The bunting bunted its way to Auckland

I put my best bunting dispatcher on the job, and the bunting arrived just in time to make an appearance at the Between Tides exhibition Westmere beach. I was delighted to see photos sent by the lovely Lyn. Surprised by the difference the quality of light. 

Enough bunting to go round the world?

It’s Between Tides time of year in Westmere, Auckland. An annual exhibition on the beach organised by the Jersey Collective. I’ve taken part in this several times now, it’s an annual Auckland event the whole family loved to be part of when we lived nearby. The next one is on the 10th March 2013 and I am very sorry not to be there. I was sat gazing out of the window at work, watching the snow, idly wondering if it was time to make an early escape before the snow meant an enforced sleep over in Sheffield (I need to drive over the moors to get home) and thinking - well I could at least submit an art work....

My previous exhibits have included - a deck chair; little wooden waves, a seabed and some painted inflatable rings...what could I do that I could post, but would be weather proof, dog proof, child proof and large enough not to get lost in the vast expanse of the site. Maybe subliminal messages from the recent jubilee and Olympics have got to me...bunting is the ideal thing. Bunting to celebrate creativity, the female form, international relations, friends, bunting long enough to go round the world.

Getting carried away

I've been going wild with the sewing machine, and having fun. I love how the material 'bubbles' as a result of the little spirals and circles. 

Stitch Stories

Last week I was mostly taking embroidered art to be shown in Bank Street Arts 'Embroidered Narratives" exhibition. Opening event (Facebook)

"Reflection"

"Protected"

I submitted two pieces, and was delighted to have them both accepted. The brief was to submit contemporary "illustrative" textiles, representative, or abstract.

In the work ‘Protected‘ I wanted strong graphical representation of women, with the overlaying figure subtly overseeing and encircling in a protective way. On display but in control.  

The work ‘Reflection’ is taken from a sketch of a male model, but I aimed for an androgynous and anonymous representation of the figure. 

Bank Street Arts will be hosting an open afternoon for Embroidered Narratives on Friday 13th July, between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. All welcome. Cafe Juniper will be open for tea and cake

The exhibition runs from 02/07/2012 - 31/09/2012

Two shows, two countries

Lyn's photo - you can see my dog and Leanne's hills

Recently I have shown work in Portugal and Sheffield. Well...to claim I have shown work in Portugal is a little bit of a blag. My friend Lyn did an artists residency in Portugal, and had this cool idea of a post card exchange. We received three handmade postcards, and three blank postcards to send back with images of what was around us in return. We managed to return two cards as there were only two of us around, and dutifully posted to Portugal. These featured as a very small part of Lyn’s excellent looking end of residency show. 

http://arterra-residencias.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/lyn-dallison-em-residencia-6-semanas.html 

The Sheffield show was rather interesting. At the University where I work, the Physics and Astronomy department have an annual show, and invited participants from the wider University community. They emptied out a lab, and displayed a variety of creative offerings from University staff. A very mixed bag of work, the photography being the strongest pieces IMHO, I guess physicists are pretty familiar with using high tech pieces of equipment such as cameras. 

Clare and myself represented the library very capably, and appeared to drag a fair few of our colleagues into the exhibition. Clare is currently promoting her book, check out the progress on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/5pigeonspress/ 

New Pad

I got one of them new fangled pads, beginning with i, took it to life drawing, and enjoyed not getting compressed charcoal ground into my hands, or not possibly spilling ink onto the carpet.

I like how I can now edit it, change the colours, change the back ground, change the scale. It will only print out in A4 however, any larger and the image gets a bit pixillated. Not sure how David Hockney does it, but for a first attempt, I was fairly happy.

Feeling Blue

On the blue theme - off to life drawing, first time for 18 months, eek, very nervous. New class, new tutor, new other life drawers. Which end of the pen do I put in the ink again?

After a few warm ups, which are traditionally my best work, it's back to the ink. Opps, what I thought was black ink turns out to be blue. Oh well, I pass it off as creative and interesting (hopefully)

After a few nervous scribbles, all appears to be well. I relax and have a very enjoyable drawing session. Fantastic to be so creative mid week.