Embroidery with an Edge

Creative Drawing at Square Chapel

2012-01-27T14:45:00.001Z

Last week I did some creative drawing excercises with my Square Chapel students. I planned this lesson specifically to tackle some of the problems young people seem to have with drawing. In my experience, a lot of young people have this idea in their head that if their drawings don't look 'real' or don't look like a photograph, then they are bad at drawing, etc. We all know this is crap right?! There are so many amazing ways to draw, and I wanted to try a few excercises with them to help them loosen up and 'let go' a bit. I thought this would also help one student in particular, who is very controlled. I warned her that she might find the excercises hard or uncomfortable to do, but that she should have a go anyway and see what happened.

I started the session with a collaborative drawing excercise, which we all took part in (I want them to realise that these things are always useful, no matter what stage or ability). We all placed 3 items from our pockets or bags on the table, and had 5 minutes to draw what we could. Then everyone moved to the left, and we continued this way until we had all drawn on each other's pieces. I was SERIOUSLY impressed with the skill level of these kids.

I had a new student this week who is in year 6 (last year or primary school), and she really held her own, but as you can see they are all amazing!

As a main focus for the class, I set up a still life in the centre of the room. I then proceeded to instruct them in a number of different excercises including:

continuous line drawing
non-dominant hand drawing
blind drawing

There was the usual descent from the ranks (even I find some of these very hard to do and I have done them a lot!), but they were all game in the end, and as a result they produced some fantastic work. I was particularly proud of the student who I mentioned earlier, who started with tiny, light, tight little drawings in the middle of the A3 paper, and who finished with this:

I'm really proud! The other student also produced some fantastic work. I was also really impressed with my year 6 student, it seemed to come very naturally to draw in this way, and she kept her eyes on what was in front of her, rather than her paper - which is great skill. I think sometimes it is so easy to get bogged down in the marks you make. Much better to let your hand move independently and see what amazing things it has done when you are finished!

CHECK out out that technique!

We finished the session by introducing some colour. It was quite hard excercise to do given that the light in the room we work in is not ideal, but they did a great job. I asked them to pick 3 pastels (in light, medium and dark colours), they then had to work without outlining the image, but just picking out the light, medium and dark areas of the still life.

At the end everyone commented how much fun they had, and I encouraged them all to look at each others' work. I think it is really important to introduce this habit - that way they can acknowledge their different styles, and in turn have confidence in their own.

Commission Time!

2012-01-20T11:23:00.001Z

Last year I was asked by my boyfriend's parents to do a commission for them. One of Megan's friends was a very keen embroiderer - she was passionate about stitching, and passionate about the new ways people are interpreting a traditional technique. Sadly, Megan's friend died last year, but at the funeral her children requested that guests help themselves to a piece from her embroidery collection to remember her by (what a lovely idea). Megan decided that it would be a great idea to get me to 'respond' to the piece, as she feels it is what her friend would have wanted.

This is an image of the original embroidery -which I think is pretty cool! There are two, mirror images on the end of a long table runner made of lovely greyish linen. There are some marks on it too, which of course just add to its awesomeness. That is the beauty of found/ reclaimed and upcycled fabrics: that they show off their history.

This is a better view of the original embroidery, and kind of gives you an idea of how long the piece is. My embroidery sits right in the middle of it.

And this is my work. I wanted to do something that was in juxtaposition to the floral design on the ends, but that would tie in with them at the same time. The design on the top of the skull is based on the idea of the sugar skull, and also detailed, rich and colourful Indian embroidery. I tried to choose the colours to either match or compliment the designs on each end.

As always, the embroideries are my own designs, taken directly from my drawings. I used my trusty backstitch a lot (I feel it gives me the line I am looking for), but I really enjoyed doing the eyes using big long stitches and layering them in the same way as I cross hatched in my drawing to create depth.

A close up of the embroidery on the top of the skull. I have used a number of different stitches such as satin, chain and bullion knot. I also got a chance to use some of my extensive sequin collection, so this piece really sparkles and shines.

Overall, I am pretty happy with this piece. It is small scale, but it is an example of the direction I want to push my work in for the time being. I really want to PUSH this embroidery thing - I want to make really big, really detailed pieces based on sources like my paisley skull drawing (see previous posts). Megan and Chris haven't seen this yet (I am going to post this blog on their facebook), so fingers crossed they like it. I hope you like it guys!!

Square Chapel Art workshops

2012-01-12T11:22:00.001Z

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to land myself a job as lead artist on the Square Chapel Arts workshops. I am really very excited about being associated with such a great organisation, and with working with such passionate arts co-ordinators. This last weekend (7th January) was the first session. I only had 5 students, but there was a nice mix of ages (between ages 11-16), 4 girls and 1 boy, which was excellent.

I started by using some ice-breaking games. I find this sort of thing pretty cringe-worthy when I have had to do them in the past, but you know what, they work! I tried to do a mixture of physical/ non-physical ones. I think the physical one could have gone better. I tried to be as enthusiastic as possible, but I blame Saturday morning syndrome.

As an introductory session, and as suggested by the arts co-ordinator, I decided to make folders/ portfolios with them. There isn't much room at the chapel, so it's pretty imperiative we find someway of storing their work in a small space. This seemed like a good idea, and since I gave them free rein to decorate them how they wanted, it was a good diagnostic tool for seeing their levels/ abilities too. It was really interesting to see the different ways they approached the task. Some just went for it, whilst others were more timid or unsure of themselves. There is one student in particular who was excellent, and I think it will be great to have her as an example of how to 'loosen up' for those other students who might struggle with this concept. I'm really passionate about pushing these students to think about art in a very different way, I am planning to use some excercises that I first did at art college. I hope every single one of them leaves the sessions realising that 'art' doesn't mean drawing/painting a picture that looks exactly like real life.

This Saturday I am going to make small sketchbooks with them using this awesome tutorial. I thought it would be good for them to have something they could do little warm up excercises in at the start of every class. They will only be small, but it will be a useful skill to have non-the-less.

A quick roundup of recent things

2011-12-30T17:13:00.001Z

OK, trying to implement the old new year's resolutions already - and one of them is to blog at least once a week! Hoping this will help me stay focused, plus hope to have lots to blog about (some exciting things in the pipeline/ possible work ideas).

First of all, my copy of HOOPLA finally arrived! I am so happy with it, and absolutely chuffed to bits to be included in it. The photography is absolutely top notch - and it is really quite a hefty book. I definately recommend it for stitch fans. I generally don't go in for 'project books' myself, I prefer to try my own ideas (of which I have many), but this is so much more. It includes loads of interviews with artists and stitchy personalities, and did I mention the photography? DROOL. Anyway, MrXStitch has kindly already done a book review, so I'll link that here. Nicely done.

I had to include this picture, because that is my fly drawing right there! Whoop whoop!

I also recently recieved a copy of my feature in Cross Stitch Collection. I appear on page 23 of the December issue. It is just a small 'meet the maker' style piece but you got to be grateful for any column inches you can get!

Artist Swap (and some great news)

2011-12-21T11:53:00.000Z

I'm going to stop apologising to my readers for not posting enough, and just make a new year's resolution to blog more! A while ago, a Flickr friend Makina_85 and I took part in a swap. I promised that I would blog it, but it has taken me this long (sorry Makina!)

Makina illustrates these great little creatures, mostly in black and white (which I find really attractive, I think it must be something to do with the graphic qualities of monochrome). She was very generous, and sent me not only an original screen printed T-shirt, but a framed drawing and a selection of vintage buttons!

If you are interested in looking at Makina's artwork, and maybe even commissioning an awesome original piece of artwork, T-shirt or customised shoes, then you can visit her website here.

On seperate matters, I am happy to announce that I have a couple of new jobs! Not only am I to be the new p/t art tutor at the Keppel Unit (part of Wetherby Youth Offenders' Institute), but I am the newest freelance Visual Artist at the Square Chapel Arts in Halifax. I will be holding a regular Arts workshop on a Saturday morning during term times. I am very excited about both of my new jobs, I hope they will both deliver a great deal of new opportunities for 2012.

The Knitting and Stitching Show - Harrogate

2011-12-05T19:16:00.000Z

So last weekend I volunteered at the First Steps lounge @ The Knit and Stitch show Harrogate. I spent the first couple of hours working the stall, selling small, affordable craft packs including french knitting, jewellery making and needle felting. The twist was that there was a lovely communal area where we could sit with the customers and show them how to use the packs. I think this is a great idea and it worked really well. I really enjoyed showing some old timers how to do some new crafts!

