Monday 19 December 2016

CREATIVE CHRISTMAS

Can creativity be a burden? I have to admit that I find Christmas exhausting as I can't turn my making muscle off! I started decorating in November, well that was a business decision as I decorated the yard:ARTspace for my Create for Christmas workshops.
I start off with crocheted stars and snowflakes.
Then the paper snow flakes make an appearance.
My mind turns to Christmas goodies and this year
I have found the perfect tin to pop them into.
The metal tree goes up adorned with snowflakes and strange enameled pieces.
This year I got together with a bunch of creative chums and we did extraordinary things with pipe cleaners.
Mine have reached the metal tree in the yard.
Come the first of December I start to think about decorating the house.
I always start with the lanterns and lights.
The second weekend in December sees me adorning the 
mantle piece, it becomes an enchanted woodland of birds, fungus 
and berries. Thank you Julia Jowett for this little wonder.
Rudolf makes an appearance the next weekend and yes this year he is in disguise.
As if Christmas wasn't busy enough the talented Caroline McCatty and I set ourselves the Fairy swap challenge, usually alliterated and set in the January, often done at the last minute, always a highlight of my Christmas for the last 12 years...no I can't believe that this will be our 13th Fairy.
This year it is Film Noir Fairy (are we running out of themes?) Poor Caroline got this from me.
And I am soooo lucky to receive this from her. We have decided what the theme is for next year...you will have to wait and see!
To add a touch of competitive edge to this years festivities, I have set a Bauble Challenge for my family and friends. I found these little glass lovelies at Hobbycraft and bought all of them!
Here is mine ready to be joined on Christmas Eve by the creations from my husband and 3 grown up children. I just love a festive diorama. 
Last but not least the tree goes up a week before we eat and drink too much. I would love to create a Scandinavian look to my decorations, all natural wood and clean lines, every year I fail. More is defiantly more with a hint of the sinister.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HERE'S TO A CREATIVE 2017.

Thursday 15 December 2016

CHRISTMAS PARTY

The yard:ARTspace was transformed last night
into a twinkling Christmas wonderland
for the second Solo printmakers Christmas party.
We repeated last years get together, by meeting up at the yard
and ordering a Curry from up the road.
Everyone bought a pudding to share, making the Press Room into the Pud Room.
At the end of the evening we took away a handmade cracker, our version of secret Santa...I can't wait to open mine, I don't know who it's from, but I am saving it up for Christmas day.

Thank you to everyone who made the evening so enjoyable...see you all next year.

Monday 12 December 2016

DRAWING, DRAWING...

The end of my teaching term at the yard:ARTspace does not always mean I can put my feet up. I can see Christmas hurtling towards me, so I am about to set up my creative safety net to get me started again in the New Year. It is always tough rekindling that creative flame after decorating the house and dealing with days of giant meals.
Just before Christmas I now make stuff that will need attention on December 28. Drawing ideas and half making collagraph plates that will ease me into 2017.
So here is my process, I am starting to draw new work
that I hope to make next year,
these ideas began to appear earlier in 2016 so 
I want to build on it for new work in 2017.
Lots of mixed media,
transfer and
acrylic and
ink.
I am determined to  use the gum arabic technique
on the finished prints.
This year has seen me having a dalliance with fabric and stitch. I can't quite seem to shake this off  and 
I am still transferring images onto random bits of material...watch this space.

Monday 5 December 2016

END OF TERM AT the yard:ARTspace

December has arrived and this means the end of my second year here at the yard:ARTspace.
The last couple of weeks has seen lots of activity with the 10 week course and an end of term workshop.
My 10 week courses have produced wonderful work and as a treat we 
experimented with mono printing into collagraphs
and making completely new work using this flexible technique.
Fabric was used as a substrate together
with prints made during other workshops.
The washing lines of prints looked rich and
experimental.
Beautiful things appeared.
Saturday hosted the last workshop of the year.
A twist on the usual mono print technique used earlier in the week,
we explored viscosity mono printing. Everyone
made lots of energetic images which were developed
later in the day with more mono printed shapes.

2016 at the yard:ARTspace has been a busy year and there is lots planned in 2017. Workshop bookings have been tumbling in. There are still places if you would like to join the Wednesday, 10 week Printmaking Course. Hope to see you sometime next year.