Stroud International Textile Festival

Working locally this week in the lovely Museum in the Park in Stroud, installing a piece called Fly Away Home, for Stroud International Textile festival which opens this Saturday 30th April.

LIST OF ALL EVENTS HERE

So heres the draft drawing of FLY AWAY HOME I hope to complete by Saturday.......the final piece will be 8m x 4m

And heres some images from the gallery today....... getting through it.... 

 obvoiusly the lighting has to be adjusted

More images of the completed piece later in the week......provided I get it completed on time that is.......

And remember to check out SIT, theres loads of exhibitions, talks, seminars workshops etc spread over the month of May in lovely Stroud and the surrounding area.

LIST OF ALL EVENTS HERE

Drawing with Thread

After a week working on site at Shire Hall Gallery, heres the result

 And check this out........a big thank you to Rich, Phil and Tom for creating this video

Exhibition runs until the 1st May.......catch it before you miss it!!!

Sense Summer Art Fair - Friday 24th-Sunday 26th July

Come see me and other members of the Sense Network at the Sense Summer Art Fair Friday 24th-Sunday 26th July . To give you a sneak preview of some of the amazing work that will be there, heres the blog link which also features brief interviews with the artists, designers and illustrators. There will be all sorts of things available to buy and take a look at from prints, to jewellery, to mixtapes to large scale canvas, motion graphics or acrylic resin sculptures.

I will have a new seris of framed and unframed work on show available from just £50.

Save the date, bring friends and come along. We'll be celebrating with a private view party for members of the network and friends on Friday 24th July.

Sense Summer Art Fair

Friday 24th - Private view 6.30pm - 10pm

Saturday 25th - 10-6pm

Sunday 26th - 11-5pm

VENUE:

Sense Loft,

68/70 Wardour Street,

London

W1F 0TB

Crafted @ The Oriel Myrddin Gallery 4 April - 16 May

A new exhibition and more new work. I have been very busy thes past few weeks creating new work for the Crafted exhibition. The Private view is Saturday 4 April @ 2pm and everyone is welcome. Here's a bit about the show;

"Crafted is an exhibition celebrating the materials, processes and techniques involved in the making of extraordinary objects, often using traditional methods to acheive a subversive result. Each maker is fascinated by the physical outcomes that transform their material, however mundane or workaday, into something remarkable. Whether through technology, inventiveness, virtuosity; or the rhythms and repetitions of making, or the investment of time and diligence, these objects are captivating. They express a new mood of exchange, between contemporary craft, art and design."

I will be showing along side artists which include Carol Kingsbury Gwizdak, Thomas Forsyth and Moon Young Shin.

And here's a little sneaky peek of whats I'm going to have on show.........

No photos of the actual piece just yet.....you are going to have to come see the show for that. This piece does differ those I have done before due to the fact that some of the pinning and threading will be done on site......

Some of my smaller work will also be available form the gallery shop.

Exhibition runs from the 4 April - 16 May in the Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Church Lane, Carmarthen.

Open Mon-Sat 10-5

On a different note, I'd also like to thank everyone who was able to make to the artist's talk for the Material Evidence exhibition last Saturday. The turn out was fantastic and it was great to meet and chat with all the other exhibiting artists. It being my first talk, I was incredibly nervous and thank you to everyone for being so supportive. I'd also like to say a big thank you to Jo Hall and Louise Hesketh for their continued help and support from start to finish. It was a pleasure to work with them.

Hopefully see you all at the Crafted Private View in The Oriel Myrddin Gallery on the 4 April at 2pm

Material Evidence @ The Brindley, Runcorn 21 Feb-11 April

"The exhibition Material Evidence brings together four artists-Clare Lane, Laura McCafferty and recent graduates Debbie Smyth and Caroline Kirton- whose work reflects the importance of making and materials in contemporary art. They represent a new wave of artists and makers with a fresh take on the boundaries between art and craft. By exploring a range of processes, each artist reveals an affinity for working with the physicality of the textile medium in a fresh and exciting way." - Jo Hall, Exhibition curator.

Commonplace industrial structures, architectural forms and bridges have always been a big source of inspiration for me and the Runcorn Widnes Bridge was no exception. Its dramatic scale, the repetitive nature of its structure and its intricacy all simultaneously intrigued me. However it wasn’t until I began to explore the bridge from all angles and view points that it’s captivating and bewildering perspective had me in awe. This matrix of steel rods seemed to funnel and disperse with the arch of the bridge giving it an air of illusiveness. By combining it’s complexity with my simple materials I feel I have captured its eye tricking nature.

One of my initial sketches for the Jubilee Bridge installation (above)

A lovely shot of me installing the Jubilee Bridge, 19/02/09 (above)

And a couple of shots of the final installation (above)

Running on from my pylon series, the bridge was an interesting addition to my pin and thread landscape. However unlike my pylons which I saw as floating linear structures, this bridge had a location; surroundings full of stories. It is the inclusion of these stories, which fundamentally is the less recognized beauty of Runcorn, which brings my piece to life.


The exhibition has had some good press coverage which include
Liverpool Daily Post, AN Magazine and The Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News


There will be a discussion at 1pm on 14th March about the work, with all four artists and the exhibition curator Jo Hall. Admission is free.

The exhibition is Supported by Arts Council England.


Some of my smaller work will also be on show, see below



And finally a general overview of the gallery, see below,

Just a little glimpse of whats on offer, all you have to do now is go and see it.