Studio Arts: Leaf Exhibition

Exhibition View: Collages, prints and handmade paper

Sometime ago I wrote about some of the work I was doing with my Prism Arts group. We were looking at developing various visual arts skills and techniques, using leaves as a starting point. These sessions went really well, with the participants getting stuck into trying new techniques and starting to develop personal visual vocabularies. The sessions worked so well that the group has evolved form being the visual side of our Studio Theatre Company into becoming a separate visual arts group.

Exhibition view

Bunting made from lino prints on fabric

Lino prints on fabric

For me this is a very exciting development because whilst I love theatre my passion really lies in the visual arts. Altering this group to focus on the visual arts allows me to really use my skills and knowledge to enable the participants to develop theirs. The leaf workshops (as I like to call this block of work) showed that this was the best way for the group to develop and expand. We looked at a range of techniques including lino cuts, paper cuts, paper making and weaving. The positive responses from the participants were really encouraging and have also resulted in an impressive body of work.

Collages

Collage and print

Prints

To celebrate this we held an informal exhibition in our main studio space. This allowed us not only to see how much work had been done and to celebrate our achievements but also provided a good opportunity to start developing our critical thinking skills. Having the work up on display (and before that selecting particular pieces to go up on display) makes it easier to talk about what we like and why, what worked well, what didn't work so well and ideas to try out in the future. Having the work in front of us to refer to is very helpful during this process.

Leaf prints on fabric and lino plates

Lino plates

Leaf prints on fabric and handmade paper

I really enjoyed working with the participants to create this work and seeing it displayed in the studio space I felt so proud of what they'd achieved and excited to see how the work will develop. As often happens I was intrigued by how although we all had the same starting point and used the same techniques and materials everybody's work is very different. Our next big 'event' for the visual arts group will be C-Art in September and I'm really looking forward to seeing the work the group produces.

Weaving (done on a peg loom)

Weaving (on a frame)

Weaving (on a frame)

Life Drawing 19.1.16

Continuous line drawing

I had to cancel the December Life Drawing session due to a flood at the Prism Arts studio so I was really ready to get back to Life Drawing, it's been a while (November.) However, good things come to those who wait (so they say) and it was an excellent session. In keeping with it being the first session of the New Year we had a new model and I was very pleased that we also had several new faces in the form of art students from the university.

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

Our model for the session does a lot of modelling for magazines as well as for individual artists and she gave us some really lovely, dynamic poses. I find it endlessly interesting how all the different models have their own style and how even when they use the same poses they seem very different. I think this is one of the reasons Life Drawing is such good practice for any kind of artist, it really makes you focus on what's there rather than what you think is there.

Red pen, layered drawings

Continuous line drawing

Green pen, shading

I also found it interesting how having the students altered the atmosphere of the group, they all worked quickly and with a great deal of energy which radiated out to the rest of the us. It also meant that I had rivals for the 'Most Pieces of Paper Used in a Life Drawing Session' award...

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

Since the start of the year I've been keeping up with my daily drawing practice so I felt ready and keen to get drawing for this session. I really enjoyed just drawing, not worrying too much about the outcome and just letting the lines flow. I had some interesting foreshortening for some of the poses and so some bits were quite challenging, some poses I got and others not so much.

Permanent Marker

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

I tend to make multiple drawings of each pose as I draw very quickly and as I was drawing I was thinking that with each drawing I learn something a little bit different about the pose. I can then take this little bit of information into the next drawing and so bit by bit build up a better picture, quite literally!

Permanent Marker

Continuous line drawing

Continuous line drawing

Last year I was challenging myself to get better at faces as a lot of my drawings feature headless bodies because I find faces quite difficult. I'm carrying on with this challenge and was pleased with some of the faces I drew tonight, like all things the only way to get better is to practice! All in all it was a good start to the life drawing year and I'm looking forward to the next session on 9th February (please contact me if you'd like to join the session.)

