Friday 29 July 2011

ALL FIRED UP

So for those of you who know me slightly this will not come as any surprise.I just could not resist having a bit of a play, so even though I am going to have to wait patiently for the delivery of the large trivets I have fired a couple of pieces of steel, 4" x 3" with colour experiments. I now feel confident about using the digital control and just thrilled with it all. Thankyou again Adrian from Northern Kilns, so far so good!!

Thursday 28 July 2011

IT'S ARRIVED! IT'S ARRIVED!

If only everything was as straight forward, reliable and as much fun as buying an enamelling kiln! As promised Adrian arrived and installed a 9in cube (internal measurements) kiln into my studio this morning and instructed me about how to use the temperature controller. Now all I have to wait for, patiently, is a larger trivet and fork and I will be away. Yippee.
It's going to be a hot summer in my studio, I can't wait.

Tuesday 26 July 2011

FIRED BY NATURE

I am very excited to have been included in an exhibition at the Rostra and Rooksmoor Galleries in Bath during August. Fired by Nature is an exhibition spot lighting new work by enamel artist Janine Partington. Also showing ceramics by Joanne Cooke and prints by Kirsten Jones and Trevor Price. For opening times and more information www.rostragallery.com.






Monday 25 July 2011

ART IN ACTION 2011

Art in Action is like no other arts festival. Held every year at Waterperry Gardens it shows about 400 demonstrating artists to the public. If you want to know how and why art is made then book your ticket to Art in Action 2012 now.
I was invited by Nature in Art to join a group of artists demonstrating their passion for the natural world. Nature in Art is also an extraordinary place. Between Tewkesbury and Gloucester it is the only museum in the country dedicated to art work inspired by nature. www.natureinart.org.uk. I am very grateful to their support during the festival and also the camaraderie of the other exhibiting artists in our area. As you can see from this photo a good time was had by all.

The refreshing thing about Art in Action is that it is not all about sales, the public come and watch us working. We tell our secrets and send people away keen to have a go themselves.

I must have spoken to hundreds of people, but I still had time to make 4 collagraph plates.

Here are 2 of them, I can't wait to get printing. My favourite reaction when talking to people was the complete disbelief when I said I used tile cement to make my plates. I sense there may be a run on it at the closest B&Q to Waterperry.


As busy as I was, I made a real effort to look around at fellow demonstrators, especially as there were a few personal heroes at the festival.


I was very excited to be able to see Sarah Morpeth's work in the flesh. www.sarahmorpeth.com.



We share a passion for the natural world and Sarah is such a sharing artist.


I know I am completely obsessed when I look at the work that has caught my eye. These fantastic bronze casts, of clay built sculptures made by Brendan Hesmondhalgh and David Cooke. www.sculpturelounge.com


I love the character of these creatures, so strong and bold.



Back at the Nature in Art area I shared a space with Philip Nelson. www.philipnelson-artdecoy.co.uk. He makes the most beautiful decoy ducks, they have a wonderful soft , feathery look to them and they are skillfully carved from wood. We shared a wicked sense of humour throughout the festival.



Being involved with Art in Action is a real honour, it is wall to wall talent wherever you look, but more than that, as demonstrators we are warmly looked after by an army of volunteers, coffee flows and we are well fed. Our egos are boosted by 4 days of almost constant flattery. Thankyou everyone for making my Art in Action such good fun.















































Wednesday 20 July 2011

SETTING UP WEDNESDAY

Waterperry Gardens near Oxford is now decked out ready for Art in Action.
Everywhere you turn there are the most beautiful floral displays.

And here is my home for the next 4 days, it will be torture as the Nature in Art area is set up next to the tempting treats of the garden centre.

The work I am displaying is all collagraphs with a mixture of current work

and old favourites. My rooks and crows seem to be dominating, it will be interesting to get a public reaction.







Sunday 17 July 2011

PREPARATION FOR ART IN ACTION

In preparation for next week I have been making some drawings to make into collagraph plates while I am at Art in Action, demonstrating how I go about making collagraphs from drawing to print.

I had thought I would use some drawings I had made from a visit to Slimbridge in the New Year, these eider ducks being one.But so inspired am I by my visit to see Marley the raven, yesterday, that I have had to spend the day drawing.
It has been more like trying to make a portrait than produce an image of a bird, Marley is such a personality. I now have more than enough to get on with at Art in Action

































CAW!!

I have several sayings that I trot out for my classes, one being that 'ink is infectious', the other is that 'I don't get out enough' when I get excited about a luscious ink mark while printmaking!
Well my lovely friend Lesley (Printed Material) took me out for an airing yesterday to meet the very generous, Martin and Lorrie who supply the Tower of London with ravens.

Meet Marley. This is a real privilege to get this close to the king of the corvids.

And although he gave the impression he was friendly letting Lorrie scratch his head and feed him grapes,

he was just waiting to lull an easily impressed human stranger close to that beak. He tolerated my presence, letting me get close enough to take these pictures, but his intelligence gives him the capacity to trick and tease. I now have the most fantastic resource materials for some new work.

But not only were there the delights and thrills of the ravens, but Lorrie and Martin have a passion for all things wild life. This barn owl chick will be raised by hand

as is this kookaburra. A morning of natural delights, I am so grateful to Lesley, her cousin John who organised the trip and Martin and Lorrie who tolerated my gasps of delight.











Monday 11 July 2011

AT THE TOP!

Congratulations to Abbi, Jack, Jack, Tom , Mat and David for completing 28 peaks in 120 hours. This extraordinary challenge was completed yesterday at 12 noon at the top of Snowdon. To learn more about the challenge and the charities they are raising money for check out www.ukthousandschallenge.moonfruit.com/

Tuesday 5 July 2011

MIXED MEDIA EXPERIMENTS

I have worked further into the drawings I started last week.
More ink, more wax, more bleach.


I have also cut out some of the moths wing sections to add surface interest.


I do like the added colour of the orange, but


I am drawn to the faded, monochromatic quality the bleached ink gives.

Both these drawings are a means to an end and I would like to try to achieve this quality in a print or an enamel.