PLAY DAY

Remember back in October I had a treat and went to Hope and Elvis near Nottingham 

and learnt to solder with Di Tinker Foster?

I was very pleased with the results. 

Soon afterwards the lovely Mr Brown gave me a soldering kit for my birthday. I have been feeling a tad guilty as it is only until now that have got around to having another go. My lovely and creative chum Caroline McCatty came over for a soldering play day.

I rooted out bits and bobs and decided to make some kind of construction, primarily to get the hang of soldering again.

A couple of glass circles and a selection of butterfly wings were put together.

Caroline put together a matchbox memento.

Copper tape and then soldered, a little practice is required to get the taping and soldering even. I will have to work on that.

But I am chuffed with my hinged tea cup 

with a butterfly bottom.

Caroline made a successful match box drawer together with

this stacking soldier.

Thank you Louise at Hope and Elvis together with the expert tuition of Di. Caroline and I have learn lots today and our heads are bubbling with lots of ideas.

BUSY AT THE YARD:ARTSPACE

This weekend theyard:ARTspace hummed to the 

creative activity that the Gum Arabic and Sketchbook techniques workshop generates.

Lots of fun was had while learning new techniques.

Experimentation was the order of the 2 days.

Acrylic paint,

ink

and Gum Arabic transfers covered sheets of cartridge

paper and filled sketch books

producing rich surfaces.

Gum Arabic transfer can be printed onto fabric as proved by Gwen

who embellished her apron with print and machine embroidery. 

Personal drawings

were used throughout the workshop

making drawings leave the confines of sketch books.

The work on paper was folded into 4 and 8 page leaflet books.

Such individual work was produced all using the same processes.

The next Gum Arabic transfer and Mixed Media Sketchbook workshop at the yard:ARTspace is 7-8 May, check out the website for details.

HAVING A PLAY

It is interesting to look back at where things come from (sometimes) and of course when we think about how long ago we should always double the number!!

In December of 2011 I first created one of my ladies. Inspired by the paper mache brooches made by Julie Arkell while I was learning to enamel on the MA course at UWE, I thought, 'what if I made them in metal?' So hand cut steel with a pair of tin snips and handmade rivets to attach the legs.

This is what she developed into, they have taken a while to start to sell, but I have been supported by galleries. So now that they are finding a market I have decided to make it harder...who for, myself, my following. My need to make art objects means I just can't keep still...!!!

So the Ladies & Gentlemen have taken a rather surreal turn. I have spent a few days playing with the enamel and the idea. I like to draw with the enamel as I go along.

Using the faces of my lost relatives, adding scary balaclavas (yes, just an excuse to use that word in context).

Taking a few more risks, but inspired by Cecile Perra and Caroline McCatty

Julie Arkell and Teesha Moore and 

the Surrealists and Dadaism.

And every small child I see wrapped up for winter wearing a woollie hat with ears.

I am looking forward to completing these art dolls and have ideas for more. But the rest of this week may have to be devoted to making a collagraph plate as I want to try making a collagraph a month as I did in 2014.

What are your artistic New Years Resolutions? 

READY, STEADY...GO!

Happy New Year to you all, it seemed like a long Christmas break and I now feel ready to get cracking again.

I try to cheat the January creative blues by starting a few things before the tinsel sets in, so the budgie

and tea cup sparrows was where I got up to before the festivities.

With the yard:ARTspace to myself I got down and inky, 

a couple of proofs and then a couple of 

days making adjustments to the plates,

playing with inking has left me in no doubt more work is needed.

More glue,

more skim and repair plaster,

and another date blocked out in my diary to print and experiment.

I have also started some drawing so there is a peacock in the pipeline.

Even if the budgie and sparrows don't work the active process of experimenting, reworking the plates and reprinting help to lubricate rusty creative muscles and compositional decisions. It is not always the outcome that is important, a successful piece can often be an unexpected bonus, it is the process of making that is important to me.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE...

So here it is again, that festive celebration that gives us all an excuse to deck the halls.

This is now an annual post with the usual suspects appearing. The vintage lanterns have been up for a couple of weeks now to get us in the festive mood.

Rudolf now finds himself on the wall.

The gnome from my childhood Christmases is in pride of place on the mantel piece and

has now been joined by a flock of vintage robins this year,

 a gift from the talented Caroline McCatty. Frosty fairy, from one of our annual fairy swaps has made a return visit.

Creepy or cute, you choose?

I have a marvelous collection of hand-made cards

this year, thank you for going that extra mile at such a busy time.

The tree is now up and 

encrusted with my favourite decorations.

And there are more fairy lights in places you just could not imagine.

But the highlight of the festive season is the fairy swap I do with Caroline, this year the theme was Frightening fairy and once again Caroline has won. So del Toro in nature, I am so lucky to have yet another McCatty original!!

My fairy became a little too corpulent to accommodate a growler that sounded more like a cow than a frightening other being. But it is the joy of making something for someone.

We have been making and swapping fairies for years now, do you have a Christmas tradition you would like to tell me about?