we were rejected!  Would it mean that I couldn’t write an interesting enough proposal?  I would have failed my peers.  Fortunately we were called forward to meet the selection panel and discuss our idea which was to create work based on our personal engagement with the Cathedral and it’s environment.  So it was that at the end of January 2014, I went with another group member, Sandra to meet Canon Bishop to discuss our potential exhibition.  Another month passed and an email arrived to say that we had been selected to open the 2015 exhibition programme at the Cathedral… Oh JOY!  Now the serious work began – creating Art!

Vast and amazing space inside Guildford Cathedral

Monday 12th January 2015 dawned and we met up bright and early to install the work.  The Cathedral uses a series of large wooden panels along each side of the Nave for display and these boards needed to be covered as their surface is a little holey (no pun intended!).  Generally exhibitors use white paper to do this, but we felt that jarred with the soft, creamy brown/white of the building walls, so we used brown paper instead.  This turned out to be a masterstroke, it looks great and really sets the work off well as the eye isn’t distracted by the shrill whiteness of the background, instead the brown blends with the fabric of the building so that the attention is drawn only to the work.

George and Nigel (Paulene’s husband) hang Georges work

It was a full-on day and not one that passed without several traumas and some intense exchanges of views! By 4.30pm it was all installed and we were ready for Evensong followed by our Preview Reception.

Day and Night time installation views

Not being of a particular religious persuasion I had never been to Evensong before and it was an interesting, and calming experience to hear a male voice choir singing praise to God.  We, the congregation stood, sat and kneeled in silence while all of this went on following the instructions on the order of service cards we were given.  After, we were able to welcome our guests with wine and ‘nibbles’ while they looked at the work.  A great turn out of some 60 people made the evening very special and a huge success, ably facilitated by the delightful Joe , the Events Manager and Ann-Margaret, a volunteer at the Cathedral.

Down through the nave towards the altar at night after Evensong

Ten are delighted to have been fortunate enough to be able to share our 5th anniversary year with everyone at such a fabulous venue and we are looking forward to another 5 years creating and making!

Ten have their own blog at www.twentytenartists.blogspot.co.uk and a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/10artists.

Ten are: Paulene Cattle, Gillian Collins, Diana Foden, Sandra Gratrix, Angela Hauser, Rowena Kelley, George Simpson, Celia Stanley and Emma Tabor.

This is our work currently on show at Guildford Cathedral:

Paulene Cattle

Gillian Collins (aka Paisley Pedlar)

Diana Foden

Sandra Gratrix

Angela Hauser

Rowena Kelley

George Simpson

Celia Stanley

Emma Tabor

QUINQUENNIAL

an exhibition of contemporary art at Guildford Cathedral

13th January to 23rd January 2015 open daily 9.30am to 4.30pm

admission is free

Very “Downton” – make a 1920’s Headband

Yesterday my oldest daughter came back from university for Christmas a couple of days earlier than planned because she had been invited to a 1920’s themed Supper Night and Cabaret.  The first obstacle to overcome was – obviously, What To Wear.  Now Lotty LOVES dressing up and is a keen Cosplayer, but the 1920’s hasn’t been a period that has featured in her  ‘dressing up’ to date, but with a little help from her sister and me, we managed to find a dress, a long line knitted jacket, shoes and a very long string of pearl beads to give the 1920’s “look”.  As she already has straight bobbed hair – very “Lady Mary” all she needed was something to set it all off.  A quick trawl through Pinterest and Google images found the Headband.  With that in mind, she was off to the shops first thing this morning to buy suitable trimmings to make the accessory of choice.  On her return she tipped her bag of goodies out on to the table with those immortal words “Mum… can you help me?”  These 5 little words are enough to strike terror into the heart of any mother, as what they usually mean is “Mum, can you make this for me…Now!”  As I had nothing better to do (and also because I am a soft touch) out came the sewing machine, fabric glue and workbox; this is what I did.

1920’s Headband

You will need: assortment of feathers, plain ribbon and decorative lacy/beaded/embroidered ribbon, elasticated headband, textile glue, costume jewellery (for deconstruction), thread

1. Measure around your head with the ribbons, add a couple of extra centimetres and cut to size.

2. Pin the decorative ribbon to the plain ribbon and stitch together – I used my machine, but hand stitching will suffice.

3. Pin the ribbon to the elasticated headband – don’t forget to stretch the headband so as to allow for the non-stretchy ribbon to fit on the head.

 

4. Cut a piece of scrap fabric (I used a circle of felt).  Cover with fabric glue – Gutemans HT2 is the best, arrange the feathers and glue in place.  Leave to dry.  Once dry, trim the feather ends.

5. If using, now is the time to make use of the costume jewellery as decoration.  I used pieces from a bracelet and a small pendant necklace from Claire’s Accessories.  Cut a small piece of plain ribbon and glue over the ends of the feathers, glue in place and leave to dry.  Take the pieces of jewellery and arrange to suit, glue these in place and leave to dry.

 

 

 

6. Once the embellishment is dry, stitch on to the headband and – Ta-Dah!

 

Let there be light!