Workshops and Websites

Embroidered Goose. Textile markers and hand embroidery on printed fabric, 2015

This week I've been busy making samples and worksheets for some of the workshops that I've got coming up. I've got several workshops coming up in different locations and I'm really looking forward to all of them! One of the things that I like about running workshops is that it gives me a good excuse to have a play about with materials and techniques. This helps keep my skills up to date and inspires me to try new things and expand my own skill set.

Sketches and notes for samples

Shadow Embroidery sample

Pin Stitch, shadow appliqué sample

I also often find that this 'playing' leads to new ideas and ways to resolve problems I've been facing in my work. In creating samples for an upcoming Shadow-work workshop I've been inspired to carry on with a large magpie piece I started and then sort of abandoned last year. I've now almost finished it and although it is quite different to how I originally envisaged the piece I think I'm quite pleased with it. It usually takes me a little while to decide I'm happy (or not) with a piece!

Shadow Work Magpie in progress

Shadow Work Magpie in progress

Similarly, in creating samples for an upcoming Hand Embroidery workshop at Tullie House I was inspired to work back into some fabric drawings I'd done last year, painting and stitching into them. I'm pleased with how this work is progressing and I can see how this might develop into new pieces.

Drawing on fabric: Painted and stitched

Drawing on fabric: Painted and stitched

I've also added a new 'Workshops' page to my website, which I've been meaning to do for a little while now. I love running workshops so I'm hoping that this might make me a bit more accessible!

Screen shot

Upcoming Workshops:

Hand Embroidery: Embellishing Printed Fabric

Saturday 20th February 2016

Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle

Shadow Work

Saturday 27th February 2016

Cumberland Embroiderers Guild, Carlisle

An Introduction to Felt Making

Saturday 16th April 2016

Watchtree Nature Reserve

(Details TBC)

Textile Banners

Saturday 23rd April 2016

Tullie House, Museum and Art Gallery

Folded Sketchbooks

Saturday 7th May 2016

Watchtree Nature Reserve

(Details TBC)

More Feathery Experiments...

Feathers stitched onto cotton, January 2016

My last couple of posts have been about the importance of 'playing' and enjoying work and life. This post sort of continues with this theme and is more a chance to share some pictures and show you some of the ideas I've been playing around with in my studio rather than a deep and meaningful examination of my practice.

Sketchbook pages exploring feather ideas...

Sketchbook pages exploring feather ideas...

Playing with ink

Drawing on a prepared page

Birds and feathers have been recurring themes in my work for some time now and I've had lots of different thoughts and ideas about where the work could go. Thoughts and ideas are great but there's no substitute for actually just getting on with it! So, I have been in the studio everyday (even if it's just for half an hour) doing a bit of drawing or sampling. 

Large Feathers (A2) Ink on paper

Jackdaw, Ink and Acrylic

Feather, Ink on paper

I've been trying to keep up with daily drawing for quite a while now, with varying degrees of success. I do find it a good habit to get into and my drawing definitely improves but I did find I was in danger of getting stuck in a bit of a rut in terms of always relying on my pen and continuous line drawings. To help break out of this I started experimenting with drawing ink and I've been enjoying how different it is. I have a lot less control so the drawings don't always go quite as I intended but I love the random patterns that the ink can create. 

Feathers stitched onto cotton

Feathers stitched onto cotton

Feathers stitched onto cotton

Feathers stitched onto cotton

Feathers stitched onto cotton

As well as the drawing I've particularly been enjoying playing with feathers, using them to make mono prints and stitching them onto cloth. I now have some much clearer ideas for pieces of work and am looking forward to getting stuck into these in the coming weeks. I've also found that by just getting on and experimenting the conceptual side of my work has become clearer and more focused, but that is a subject for another post.

Feather mono print

Feather mono print

In Circles, accepted for Upfront Open Exhibition

I've also had a piece of work accepted for the Upfront Gallery Open Exhibition and this has helped boost my confidence and motivation, especially as it is one of my feather drawings. All in all it's been an exciting and positive start to the new year and I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes...