Setting up at Nature in Art

Quick peek behind the scenes, Liz and Jenn setting up our exhibition yesterday.  No matter how much we plan beforehand, we always end up rearranging everything.  It looked different again by the time we had finished.

Don't forget to pop in and see us (and pick up some gifts from our sales table) at Nature in Art, Twigworth, Gloucester - open until Nov 19th (closed Monday) 10-5.

Nature in Art Exhibition

Only a few days to go until we set up this exhibition - so excited. We spent yesterday laying out all the work and figuring out how to arrange it - always a bit of a challenge with a group of 13 artists working in different sizes, colours and styles.  I may be biased, but I think it will look amazing.  My new business cards arrived just in time too - look closely and you will see some of my little birds peeking out.

We are at Nature in Art Gallery and Museum, Twigworth, Gloucester, GL2 9PG.  Two miles north of Gloucester on the A38.  November 7th-19th, 10am -5pm, closed Mondays (entrance fee to museum applies).

Exciting News

So, there I was setting up this new website and thinking 'I really must get back to blogging, what shall I write?' when the news came through that a group I belong to has been featured on TextileArtist.org.  What a great way to start!

I am delighted to say you can read all about my current work at  http://www.textileartist.org/gordano-textile-artists-natural-selection/

We are profiled individually and in alphabetical order, so I am near the end, but that's okay because it is all well worth reading.

As well as the framed pieces, I have used the bird designs to make iron on patches, which are available to buy online.

One More Time With These Engines

Well, the exhibition at Bristol Guild is over and all packed away, but here is one last picture of Engine 21 on display, courtesy of my daughter. Have a look also at the Gordano Textile Artists blog for more images of everyone’s work.  Seeing it on the wall, I realised I prefer the image on Engine 18 so the plan is to make that at the larger size as well and hang them as a pair.  I will try and get some other projects on the go so that I don’t go totally doolally stitching the background – there is an awful lot of it and it does get a bit tedious after a few hours (am I allowed to say that?  Just did).

If you are a regular reader, you may have noticed that I didn’t write in as much detail as usual about designing and making these pieces.  Part of the reason is that I finally got organised and planned a series of articles for Design-IT, the magazine of the Computer Textile Design Group.  Sadly, the first one was published in what turned out to be the last edition.  I had written the second and roughed out the final two, and was going to cover splitting a large image up into bite sized pieces for the embroidery machine, playing with deleting sections and stopping the machine randomly.  I’m not quite sure what to do with this now.  It is a step by step “press this button next” tutorial using Paint Shop Pro and Embird, so probably a bit too specialised to offer to any other magazine that I know of (suggestions welcome).  If I finish off the series, I am happy to put it online for free but then it would make more sense to use screen capture to show how it works. So, more thought needed.

North Somerset Arts Week

Well, the course may be finished but there is still plenty to do.  Next week I am at North Somerset Arts Week with Gordano Textile Artists so I have been enjoying myself making some things to sell. 

These pendants combine acrylic with weaving and bonded fibres – I drew the shapes I wanted for the acrylic and had them laser cut by RazorLAB.

And some cards using my machine embroidery designs.  The dragonfly is on bonded threads and the heart is tiny strips of fabric with butterflies.

We are showing at Purbeck Lodge, Lake Road, Portishead BS20 7JA from 9-12th May, open 11-4.  It is easy to find as it is opposite the cafe and car park, and if the weather is kind we will be serving tea and cake in the garden.  Pop in if you are in the area, there is sure to be lots to see.  I am stewarding on Thursday and Friday if you want to say hello

Exhibitions in February

Two exhibitions I am involved with coming very soon.

First is the Bristol branch of the Embroiderers' Guild which is from Friday 15th Feb to Sunday 17th Feb at the Stoke Lodge Centre, Shirehampton Road, Bristol, BS9 1BN.  Open 10-5 Fri and Sat, 10-4 Sunday. Light refreshments will be available (homemade cakes - mmmm), admission £3.

Immediately followed by Gordano Textile Artists at Nature in Art, Twigworth near Gloucester. Definitely one for a day out as this a lovely venue and I can recommend the wildlife photography exhibition as well.  Details on the poster below, there is a charge of £5.25 for entry to the museum.

You might also be interested in looking at the Gordano Textile Artists blog.

Shameless Self Promotion

More coursework coming soon, I promise.  Meanwhile, somethingsto get excited about.

Check out the latest addition of Workbox - does this look familiar?