…and so the final day had arrived, the day when my lampshade would finally find its shape and form.  I arrived at Handprinted in Bognor Regis (www.handprinted.net) this morning in perfect time for a welcoming cup of tea with the other students made by Shirley – our tutor and Print Guru after which it was time to head upstairs to the mezzanine level print room.  Today was all about turning a flat piece of printed cloth into a 3 dimensional lampshade, so without much ado I was busy with the iron!  Normally I am not terribly keen on ironing but somehow if it is to do with something art related it doesn’t seem like such a chore!  Once flat the fabric was measured out ready for the addition of the plastic backing which stiffens the fabric and enables it to become a cylinder.

Ironed and measured

Backing on

Once the backing was firmly fixed and any bubbles/creases removed to make it absolutely flat it is time to trim the long edges.

Trimming the long edges

Now for the sticky bit; using double-sided tape the metal hoops which form the shape of the shade are covered around their perimeter.  This is sticky and tricky as once covered they can’t be placed on a flat surface as they will stick to it.  Shirley has an answer to this problem and gave us each a small stool placed on its side so the hoops can be hung from the legs – genius!

Genius sticky hoop holder!

The next stage is crucial rolling the sticky hoops along the edges of the plastic backed fabric to form the body of the lampshade.

Rolling, rolling, rolling!

Rolled and ready

Time for the final finishing bit, turn the top and bottom edges over the hoops and then setting them in place using an ingenious serrated edge tool which makes a disconcerting popping sound to fix the fabric in place around the hoops.

Ingenious “popping” tool

… and TAA_DAHH!!

The finished lampshade (with Ruth and Shirley behind)

One of the best things about this session was seeing everyone elses lampshades coming to life and how different each was bearing in mind we all started off with the same plain white piece of fabric.

All the lampshades from the workshop

I think that we all managed to produce something unique and to a very high standard of finish, any one of these would not look out of place in that mecca of middle-class style –  John Lewis!

My new shade on its base

and All Lit Up

I am really pleased with my effort and enjoyed the past 3 weeks immensely, it was a great course led by a great tutor in the shape of Shirley and a great group of fellow students.

I am not Banksy

Making art is about experimenting – I hesitate to use the term ‘play’ which I think trivializes the process of making.  So in a mood of experimentation I finally got around to completing a small painting based on a pencil drawing I made a while ago from a photograph I took of a Street Artist at work during the Chichester Street Art Festival in 2013.

“Anonymous” Street Artist at the Chichester Street Art Festival 2013

pencil on paper

acrylic on board

So after making a drawing and then a painting, I felt that the image had a little more mileage and took the opportunity of being at the Handprinted print studio in Bognor Regis to make a screen print.

I wanted to get a similar look to the painting and laid down a mono printed layer of randomly placed spoonfuls of different coloured inks directly on the screen before pulling it all through on to the fabric.  The reason for using fabric and not paper is that I feel that I want to also incorporate some hand embroidery – don’t ask why, I have no idea!

first mono printed layer

Now it was time to add the text layer and for this I cut a paper stencil of the words “I am not Banksy” and then printed this through the screen – unfortunately I forgot to photograph that stage – Oops!

Once  the second layer was laid down I got to work on my photostencil.  I had made this up from my original pencil drawing first manipulating it in Photoshop to adjust the brightness and contrast, discarding the colour information and turning it to gray-scale before finally converting it to a Bitmap – this ensures that the areas of different density in the image show up, so lighter areas appear light and darker areas appear dark, bitmaps use tiny dots to make up the image in the same way that the traditional Benday dots worked in the early days of screen printing.  I then printed the new image on to a piece of OHP film ready for exposure on to a silk screen.

freshly exposed screen just washed after exposure

Once the screen was made the first print was ready to be pulled, I tested it on a piece of newsprint first and then it was time for the ‘main event’.

photo stencil screen ready for printing

first print on newsprint 

TAA DAH!!!! 

And there it is, a quick 3 layer screen print on fabric.  The final stage is the addition of the hand embroidery…

Now I have added some stitches I am less happy with the image so have decided not to continue adding anymore.  I think overall the screen print is my least favourite working of the image, my personal favourite is definitely the painting with the photo-stencil being a close runner-up.

and some more Handprinting….

Today was the second session of the making a screen printed lampshade course.  After an eventful drive to Handprinted (www.handprinted.net) in Bognor Regis in the pouring rain, I arrived together with my co-students to a warm welcome from Shirley (the boss!) and some very welcome tea!  Today was all about getting the photo stencil layer added to the design, so everyone took turns in exposing their screens on the light box to get their design on a silk screen ready for printing.

my photo stencil design ready to print

my work space

section of printed fabric design

It has been really interesting to see everyone’s designs develop and not least also the differences in complexity and style.  It is a great group as well, consisting of only 7 students there is always time for a friendly chat… or some naughtiness – yes Ethel and Maud – you know who you are!!!!!  I am really looking forward to the last session next week to see how everyone’s hard work comes together as a finished item – exciting times!

busy, busy, busy!

and busier, busier, busier!