Working for a few hours staved off my usual spending frenzy that takes place at this event, but not for long (it was never going to be a miracle cure!) I did actually last most of the day but then I discovered this great fabric shop, where their killer combo of amazing Japanese printed fabrics and sense of humour had me over a barrel handing over my debit card pretty much instantly. I also stocked up on some pom pom trim to make this.

I was a little disappointed at the exhibitions this year - usually they blow my little socks off, but not this year. I did enjoy looking at some of the quilts:

This awesome quilt is by Valerie Mullally - and is called 'Dear Jane, it's the 21st Century'. The workmanship on this was amazing. I had a look up close, and you can't see any of the stitches (wow). I was also blown away by this:

I mean look at this!! It is truly freaking awesome. It's called 'Octopussy' and is by genius Janneke de Vries-Bodzinga. Look at the detail on this:

I was also really inspired by these students' work. I really like the cage effect on this first picture, and the second really gets me going. I am loving big chunky necklaces at the moment, and this pretty much satisfys that criteria!

Bury Art Shop

2011-11-16T21:44:00.000Z

Hey peeps, just a quick post this time. I am working on a commission at the moment, and I am not sure whether the commissioners (is that even the right word?) want to see any progress pics, and I don't want to spoil the suprise!

I just wanted to announce the official opening of the Bury Art Shop, part of the Bury Art Museum - it is on the 3rd December and there's a special 10% discount on the day for all visitors. Get your sen down there and buy some awesome stuff (my printed brooches). Whoop whoop!

What a Cracker!

2011-11-04T13:56:00.000Z

My new felt brooches will be part of the 'What a Cracker' Christmas selling exhibition at the Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge. The exhibition will contain all sorts of amazing hand made gifts from talented individuals and opens on the 13th November. I recommend you visiting if you are in the area - Alison, who runs the gallery has a real eye for quality (of course, she was the first person who supported my business!) and you won't be disappointed.

On a seperate matter, I was trawling google for references to myself and my work (sad I know, but I promise it is for a job application!) and found these lovely links. One of them is from the Coulson College which is a A level college. The blog is well worth a look at for some inspiration. The second is from the lovely Jenny Hart of Sublime Stitching (flattered much?!) who listed my project in the HOOPLA book as one of her favourites. I am still waiting for my copy of the book to arrive, rest assured I will review it on the blog as soon as it arrives.

2011-10-14T16:38:00.000+01:00

The drawing is finally completed! I couldn't tell you how many hours is in this, but there has to be a fair few. I've watched quite a few films and episodes of Law and Order: SVU let me tell you.

Of course I am sick to death of it by now. I want to transfer it into an embroidery, but I am aware that it will become quite a different piece because of it. I want to use colour, and feel that the shading will need to be pared down, if not disposed of alltogether.

I really enjoyed doing this drawing, hopefully it will be part of a set when I have finished. I'm hoping other people like them too - it would be nice if they became saleable. Maybe drawings are more marketable than embroideries? I hate to look at it that way but the truth is I need to find more ways of making a living from my artwork. I know now that I can't fall back on teaching now that much is true!

The Lemonwedge

2011-10-13T11:03:00.001+01:00

Way back when (July), I did a series of workshops at the Beaconsfield School, down in Buckinghamshire. I was lucky enough to be accepted to work with a textiles group/ teacher as part of Creative Partnerships. I was luckier still that this job actually turned into 3 seperate projects where I also got to work with a Gifted and Talented group and within their specialist Art inclusion centre: The Lemonwedge.

This post is about the Lemonwedge project. I thought it best to break the posts down into smaller managable chunks rather than cramming them into one long 'War and Peace' style epic.

This is the final piece once I sewed all the bits each student made together. It is now pride of place somewhere in the school. I hope the students feel proud of it because they did a fantastic job, I'm sure you will agree!

The students were all year 7, and working with me for a variety of reasons. I had a small group of 6, which was nice as there was a real chance for them to get to know each other and make new friends. I designed the programme to explore how to express emotions visually with an emphasis on mark making. We started the workshops by exploring how we might express different emotions using pattern and colour. I wanted them to learn that emotions are something different to everyone, and how we should respect that.

(SAD)

Students then chose an emotion to explore in more detail. They created a background using different mark-making techniques: stamping, mono-printing and rubbing (resist) - thinking carefully about the colours that they used. Once the backgrounds were done, they then created a lino printing plate and created a repeat pattern print on their backgrounds.

(HAPPY)

Some of them turned out great! And we only had one student stab themselves with the lino tools (and one teacher!) The students worked really well together, creating a collaborative piece to back the wall hanging and discussing and deciding the layout of the final piece.

(HORROR)

The textures are awesome! I really enjoyed working on this programme. I relished the chance to develop a more long lasting project (although not huge, it took place over a number of different sessions, each 2hrs long) - and I am very pleased with the effort and ability of my lovely students!

(JOY)

Back to Basics

2011-10-06T12:36:00.000+01:00

Wowee, it has been an age since I last blogged. I guess that is what happens when you have a regular job which takes up all your time *boo hiss. Teaching secondary level is so much more work than expected (and I expected quite a lot!) The relentless pressure of grades etc is too much! But I'm not going to blog about that.....
.....I'm going to blog about this!

I've banned myself from drawing in my sketchbook as I always seem to spend ages, and do some beautiful drawings but then they're trapped between the pages of the book, never to be seen again. I happen to love drawing, and it seemed a shame that they were never being seen. In addition, I felt I needed to force myself into the 'process' of creating a piece of artwork - it can be very tempting to be lazy and go straight to fabric and I felt that maybe my art was suffering because of this. I always used to research before I created my art, but since I left education this has kind of fallen to the wayside. This is my attempt to get back on track!

This is the piece only part way through - good view hours work in there non the less! I'm working on trying to develop the concept behind my 'Needled' pieces - using tattoo inspired imagery. I started by collecting source images (skulls, swords, etc) so that my drawings could be as realistic as possible. This is all done using a mechanical pencil - I just can't draw with anything else!

It also occurred to me that I sometimes suffer from worrying too much (never!) about my artwork/ my style/ etc. This is a first attempt to combined those things that truly inspire me, those things that I really enjoy: like tattoos, pattern etc. This is A2 in size, I am hoping to transfer the design to fabric and embroider it. It's going to take forever but it's all part of making myself slow down! Embroidery takes time and I want to learn to respect that more.

Tutorial: Acetone Transfer Print

2011-09-09T15:39:00.001+01:00

This is a really simple, easy way to get an image onto fabric or paper.

You will need:

Acetone (you can buy online in bulk or at your local chemist). You do need pure acetone, and not just nail polish remover
metal spoon (for burnishing, don't you know!)
masking tape
fabric or paper
laser copied image (a photocopy will do, or a laser print. It must be laser as you need the toner ink to transfer. This method will NOT work with inkjet print outs).

NB: The image will come out backwards so bear this in mind when preparing your image. Flip it on the horizontal on your computer first before printing and copying. Also bear in mind that the image will be a lot lighter than the original, so consider saturating the colour before printing as well.

METHOD:

tape down your fabric onto a plastic work surface (NB. Acetone WILL wreck wood/ remove varnish etc - trust me I know from bitter experience! - so make sure your surface is old or you don't mind it being wrecked) and tape your image down on top where you want it to be.

Decant your acetone into a glass or ceramic holder (do not use plastic - it will melt it. Again, I learnt this the hard way!) Use a piece of cotton wool or a screwed up tissue to apply the acetone to the image a little bit at a time:

Use the spoon to burnish (that's posh for rubbing it in a circular motion) the image where you have applied the acetone. Work quickly as acetone evaporates fast - and press as hard as you can. You may wish to anchor the image in place with one hand whilst burnishing with the other.

Repeat until you have covered the whole image. You will be able to see where you have already worked, as the paper will become slightly transparent.
When you have finished, peel back the paper with the image to reveal your transferred image.

As you can see, the image is a lot lighter than the original. Experiment with different types of fabric and prints to see what gives the best effect.

HEALTH AND SAFETY:
Acetone is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE chemical. It will eat through all sorts of things and is dangerous to inhale. Wear a mask when doing this and if at all possible do it outside or in a well ventilated area. Keep away from children and animals.

ps. excuse the sh**ty photos :)

Back in the Day....

2011-08-24T13:21:00.000+01:00

I was leafing through one of my portfolios the other day and I found these photographs which were taken when I was doing art at school. I thought you might all like a little laugh at me (though, scarily enough, my new hairstyle is quite similar again after cutting all the dreads off!)

This first image is from GCSE. I think it was an artist workshop (our school was always really good at getting artists to come and work with us.) My sister still has this painting hanging in her room. I'm particularly digging the buttoned up labcoat with my school's badge embroidered on it. HOT.

This second image is me working on my final major project for A-Level. I really enjoyed that project, and in fact I still have some of it hanging around somewhere (the paper pulp moulded breast plate). My hair and mode of dress was a constant thorn in the side of some teachers at school I remember. I wonder what they would think about me teaching myself nowadays!? I think a few of them would be pretty surprised.

These images really bought back some strong emotions. I really enjoyed making art at school. I was so lucky to have access to a great art room and lots of resources; and it was making for the sheer enjoyment of it. I didn't care for 'conceptualism' - I drew, I was inspired, I designed, and I made. I wish I could re-capture this sheer experimental enjoyment of art, but it is so difficult when I have just a little room to work in where I can't throw paint and ink about. I am hoping that maybe I can utilise the art rooms at Hipperholme when I start in couple of weeks (argh/eeek/etc. I am very scared about this at the moment!)

LINK madness

2011-08-16T12:02:00.001+01:00

I am now in a position to offer a lovely links banner to anyone who wants it (and wants it bad). If you would like to swap links with me - I offer a link on my lovely new website in exhchange for you using my banner - or if you know anyone who would be interested, then please email me via my contact page here.

Fun Felt Flowers

2011-08-15T14:03:00.000+01:00

If there is one thing I have learnt from running Guerilla Embroidery so far it is how far ahead you have to plan! With this in mind, I have been working on some new products with a view to trying to flog them for Christmas (I know, it pains me to think about it too, it has only just been my birthday!) I know my practice has taken a turn away from product and more towards art - however, I made some of these with young people at the recent Calderdale Council workshops and they were really popular. Hopefully I will get a few orders and make some Christmas present money!

To add an extra dimension to these accessories, I hand printed and painted them (a chance to use my gocco printer and fabric screens which I haven't touched in a while.) I just sent an email out to my gallery contacts (a very successful morning spent this AM sorting all my contacts out once and for all!) - advertising them. Here's hoping I get a few bites. Not having wireless at home means that I infrequently access my emails/ contacts on the netbook and therefore I am more than willing to admit I have probably lost a few contacts that way. I'm pretty bad at networking and it is something I really need to work on.

Cross Stitch Crazy

2011-08-12T10:26:00.001+01:00

Thanks in no small part to being featured in a recent copy of Cross Stitcher magazine, I decided to try my hand at it recently. Truth be told, I have been wanting to try it for a while now - and the fact that it could be a perfect technique to employ in my next Flickr Response Project piece (with Corinne B) gave me that extra emphasis. Corinne's beautiful embroideries have presented me with a real challenge so far, and this may just have helped me to crack it!

Of course, this being me and being a total over-achiever, I decided it wasn't enough to copy someone else's pattern. OH NO! I decided to make my own. Which I really enjoyed, and actually the drawings themselves threw up some very interesting ideas.......(if only I had the time!)

The only thing I don't like is the actual Aida fabric - it seems very constrictive to me. I have been looking into whether you can get disappearing stuff, and you can but damn, it's expensive. Anyway, I am toying with the idea of using these cross stitch patterns to decorate my own table linens - and extension of the 'Home Invasion' project perhaps, and the creation of new heirlooms.

Calderdale Council Summer Scheme

2011-08-04T14:12:00.000+01:00

I want to blog about the workshops I did recently as part of the Creative Partnerships scheme at the Beaconsfield School in Buckinghamshire, but thought it would be best if I waited to have photos of the finished items as well as the processes - that way it is more informative and readers can see the end products, the culmination of the projects.

So instead I am going to blog about the summer scheme I recently did for Calderdale Council. These workshops never really 'push' my practice at all, but they are always fun.

This scheme varied a little bit from the ones I usually do for Spearfish, as this time I was the only artist. I usually just do craft/textile based workshops, but this time I wanted to offer something a little bit different so we did spray painted boards one day. Of course it was very popular! I didn't want to bite off more than I can chew so I stuck to simple stencil work but they seemed to be very happy with what they did! (Apparently last year they didn't even get to keep their work which just seems to be a nonsense to me.)

I guess it is a bit of a hazard (and maybe one that is hard to avoid), but my workshops can sometimes be quite gender specific. I always encourage the oppostite sex to get involved of course, but more often than not I end up with little girls!

Haha, like these two! I think the best thing about these kind of workshops is when you manage to capture their imagination and inspire them to use the skills I have taught them to do something different with them.

Sometimes though it can be very hard (especially in a 'drop in') situation as this was, to get them to stick to an activity for long enough (lots of monsters left unfinished when I ran that workshop as they all ran off to do sport in the afternoon - I mean anyone would think they wanted to be fit and healthy, pah!) - so it can be a real reward when they do actually stick to it and challenge themselves (like this t-shirt above - which wasn't just scribbled on!)

Platform Gallery Open Exhibition

2011-07-28T16:10:00.001+01:00

This Saturday just gone saw the opening of the annual Platform Gallery Open. The picture above doesn't do it justice because when we arrived, it was so packed you could barely move! Sadly most people seemed to bugger off after the prizes were awarded (sadly I didn't get one - but there is still the People's Choice awards - or something similiar, so who knows).

I had a whole wall to myself which was awesome (though not looking too thrilled about it actually in this photo!) I was very honoured to have been chosen as part of this show as the standard was excellent. There were so many great pieces there, I highly recommend a visit if you can (it runs until October 1st - so you have a while).

The piece that really caught my eye (and I voted for it to win people's choice) was by established artist James Fox - detail of which you can see above (it would seem he studied on the same PGCE course as me as well, oooo). You can see more of his awesome work on his website.

Excuse the wonky picture here (I had been told I couldn't take it, so I was being naughty, but I so badly wanted to blog about his work - and hopefully he won't mind when you all check out his website!) His work really appeals to me as it uses easily recognisable imagery - and of course the juxtaposition between his subject matter of pop culture, guns and skulls and the traditional paisley fabric works so well. I also think the use of clashing patterns perfectly references the 'information overload' of today's society.

Although very different, I also loved this piece by Carole Belfield. Unfortunately you can't see the detail and this image doesn't really do it any justice (please go and see it yourself if you can) - but the colours are so lovely and subtle, it's really emotive. Yum! I was really suprised by the sheer amount of textile work there was in the show - it was really encouraging. Maybe we are one step closer to uniting and taking over the fine art world! WAR CRY!

Cross-Stitcher Feature

2011-07-19T11:34:00.000+01:00

I am very pleased to announce there is a wonderful article/ interview with me in this month's issue of Cross Stitcher magazine ( July 2011/ issue 241 - if anyone is interested in getting hold of a copy). I was contacted by Judy Darley who found me via my website. She says some really flattering things about me!

It's a shame in my picture I look like I'm ginger! (I'm too convincing with my freckles and all!) I also noticed that my proof reading leaves a lot to be desired as my twitter address is wrong (whoops). Such a small detail but so important! Out of interest, any new readers on here found me by following on twitter? Just drop me a comment.

Platform Gallery Craft Open and the need to stimulate artistic discourse....

2011-07-07T11:35:00.003+01:00

Wow, long time no blog! Hello to my new followers, sorry there hasn't been much for you to follow at the moment. Glad to say though this is because I have been busy working (phew) which is always good news both for my sanity, and my bank account!

Some great news - I have got myself a p/t maternity cover at Hipperholme and Lightcliffe School, teaching art 3 days a week! Very excited, especially since I get to teach a year 11 (that's GCSE, eek!) group. It also means I will get a nice chunk of experience of teaching KS3/4 students, which (I hope) will only help with my future job searches. It is also nice to know I don't have to get up at 6.30am every morning come September and wait for the call from my supply agency! YAY!

In other exciting news, my dyptich 'Needled' has been accepted into the Platform Gallery Craft Open, alongside this awesome photograph by my boyfriend, Andrew Vickery:

I felt it was really important that the work was viewed alongside the image of the tattoos, as it gives greater context to the ideas behind the artwork. When viewed on their own, the Needled pieces can look quite 'ordinary', but when presented alongside the tattoos, their meaning becomes more clear - and they are no longer just a pretty picture of some birds and flowers! I really like the idea of comparing and contrasting the two. This is part of my statement which will accompany the work:

"These works compare and contrast two very separate artistic pursuits, that of tattooing and embroidery. As artists we are linked through our use of tools, namely the needle; but the end results are dramatically different. What seems at first to be a traditional embroidery pattern is given deeper meaning when the source material is revealed.

The social connotations of fabric, clothing as a form of self expression, of decoration and ritual are all touched upon – making links between what at first seems quite disparate techniques. The juxtaposition is further explored when considering the social implications, stereotypes and associations of both art-forms – the concept of traditional vs. modern. I wish to challenge the idea of beauty and how it is perceived."

On a last note, I was reading an article on the A-N website (for those of you who don't know about this fantastic artist's resource, GET ON IT), about the importance of blogging and came across this quote:

"I crave dialogue. Dialogue is what art is all about, it’s what life is about. The work is the conduit, the way in to a conversation. And Artists talking (as the name suggests) is about artists having a conversation. But not, as many people assume is the way with blogs, talking into the ether, or to a fantasy audience – no, if you take a moment to delve into the Artists talking blogs and look at some of the conversations springing up all the time in the blog comments, you’ll find plenty of lively and spontaneous debate."

I couldn't agree more. I would love it if more of my readers felt they could comment on what I write here. Is it that I don't do enough to stimulate this sort of discourse? Is there subjects you would like to see discussed? I am very aware that as an artist operating essentially in a 'vacuum' that discussion with others is essential to my successful development.

User Generated Content

2011-06-08T14:42:00.000+01:00

Last Thursday I attended the opening of my most recent group show: User Generated Content, created by Blankspace for exhibition at the Madlab, Manchester.

It was quite an awesome experience - to be included alongside such diverse artworks as the Twitter Drum (really really cool):

It works by searching for certain words on Twitter - people at the exhibition could also @ to the drum to set it off, when the mechanism in it would beat out a song! Cool huh? I also really liked the 'Individual Curator' project, which I hadn't realised was 'art' in the exhibition at first! As we all arrived, we were handed laminated 'Like' cards with the thumbs up icon from Facebook. People could then curate their 'own' exhibition by 'liking' exhibits:

I really liked the real time interaction of this piece - but I thought it was interesting how it highlighted what 'art' seems to have become, a clever idea and not necessarily creative skill.

Sadly I have no images of my work on the walls - my photographer didn't do a very good job there!

The exhibition runs until the 16th June and is free to visit.

Eurocultured 2011

2011-05-31T17:25:00.000+01:00

This bank holiday weekend I worked at Eurocultured festival in Manchester. The event, run by Spearfish (my sometime, longtime employers) happens annually, and since its inception 8 years ago has been taken all over the world including Ireland and Finland (most recently).

The event has 2 stages, showcasing music and acts such as break-dancers from all over Europe. This year they had some quite well known acts (Rodney P and Fallacy), but the emphasis is always on introducing your ears to some cultural diversity. Sadly I didn't get to hear much as I was working on the merch stall both days.

My favourite bit of Eurocultured, however, is the live art. It's always awesome to see the calibre of artist involved, and every year the street gets a new makeover from artists from all over Europe. How can something like this offering from Bue not make you smile on your way to work?

Whilst I was working I took the chance to work on a little bit of embroidery. I'm experimenting with neutral colours, trying to limit my colour pallette and concentrate more on texture. My stitching caught the eye of one of the artists, Ana (work below) - and we talked about doing a collaboration so watch this space!

Flickr Response Project: Guerilla Embroidery vs. Barbara Bird

2011-05-27T11:40:00.000+01:00

This is the third and final piece I worked on for the upcoming 'User Generated Content' exhibition. Barbara very kindly responded to my desperate cries of 'HELP! HELP! I need some work for this show, etc', and stepped up by sending me this felted form:

And I'm not going to lie to you, but when I saw it, I had NO idea what to do with it. I only knew that my first impressions were that I found it really quite disturbing, like a disembodied piece of flesh or something. However, once I had got over my initial shock, I felt it had a kind of 'fetish' feel to it, like an idol (the bit on the top reminded me of a head), so with that in mind I set about decorating it, elevating it to a ritual status through my use of embroidery. At this point, I was thinking about the Mexican Day of the Dead, which inspired my use of colour.

And this is the end product. I used beads and some sequins to jazz it up a little, you know? Well, as I was stitching this, I just could not shake the fact that it looked like a tongue. I don't know if it was the pinkness of it, or the shape or a combination of both.

This idea of a tongue got me to thinking (bad grammar I know!) that textiles is often used as a form of communication, whether we are aware of it or not. In some cultures, the use of textiles (and in particular, embroidery) is quite overtly used as a form of communication - for example on wedding clothes - and designs often hold a great deal of meaning. In other cultures, like my own, this 'communication' can often be quite subtle, for example the clothes we choose to wear that, like or not, often place us within some sort of sub-culture eg. punk, goth, nerd, etc. So with this idea in mind, I decided upon a photograph as my 'end product' for this collaboration:

Photo by Andrew Vickery

Of all the collaborations I have done so far for the FRP - this one has been the most exciting. By presenting me with an object which I had no immediate 'useful' response to, Barbara forced me to think outside of the box - leading me to creating a piece of work that not only has a strong concept, but could also prove an interesting starting point for a new body of work. So thanks Barbara!

Flickr Response Project: Guerilla Embroidery vs. C-Urchin

2011-05-23T13:38:00.001+01:00

Today I'm happy to show you the end results for my collaboration with C-Urchin, who sent me several exquisite porcelain items all inspired by the sea. I wanted to respond to this theme and create something which contrasted with the hardness of the porcelain. However, porcelain is at the same time quite delicate, and these pieces were quite small, so I knew they would work with quite a softly constructed base.

I began experimenting with some silk chiffons which I had in my stash (really working hard on this only recycling fabrics deal I made with myself) - I sewed parallel lines on my sewing machine using the loosest setting so I could then gather the fabric smocking style. I played around with manipulating the fabrics, and to me they began to resemble shells and seaweed. Perfect!

To create some sort of base for the porcelain pieces, I made a frame of sorts from spray painted skewers. This had the added benefit of contrasting with the soft folds of the fabric. I finished the piece by sewing small suffolk puffs onto the smocked fabric to echo the shapes in the coral inspired porcelain and adding some sequins which blend quite subtly into the sparkly, lustrous silk chiffon but that catch the eye in certain lights - the idea being to mimic the sparkling of water when the sun hits it.

I had a fantastic time doing this collaboration and am incredibly pleased with the results. I would obviously have appreciated more time with it. It was interesting to collaborate with an artist who uses a very different material to me, but I hope that the end result illustrates the similarities, the delicate nature of both materials. I feel this collaboration has been a success as it has made me work with fabric in quite a different, more sculptural way than normal.

Flickr Response Project: Guerilla Embroidery vs. Stitchworks Jackie

2011-05-19T08:09:00.000+01:00

I am really excited to announce that the Flickr Response Project (oh how I wish I had called it the 'VS.' project, its so much snappier!) is well under way. My application to the exhibition 'User Generated Content' was accepted, which left me with little under 2 weeks to get 3 collaborations done. First up to send me something was the lovely Stitchworks Jackie. She sent me a piece of paper and printed fabric:

Which were made whilst looking out of her window at the landscape. There are some great textures here, so I was quite excited to work with these pieces. Jackie's idea of landscape also inspired me, and I wanted to create something which was inspired by this concept as well as the physicality of the marks.

I worked in my usual manner - laying and cutting fabrics down to see how well they work together. The lines in the original fabric reminded me of furrows in the ground, so I ended up using vertical lines as a motif in my final piece:

There is a combination of techniques in here. I used hand smocking on the back to create the 3d 'furrows' on the left hand side of the piece. I also used facings, cut-work, applique and finally some hand embroidery to break up the vertical lines.

As I mentioned before, I had to work on this piece very quickly - but I am very pleased with this as my first forray into the project. Working with another textile artist is very pleasurable, but I don't feel like it has pushed my practice into any unexplored realms just yet - however, I do feel like this has a lot to do with the time restraint: I did what I knew would work!

SHOWCASE: Luton Airport Gateway Gallery

2011-05-16T13:03:00.000+01:00

I am happy and very proud to announce the launch of my first UK Solo show: SHOWCASE @ the Gateway Gallery, Luton Airport Arrivals lounge. There is no official launch but a press release will be sent out shortly. Primarily the show is about increasing my exposure as an artist - and as a 'gallery' space, the airport actually appeals greatly (despite the harsh lights - some of my work did look a little washed out!) - as people from all walks of life, not just those who consider themselves 'arty' will get to see (and hopefully enjoy) it. I actually feel quite strongly about this idea of getting work out of the gallery and somewhere where everyone can see it!

The team at Luton were fantastic, and despite a small hiccup (it was decided a piece of my work which formed part of the set above was 'too political' for the public space - something I am secretly quite pleased about!), everything went very smoothly.

The show features a selection of my work from degree show and onwards - hence the rather orginal name SHOWCASE; and it runs until at least the 13th July. Any member of the public can visit, as the gallery is in the Arrivals area, you don't need a plane ticket to view it!

Showcase Solo exhibition at Luton Gateway Gallery

2011-05-11T11:07:00.000+01:00

Hello everyone! I have some great news that I have been keeping under my hat (I have some mad paranoia that if I tell people about good things that are happening, then they are less likely to happen!) I am proud to announce that I will be exhibiting at the Luton Gateway Gallery, as of this Friday 13th May - it is expected that the show will stay up for approx. 2 months. Unfortunately, it isn't the type of gallery you can just vist, as it is in the arrivals/ departure lounge, so no official opening etc. However, the airport has over 10 million travellers pass through every year - which should equal great exposure for my work.

I have decided on a showcase theme for the show, as Sian Pearce, the great woman I have been discussing the exhibition with says that commissions are the greatest possible source of income from the show - and I want to show some of the many strings I have to my bow, so expect to see work from:

my degree show (and part of the body of work that featured in 'Machine Stitch: Perspectives'
my latest solo show (including the 'Journies' series and 'Home Invasion' - hope no one has arachnaphobia!!)
some early degree work (with lots of colour)

HOOPLA - coming soon!

2011-05-03T17:44:00.001+01:00

I was browsing one of my favourite blogs earlier (that's MrXStitch for those of you interested, you NEED this in your life), when I saw a little post about the book my work will be featured in. How exciting, I thought. I simply must write a little post myself. And so I did.

Stolen from here:

Hoopla includes twenty-eight innovative embroidery patterns and profiles of contemporary embroidery artists including Jenny Hart, author of Sublime Stitching; Rosa Martyn of the UK-based Craftivism Collective; Ray Materson, an ex-con who learned to stitch in prison; Sherri Lynn Wood of the Tattooed Baby Doll Project, which collaborated with female tattoo artists across the United States; Penny Nickels and Johnny Murder, the self-proclaimed Bonnie and Clyde of embroidery; and Alexandra Walters, a military wife who replicates military portraits and weapons in her stitching.

They forgot to mention me, obviously, but I promise I am in it!

Drawing with Thread - exhibition

2011-04-30T14:07:00.001+01:00

Visiting a friend recently, I was lucky enough to stumble across this little gem of an exhibition at the Shire Hall Gallery in Stafford. Featuring the work of well known and respected artists such as Cas Holmes and Alison Mercer, it also show-cased work by talented stitchers Caroline Kirton and new student Trevor Smith among others.

Trevor Smith (pics above) uses hand embroidery on reclaimed and charity shop sourced fabrics (a man after my own heart). His stitches have a lot of movement and excitement to them, I found his pieces to be some of the most exciting in the show, and he is only a recent graduate, so I am looking forward to seeing more work from him.

Debbie Smyth's thread and pin installations were also very interesting. I really like the way she is using traditional materials in a very innovative way - it was exciting to see the room sized installation she did inspired by Stafford, but also to see the application of the technique on a much smaller scale in framed pieces. Her work has a reall effective simplicity - which is something I wish mine had more of!

It was a real visual pleasure for me to see the work of Alison Mercer up close, so that I could appreciate the fantastic detail she uses in her stitches. I have been a fan of her work for a while now, and I can tell you it is evry bit as stunning as you would expect. I particularly like her models (see pic above), which have a real cultural, totemic feel to them. I am a big fan of the creation of art as 'object' which is imbued with cultural significance, and I felt these pieces were a prime example of that - they have a really magical feel to them. I also really like the way Alison is using a traditional form of embroidery: Blackwork, but applying it in a more modern context. This is obviously an element of her artwork which I feel links quite nicely into the juxtapositions I myself use frequently in my own work.

The exhibition is only running until the 1st May, which is tomorrow! If you are in the area then I highly recommend it.

Hello Creepy

2011-04-25T13:24:00.000+01:00

I wanted to share my newest piece of commissioned artwork from MelissaSue Stanley. I have been coveting her work from afar for years, and after a particularly lucrative run selling my crap on ebay, I could finally afford a piece! So may I present:

She was made especially for me, with a theme of water. She hasn't got a name yet though. Anyway, she is hanging on my wall already. I cannot recommend MelissaSue's artwork enough. It is creative and very professionally finished. Her communication through-out the whole process was exemplary. Thankyou!

Sustainability in Public Art - Seminar

2011-04-24T18:04:00.000+01:00

First of all, before I start blabbering - hello to all my new followers. It is so rewarding to see the little counter slowly ticking away each time I log in to write a new post. Please do keep spreading the word, and feel free to comment - one of the reasons I write this blog is to try and set up new ways of interacting with others, bouncing ideas and having discussions, so jump on in!

Recently I attended a seminar on 'Sustainability in Public Art' held by Chrysalis Arts at MMU. It was a very interesting day, which stimulated some real questions about just what 'sustainability' means, and how this can vary quite dramatically. There was a real cross section of speakers, some which were very interesting. I was a bit worried after hearing the first speaker, Ian Banks (an architect) as his presentation seemed to central around the idea of public art as sculptural or even architectural - you know the work I mean, The Angel of the North is a prime example of this. I'm sure some part of the local community was involved in some way before it was erected, but even as an artist myself, I am sometimes left cold by these examples of so called 'public' art. It seems that sometimes the only thing public about these artworks is that they are in a public place, and not that they involve the public (the community) in any meaningful way. But I need not have worried.

There were a couple of interesting case studies presented. I was especially captivated by Jayne Bradley's presentation on 'slow development', as an extension of the 'slow art' movement which originally grew out of the 'slow food' idea! It was quite inspiring to see how a corporate company is supporting local artists in an attempt to create public areas in which people actually invest; and also that they see it as a process that is not to be rushed. Of course the original idea developed when budgets were slashed, making an originally planned 'regeneration' impossible, so questions were raised about whether this approach would continue if a sudden influx of money was made available; and whether this would see a return to more of the sort of 'public art' we are used to at the moment.

The most 'stand out' speaker for me was Dr Daro Montag, head of the Art and Environment MA at Falmouth College. His was a totally 'sustainable' presentation: the power point and lights were turned off, and instead he used a roll of brown paper with charcoal drawings (using charcoal he had made himself) to illustrate his points. I was chosen alongside another woman to help by holding up the paper - it was great fun and an honour to be involved. I found his talk very inspiring, and I really liked his ideas about taking 'public art' back to the public, and how he felt it was becoming more about small scale community interventions.

Overall it was a great day - I really enjoyed the chance to talk to other practitioners when a discussion was held at the end of the day, and did a little networking (hey maybe some of you new readers were there - if so, then leave a comment!) There were so many issues raised, I couldn't possibly discuss them all here, but if you are interested in knowing more, then check out the links in the this post.

New website!!

2011-04-06T17:23:00.001+01:00

I am very excited to announce the launch of my new website, designed and created by the lovely Mark and Andrea at Snohaus. I cannot recommend them enough. There are still a few little tweaks here and there (watch out for a link to this very blog coming soon!), but it has been launched and is available to view here. Let me know what you think - I'm hoping that a professional website will help the status of the business and of my work. Wish me luck!

In seperate news, my flickr response project has got off to a flying start, with 12 members already and 3 contracts sent out already. I'm very excited about the possibilities of this project! If you want to know more, then you can find out here.

The Flickr Response Project

2011-04-04T13:18:00.000+01:00

I have been considering setting up some sort of user generated project for a while now. Although my work is obviously concerned with the idea of creating a tangible, tactile end product, I cannot ignore the role the virtual has to play in the profile of my work. I am a member of several online groups, and post regularly to sites like Twitter and Flickr; as well as contributing to forums like Craftster. Networking online has become a huge part of how I promote my artwork, and I thought it would be interesting to utilise technology as a way of generating new artwork, and not just promoting it.

And lo, an idea was borne. I decided I had better just get on with it (what better way), so I created a group on Flickr as a starting point, which anyone can join here.
The brief is as follows. If you think you might be interested in taking part, or know of someone who may wish to get involved, then please circulate the link:

Provide me (Sarah of Guerilla Embroidery), with a starting point for a piece of work. This 'starting point' can be in any medium BUT it should be a piece of your own ORIGINAL artwork. The onus in this project is on original collaboration between artists. This starting point could be anything: a doodle on paper, some textiles, a photograph, etc. At this point, some words could also be included which describe the work. You should however, be prepared to let me interpret the artwork how I see fit. I will then collaborate with what you have provided to create an original, collaborative piece of work, which will then be photographed (as record).
What's in it for you?
You get the orginal artwork, once it is finished. All I ask is that you cover the postage for me to send it back to you. Eh Voila! A free piece of art. I would also ask that you make the work available for exhibition as necessary. If exhibition takes place, then you will be credited alongside myself as a co-creator of the piece of work.

The (not so) small print:
If you wish to participate in this project, and send me a piece of work, then I will ask you to sign a contract, which will basically ensure I can get the work back whenever I need it for exhibition. Don't worry, I won't ask you to sign anything you don't want to - I just need to be able to ensure I actually have some work to show when it comes to it!!

Please do not send work over 12" square, or anything exceedingly heavy! If in doubt, just flickr mail me.

This project is open to ANY artist, worldwide. Please spread the word via your friends here, twitter, facebook, etc.

IF I am inundated with requests, I may not choose to collaborate with everyone (sadly, I don't have all the time in the world).

I am also planning to submit a proposal for this opportunity: http://www.blankmediacollective.org/news/comments/opportunity_user_generated_content
Help me make it a reality!

HOOPLA swap part II

2011-03-25T15:17:00.001Z

I received my partner's swap hoops from the HOOPLA swap on craftster:

It's a really interesting idea - I told her I liked birds, and skeletons; and I really like the concept of it. The stitching is really quite neat as well. The skeleton bird is definately my favourite piece:

HOOPLA - Dyptich

2011-03-20T14:59:00.002Z

I recently signed up for a swap on Craftster. The swap is called HOOPLA, and involves making embroidered or cross stitched artwork which is then presented in the hoops themselves. There have been several rounds previously, but this one had the theme of 'dyptich' - meaning that two hoops had to be created, which had either a conceptual or physical link between the two. You can see work from the swap already here.

I mainly signed up to this as a way of kick-starting my creativity again. It's my lifeblood, but it is suprisingly difficult to start up again when I have had a bit of a break. It worked a treat though - in my typical over achieving fashion I set out on a mission of an idea (thousands of french knots anyone?), and very nearly didn't make it on time (deadline tomorrow - but it is all packed and ready to go.) There is a lot more I would have done to it given the time - I think it needs more balance, with perhaps some black in the 'skull' hoop? I had a Plato quote I wanted to include too, but hey ho, such is life! It will be winging its way to Germany tomorrow - I'm hoping lots of people will see it hanging up and want to know where it is from. If nothing else, I hope it is a good advertisment for my mad embroidery skills. And I had fun. My swap partner sent hers this week, so it should arrive soon. I will of course post about it when they get here.

'At a Tangent' an exhibition by the 62 Group

2011-03-06T17:57:00.000Z

Yesterday I visited the 'At a Tangent' exhibition by the famous 62 group at Oldham Gallery. The 62 group is a collection of well known and respected textile artists that has been running since (you guessed it) 1962. I think it was originally set up by graduates from the same 'Embroidery' course as me, which is fitting, as one day I hope to be accepted into the group. Selection is rigorous, and takes place not only for membership itself but also for every individual show.

The gallery space itself was awesome (well worth a visit if you can) - and the show did not disappoint. Stalwarts such as Audrey Walker rubbed shoulders with new and emerging artists and the work was an eclectic collection of skills and results. I particularly liked the work of Caren Garfen:

Who is an absolute crazy woman for hand stitch - the writing is so neat it is hard to imagine it has been done by hand. Her piece (or installation really) - called 'Starter - don't make a meal of it' is incredible, and I thought it really stood out. It was witty and incredibly well executed. You can see more of her work on her website (and what a website it is - a work of art on its own I feel!) Caren's work really appeals to me as it references women's lives and issues in a very clever and attractive way.

Else where in the gallery I was able to see a small exhibition on the Bangladesh sewing style called 'Kantha'. The exhibition had a lot of visual impact, and it featured traditional examples:

as well as work by another 62 group member, who was also a tutor of mine when at uni (we didn't really see eye to eye at the time, but I am wishing now I stuck with her rather than getting the tutor I did have in the third year - how differently it may have turned out!!) - called Lynn Setterington, who uses Kantha stitch to great effect in her work:

Lynn is another artist who references the role of women in society in her work - I am sensing a theme in artists that inspire and influence me at the moment!

All Hooped Up!

2011-02-23T13:58:00.000Z

I am very excited about getting my hands on some needles and thread to start this next piece. It has been so hard recently to find time to create, what with working and constantly applying for teaching, exhibitions and residencies. However, it occurred to me recently that I was in danger of becoming 'all talk' - at what point do I stop being an artist if I am no longer creating artwork!? Such is life that I find my mood and all over self esteem are directly affected by my need to create, and that if I go a long time without doing so, I become almost depressed! Cruelly, it is at this point that I also find it hardest to start work again. A real catch 22! I'm hoping having a goal to work towards will ease me nicely back into the game.

Reasons to do a Residency - article out NOW

2011-02-21T12:00:00.000Z

Some of you may have read on my blog a few weeks ago that an article relating to my residency in Australia was to be published in Australia's foremost textile and fibre magazine 'TEXTILE'. Well the time has come and I found a nice pile of free copies (thanks Janet) on my doorstep the other day. What a pleasure it was to see an article I have written in print!! The spread looks awesome and I am in some rather good company - my article is back to back with one about male embroiderer: Tim Moore, who is originally from England.

Inspirational: The Duvet Project

2011-02-08T18:21:00.002Z

As part of my weekly trawls of the internet (some might call this procrastination, I simply call this 'research'), I came across an innovative project on Flickr. The idea is simple, take one clean white duvet set and pillows, and embroider all over them! I spoke to the instigator of this cool little project, giddy99 and she was nice enough to answer these questions (and let me use some pictures too).

What is your day job?
I work as a Business Analyst Consultant in Healthcare Information Systems. I usually travel about 50-100% for work, and work from home when not traveling – it’s up to each client.

What gave you the idea to undertake this project?
I love embroidery and embroidered bed linens, but I do not enjoy piecing quilts or machine sewing at all. After embroidering dozens of pillowcases, the thought occurred to me that a duvet is just a giant “pillowcase” (of sorts) for a comforter, and then I thought, “well, why not?!”

Have you ever embroidered before?
Yes, I’ve been embroidering since I first discovered Sublime Stitching’s patterns in 2004. Embroidery is the only craft I’ve not grown tired of.

Do you use found or bought patterns, or do you design your own?
All of the above! I’ve used found vintage patterns, bought patterns from Sublime Stitching, Sew Lovely, Aunt Martha and from some really awesome artists I found on Flickr or elsewhere. My beau has drawn a small design for me, too, that I just need to transfer.

How often do you work on the project?
As often as I can – I try to embroider at least a little everyday; it keeps me “grounded” and helps me to relax & "decompress." When travelling, I take the pillow shams with me (the duvet is too big to drag around through dirty airports).

What do you intend to achieve by undertaking this project?
Ultimately, an interesting duvet; shams for the guest bedroom, but in truth, this is more about the journey (for me) than the final destination. I just do it for the love of embroidering, and really don’t care if it takes years to finish it. This March will mark the one year point, and that’s okay by me. :)

What a great idea!!
I think what appeals to me so much about this project is not only the idea of having an ongoing, organic project, with an end result which is unpredictable: but also the element of collaboration involved in it through the use of other artist's patterns. The concept of having a piece of work which is ongoing over a long period of time is one which I have toyed with in the past - and indeed it appeals greatly to my passion for 'process', which I discovered when undertaking my first solo exhibition. In my own practice I have found that I do work well when an end product is perceived; but in reality once this 'end' is reached, I feel little satisfaction and am simply thinking of the next idea! I have found through experience that I need something to work towards, and that my best work is produced under these conditions, whether they be self imposed, or based on an exhibition or workshop brief - however, I cannot deny the sheer pleasure the process affords me, and can't help but wonder whether it is this experience that is more valuable to developing my own practice.

You can follow the project here.

Maidensbridge Monoprint

2011-01-20T15:09:00.006Z

Last week I travelled to Dudley to perform a workshop as part of an interview for creative practitioner at Maidensbridge Primary school. My workshop could only last for half and hour, which was a real challenge - what could I do that would engage the children and capture their imagination in that small amount of time? I knew the children would be involved in the selection process so it was of the upmost importance to inspire them to want to work with me further.

After much deliberation I decided on monoprint. The aim of the project was to explore the idea of process with the students, and my plan was to deliver exploratory workshops which would equip them with the skills to realise their ideas. Monoprint was perfect because it is quick, easy, messy and good fun! It is also an ideal starting point for further experimentation. As it is an imperfect science, I thought it would be great to demonstrate the joy and importance of experimentation and process rather than a perfect 'end product'.

I felt that the workshop went well, especially as it was the first one I have done in a while! In future I will always double check the number of students as I only had 2 work stations and 13 students! However, in my feedback I was told that I did well to engage the students through questioning when they weren't involved in practical work. p;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;[89 <------ the cat just walked on my keyboard!!

Unfortunately I didn't get the project, but I was told that I came a close second, and that the children loved me (mission accomplished!) It also means that I now know more about what sort of things are expected of me, what sort of questions I can expect at interview and some areas to work on in my own practice.

To blog or not to blog

2011-01-07T19:29:00.002Z

I started ths year with a promise to myself to blog more - but so far it is proving quite hard! I feel very strongly about making my posts interesting, for those of you who follow me, and those of you who happen across my happy little blog by accident. I guess what I am wondering about at the moment is how to get that balance between blogging regularly, and the quality of each post.

At the moment a lot of my creativity is being taken up applying for creative practitioner or artist in school jobs, I'm finding this is tiring my brain out so much I am getting little time for my own artwork. Life does seem to be all about being able to strike a balance which will provide time for creativity but also generate income in order to be able to realise those ideas (and let's just face it, even just 'live'.) I have made a decision to work on some element of my business every day - even if this is just tweeting something. I have been dedicating a lot of time recently to researching a new website designer for Guerilla Embroidery. Let's just face it, this whole internet/ technology thing is only getting bigger, so I feel it's about time I utilised it properly with a nice website that shows off a professional front!

Hmmm I wonder, is this interesting enough? Well I think I know deep down I need to get back in the studio and start interesting myself (and hopefully you lot in return!)

TWITTER!

2010-12-21T12:49:00.004Z

I finally caved and decided to get Guerilla Embroidery a Twitter account. I always shyed away from a personal account as let's just face it, my personal life isn't so interesting! However, I am beginning to see the benefits of using it to get people interested in my artwork.

But I can't do it without your help readers! If you have an account, then please follow me: G_Embroidery (or you can find me with: sarah@guerilla-embroidery.co.uk) And PLEASE help me spread the word to others. Please comment if you have any ideas.

TEXTILE feature INCOMING!

2010-12-20T16:18:00.002Z

First of all I would like to apologise for not updating my blog much recently. Guerilla Embroidery is in a state of flux at the moment as I try and re-adjust to arriving back in the UK. What with Christmas around the corner and my laptop being fried ( oh dear ) it has been one thing after another. Expect more updates in 2011 as I get the motors running at full speed again!

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you that an article I have written about the residency at Kinross will be appearing in the Feb/ March issue of TEXTILE magazine. It is a full colour 2 page article - I have seen the proofs and they look great. Watch out for this first published article for Guerilla Embroidery in the new year.

Art Express

2010-11-15T01:25:00.002Z

Every year, the Art Gallery of New South Wales has a panel which selects the most 'outstanding' artworks from HSC students throughout the state. These are then collated into an exhibition which is shown at the gallery every year.

It has been about 4 years since a student at Kinross has been nominated, but this year I am pleased to announce that 3 students have been nominated, which generally translates into 'I'm so PROUD!'

So far they have only been nominated, so I will be waiting with baited breath to see if one or all of them make the final cut. Watch this space.

Valention Exhibition, and thoughts on the continuation of craftmanship

2010-10-30T08:43:00.004+01:00

As part of my travels I have found myself in Brisbane. Luckily enough I arrived in time to catch the end of the Valentino retrospective at the GOMA.

I particularly enjoyed this exhibition as there was a great emphasis on embroidery and decoration in Valentino's designs. Some of it is absolutely breathtaking. However, it did raise a few questions in my mind about the role of a designer and the 'crafts people' behind the designs. There was one video called 'Making of a Red Dress', in which Valentino swans in with a design on paper, hands it over to his head seamstress, and just tells her what he wants. From then on, the whole design is realised entirely by the technical team, who interpret the design, draft the patterns, cut the fabric and sew it together. Yet it is Valentino who gets all the glory! Perhaps I can identify with these people because I myself know the hard work and skill it takes to realise designs like these. I have been harbouring ideas about doing a Masters, but want to do it in the future when I know more what my work is 'about'. Perhaps this is an issue I could explore! I have found (through meeting people from travelling), that I feel very strongly about the continuation of craftsmanship and skill, it is something I obviously feel very passionate about!This is one of my favourite pieces in the retrospective. Ironically, it has been designed by the new team at Valentino, after Valentino himself resigned from the helm in 2008. It is an exquisite combination of feathers, chantilly lace and embroidery.

Melbourne

2010-10-04T03:56:00.004+01:00

So now my residency has officially come to an end, and I am no longer gainfully employed, I am travelling Australia for a bit before I head back to the UK in November.

My first port of call is Melbourne (where I am currently writing this post from). I am sure I don't need to go into great detail as many of you will be familiar with its reputation for being an 'arty' place, but I am happy to report it has ticked all those boxes for me so far.

Some places I recommend from my own exploration:

Flinders Lane - lots of small galleries and gallery shops, highlights include: Craft Victoria. I challenge you not to spend money here on gorgeous, unique things of all shapes and sizes
Hosier Lane - an offshoot from Flinders Lane, this is a designated graffiti and street art site. Very inspiring indeed
Fitzroy - an area consisting of several streets. Lots of great shops and small galleries. Great places to eat. Check out: Lost and Found on Smith Street (nr. Gertrude Street) it is the most amazing vintage store, it has to be seen to be believed!!

NEEDLED

2010-09-14T02:26:00.003+01:00

I thought I would finally post images of my tattoo inspired pieces from the Drawing Threads exhibition. The show has now come down - a nice proportion of the work sold, which is great. It feels so good to have my work so well received.

This week I am heading to another gallery to sort out my second solo show! Exciting!

Machine Stitch: Perspectives

2010-09-03T01:21:00.004+01:00

This is just a short post, as I haven't been able to get my hands on a copy yet (no point until I get home), but I wanted to let you know that the latest book my work will be featured in: Machine Stitch: Perspectives, is know available to buy:

My work features in the Mixed Messages: an Exploration of Issue Based work chapter by Dr Melanie Miller. By all accounts this promises to be an amazing must have book, so go buy it!

Spoonflower

2010-08-27T01:44:00.004+01:00

I was browsing Burdastyle the other day when I came across a piece of clothing made with printed fabric from Spoonflower.

I am not sure why it has taken so long for the idea to manifest itself - but it is nothing short of GENIUS. The idea behind the site is that anyone can design their own fabrics and then have them printed on a choice of organic fabrics such as cotton lawn, sateen or 2 way stretch weave. The site is easy to read, and the instructions are so simple anyone can have a go. They even have a wizard which allows you to see what your design would look like in any number of different repeat patterns; and what it would look like over a swatch, a yard and so on.

Once you have uploaded your design and ordered a swatch, you can then list the design to sell in their marketplace (there are literally thousands of interesting, one off designs available already), earning yourself 10% everytime someone buys your design. You are also entitled to 10% off your own fabric everytime you order.

AND NOT ONLY THAT.......today is free swatch day. I already uploaded this:

which is a very simple design I put together in Photoshop. The idea is to make a fabric which looks like it has a floral pattern but on closer inspection it is made from flys or other insects. I feel my digital design skills leave a lot to be desired, but I am excited to get the sample anway!

So....check it out. Free swatch day ends at 12 noon 26th August EST (you have to work it our for yourself what that equates to in your time zone.)

Drawing Threads success

2010-08-24T04:29:00.008+01:00

My first solo show 'Drawing Threads' opened on Friday 13th August. Contrary to the belief of many supersticious types - everything ran very smoothly and nothing fell off the walls! Turn-out was great, with 5 pieces selling on the first night. Since then I have sold 4 more pieces.