Now come and see it in the flesh...

Gordano Textile Artists will be showing new work on the theme of Explorations at the Grant Bradley Gallery, Bedminster Parade, Bristol, BS3 4AQ  from 8-29 September 2012.  Open 10-5 Monday to Saturday, with the chance to meet some of the artists each Thursday and Saturday between 11 and 2.  I shall be there at the preview on Friday 7th at 6pm and also on Thursday 27th 11-2 so do come and say hello.

Exhibition - Gordano Textile Artists

A quick plug for our exhibition coming soon - it is my first time with this well-established group so please come along if you are in the area.

 Gordano Textile Artists at the Toll House Gallery, Clevedon Pier, North Somerset.
2nd to 30th August, 10am to 5pm Mon-Fri, 10am to 6pm Sat and Sun.
Meet the artists each weekend 11am to 3pm - I will be there on Sat 6th August and Sat 27th August.

Whoops!

Bit of an error in the last post - I am at the exhibition on Saturday, not Sunday - 10 to 12 if you still want the cuppa!

Embroiderers' Guild Exhibition

Embroidery Exhibition 25^th – 27^th February 2011, Stoke Lodge Adult Education Centre, Shirehampton Road, Bristol, BS9 1BN

I have entered  Glimpsing the Storm and some of my collages for this exhibition which should be well worth a visit - there is always a wide variety of work from branch members.  As it is our 30th anniversary (which is the pearl one), the branch is holding a competition for members on the theme of 30 something.  We were given a few pearls and a piece of silk, and had to make a piece no larger than 30 x 30cm which used them.  I racked my brains for ages trying to think of something - 30 stitches, 30 colours, 30 days hath September, 30 pieces of silver...  While I was on a biblical theme I decided to look up psalm 30 and found this lovely line "weeping may tarry for the night , but joy comes with the morning".   So here is my entry, a bright orange, joyful sunrise.

The background is painted silk with kantha style stitching to suggest the heat haze and text printed directly onto silk.  The sun is lots of handstitiching piled up on soluble fabric, it is all sorbello stitch.

I am on tea duty on the Sunday morning, so if you are in the area pop in and say hello, and I'll make you an extra nice cuppa.

Exhibition Pictures

So, at last here it is in situ under the church tower.  I decided to call it 'Glimpsing the Storm' to make the connection with St Nicholas as patron saint of sailors. I rather like the way it has no visible support from the front as the pole is hidden.

You can also see 'Cogitation' on a low stand and other pieces hanging on boards - you may remember some of these from earlier posts.  And the good news is that one of the collages has sold.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition Mon August 9th to Sat August 14th

St Nicholas church, Westgate Street, Gloucester, GL1 2PG

I will be showing my hanging and some other pieces, there is also a quilt exhibition called 'Quilted Jewels' and engravings by Sarah van Niekerk.  The church is very near the cathedral and will be open 10:30am to 4:00pm each day and admission is free, however it is being used for a lecture on Monday 9th at 1.30pm and  a concert on Weds 11th at 2.00pm.  This exhibition is part of Three Choirs Plus running alongside the Three Choirs Festival so there will be lots going on in Gloucester all week - well worth a day trip if you are in the area.  See http://www.3choirs.org for more info

Still no pics of the finished item  - somehow whenever it is not raining (or threatening to rain) it is really windy so I can't get the hanging to keep still.  I will try and get some good shots in situ.  Meanwhile, back to double and triple-checking everything is ready.

A Hanging - but is it finished?

I've spent the last week attacking the hanging with pin tucks.  I laid it on the floor to see how it was going and took a photo.

Photo 1

 

 

 

Then I put it on the table to start sewing - it was scrumpled up to keep it from hanging over the edge and I realised it looked much better like that, so I played with it on the floor and decided I prefer the way it looks  - see below.

Photo 2

OK not really like a crack but nice and stormy.  Does it still count as a hanging if I display it on the floor?  It is a lot shorter like this - about 1.5m.  Not sure if it is finished so I am going to put it aside for now - I will be seeing Sian at summer school and get her advice.

A quick plug for anyone who doesn't already know - the Urchfont Manor open day is on Sunday 4th July and there will be exhibitions of work from the various textile courses there, including Distant Stitch students as well as traders.  I will be there all day so come and say hello.  The manor is set in its own grounds in  the village of Urchfont near Devizes, Wiltshire and is a lovely place for a day out especially if the sun is shining.