Saturday, 21 February 2009

Locust Wings and Poster Paint


I thought I'd post some of the recent sketchbook work I've been doing alongside making the bottle pieces for exhibition. I'm developing some ideas for sculptural jewellery using the jewel-like colours from Quality Street wrappers(post christmas idea!).


Using book binding stitches I've been exploring ways to create little wing-like bundles.
Feeding into this work are drawings and collages created after looking at patterns within microscope images of plant cells and an astonishing BBC documentary called 'Swarms'. One scene showed millions of bright pink locusts clustering on a tree their translucent wings catching the light. It is this quality of translucency and fleeting illumination that I am trying to capture in my pieces.

Exciting Opportunities


Over the last week I've had a little flurry of exhibtion opportunities opening up. I met with Fiona Bailey of The White Gallery in Bollington who was fantastically enthusiatic and supportive of my work. She has invited me to show my work as part of the Bollington Festival in May and the Three Shires Textile Festival in July. The Gallery is a beautiful space with a lovely tiered sculpture garden at the back. Fiona and I discussed the possibility of hanging garlands of mirrored bottles in the trees. I also want to create some kind of feature piece; a chandlier/birdhouse/mirrorball hybrid!
On the same day I was contacted by the curator from ArtLink in Hull, she wanted to put the series of 12 Mirrorballs in 'Make Do and Mend' an exhibition celebrating International Women's Day. Three in one day - exhibtions really are like buses!
I also found out that my work has been selected for the Chorlton Arts Festival. Look out for some highly fiddled with bottles in the window of Arison picture framers on Wilbraham Road around mid may! I also have the chance to give a workshop as part of the festival- what should I do for it?
Another little joy has been the biennial trip to Ikea- I've gone all focused and set myself a little studio up with a truly magical tilting table with a lightbox in it! I'll need a good space to work from; I need to get making sharpish!

http://www.thewhitegallery.blogspot.com/

http://www.artlink.uk.net/


http://www.chorltonartsfestival.com/



Friday, 13 February 2009

Fresh Air 2009

I recently got some great news; my work has been selected for Fresh Air 2009 an outdoor sculpture exhibition in Cirencester. It's taking place in June, so I've got plenty of time to get making! I'm planning to make a huge installation of lengths of mirrored and embroidered bottles that can be hung from trees to spin and catch the light.

www.freshair2009.com