Toni Bilton and Alan Sisley opened the show officially with some very kind words. Alan (gallery director) even said it was the most unusual show they have ever had at the gallery - which I am choosing to take as praise!

Nests - coil weaving from recycled materials with vintage buttons

'Who's a Pretty Boy Then? I' - hand embroidery on cotton (125x175cm approx)

'Red Sky at Night III' (part of a Tryptich) - hand embroidery, machine embroidery, print on recycled and reclaimed fabrics

I don't have many images of the show, as the lighting is very bad in the gallery for taking pictures. I am currently organising a professional photographer to record all work for me when the show comes down. Hopefully I can then post some better images for you!

Although I am proud of the show - and everything that I have achieved through it. I can't help but feel it is a stepping stone. It is over, and now I want to move on! I never thought I would be so divorced from my end products, and it is not to say I am not proud of my work at all. However, I am starting to consider whether the 'process' of my creation is just as important, if not more important, than the end product.

Year 12 HSC Exhibition

2010-08-10T04:12:00.008+01:00

Last Friday was the culmination of a year's hard work with the Visual Arts and Textiles students here at Kinross. We spent two evenings setting it up in the school hall - it was hard work! The attendance was fantastic - we had at least 200 people. I had to get up and say a speech. I used the word 'specialism' which is obviously never used here in Australia because everyone started laughing! (Some people still don't believe me, but it's in the dictionary!!)

It was the greatest feeling to see all the students' work on display. For a lot of them it had become hard to imagine their body of work as their classroom was such a tip! Overall, the work on display was of a very high calibre - and I am honoured to have been involved. I have included a few photos of the work:

Ellie Daniels - screenprint, patchwork, found objects, papier mache, leather, fur

Iain Mcgregor - bullets, wood and reclaimed toy cars

Wilson Griffiths - perspex, lasertran, pen and paper

Gabby Wills - reclaimed wedding dress, ribbon, screen print, fabric, wire, crazy patchwork

Hamish Kenelly - spray paint on board; photoshop manipulations

Announcing 'Drawing Threads'

2010-08-02T04:14:00.002+01:00

This is the flyer for my exhibition. It is really exciting to see it in the flesh! All work is now done (bar a little incident with an iron burning one of my pieces, it has all gone quite smoothly). I just need to finalise prices and then submit information for the catalogue. Luckily for me they are pretty laid back at the gallery - this week is crunch time for my year 12 students, whose exhibition opens this Friday (6th August). I am so glad I have finished my own work in time to help them with their finishing touches.

Free as a Bird

2010-07-26T05:23:00.005+01:00

This is the piece which I am submitting to the P&F (Parents and Friends) Art Fair, here at Kinross Wolaroi School. It isn't your usual school event, Kinross prides itself on its professionality when it comes to these things. The fair showcases local well known artists as well as crafts people from much further afield (Adelaide). Of course it wouldn't be complete without contributions from the kids. I am hoping that including my work will be a nice teaser for the show which opens in 2 weeks (eeeek!)

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." --Pedro Calderon de la Barca, Spanish Poet and Playwright, 1600-16

2010-07-21T13:23:00.005+01:00

Working on 3 small scale colour studies for the exhibition. I am really enjoying working so intuitively with the fabrics I have around me. I said to myself when I started work on the show that I would try and limit my use of colour and texture - and I am quite happy with the results so far.Feeling OK about the preperation for the exhibition. I guess all the bloody hard work I have put in since February have paid off!

Workshops

2010-07-17T02:56:00.006+01:00

I have just completed two days of workshops at the Orange Regional Gallery, as part of their winter holiday programme.

The first day was monster making - I have learnt from past workshops, and this time bought my sewing machine to sew up the monsters, which meant they had much more professional and usable items at the end (I do like my students to learn skills, so always insist they sew everything, rather than sticking it down with glue etc. I also think if they do it properly it lasts longer than craft glue! However, sewing up the outside of the monsters needs to be done well as they then stuff it, so I don't mind helping there!) I had 7 students and they all made amazing creatures! I was kicking myself though as my camera battery died so I only got one picture:
The little guy on the right was so quiet and sweet! He just sat there and got on with it - it was the first time he has ever sewn anything too and he did a good job!

Yesterday I had a group of older students, and we did recycled accessories. I did three samples: suffolk puff brooch and necklace, button cuff, and zipper brooch. These students were all girls, and most were still quite young (about 9 I think). However 2 of them were 15, and they were great, they just got on with it! The whole class made some fantastic stuff, though I feel there was a bit of dissent nearer the end of the class. Perhaps it was too long for them (4 hrs is quite a lot). I definately think it will be wise to specify some sort of skill in sewing too, as I think I lost count of how many times I threaded a needle!! Here is some of the work they made:

This is going to be a necklace - its beautiful right? One of the best things anyone has made in one of my workshops (ohhh I am so proud!)

And a small zipper brooch. The process for this was a bit too much for this age group I think. It definately works better with older students. Normally the zip 'flower' would be a lot bigger, but I think it still works!

Nest

2010-07-08T13:54:00.006+01:00

nest (nst)n.

1.a. A container or shelter made by a bird out of twigs, grass, or other material to hold its eggs and young.

2. A place affording snug refuge or lodging; a home.

These are two small 'nests' that I have been working on. They are made using the Aboriginal coil weaving technique. The material is all recycled clothing and sheets from the Salvation army. They are approx. 12 cm high. I am planning on making at least 7 of them, some decorated with found objects such as twine, buttons and small bones.

I like the idea that they are created from clothes that are designed in the first place to protect, and have been re-created into a protective form.

HOOPLA: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery

2010-07-06T11:14:00.002+01:00

I just opened my inbox this evening, to find the fantastic news that I have had my submission to HOOPLA: The Art of Unexpected Embroidery excepted! This is the second instructional/project based book I will be featured in. I am thinking of trying my hand at creating projects for magazines as well.....not sure how to get into this though, anyone out there in the blogosphere got any hints?

The book is due out in Autumn 2011, so it will be a year or so before I probably hear more about it. I get a free copy though, schweeet! I remember how exciting it was when I got my copy of the fabric jewellery book in the post - like Christmas when I was a kid!!

Exit Through the Gift Shop

2010-07-03T12:30:00.003+01:00

I have been lusting after watching this film ever since I first heard about it, but wasn't holding my breath since Orange isn't the most cosmopolitan of places. Happily enough for me, I was in New Town (Sydney - an alltogether more interesting place!) the other day visiting friends (who are actually from Halifax, go figure that you travel to the other side of the world to spend more time with people than you did in the UK!), and saw that this film was on at the local cinema.

Ok, well enough rambling. GO AND SEE THIS FILM. I have never been BANKSY's biggest fan, but this film is genius. It is funny (who would have thought BANKSY was actually a bit of a comedy genius), and pretty shocking (as an artist watching it, I certainly found it pretty shocking). I thought that it raised a lot of interesting ideas and issues surrounding the phenomenon of street art - but above all, it's just entertaining. It is a must for all street art fans.

inked

2010-06-23T09:05:00.004+01:00

Recently I posted about my new tattoos, and how I am going to be using the drawings from them to create two art pieces for my exhibition. Well, I wanted to wait until both feet were healed, but here they are in all their glory:

I have also finished one of the embroideries. I have managed to obtain permission from Norbert who has very kindly let me include the work in my exhibition.

You will have to excuse the quality of the photograph, my camera desperately needs replacing and to top it all off, my Photoshop has stopped working! Plus I think I need a proper steam iron!! Anyway here is a close up:

Memento Mori

2010-06-09T05:15:00.006+01:00

This is a piece which I recently submitted for an exhibition called 'from the tongue'. Unfortunately it wasn't accepted. I just thought it was interesting as it not only:

shows how long I have been working on my exhibition

but also:

no matter what time in the distant future I unearth this piece (or a picture of this piece - hopefully it will sell as I plan to include it in the exhibition), it will instantly bring back the memory of what happened on those dates.

I really like the idea of being able to 'date' a piece of work, and how the value of this piece and others like it will increase for me with age. They are like an embroidered photograph, with visual prompts that will stimulate my memories when they are viewed. I played with this idea during my degree, where I used manipulated news stories. Those pieces work in the same way, in that by reading those stories and the people involved, you can place the time and environment within which the work was created.

I have been thinking a lot about the intellectualisation of my art work recently. I seem to veer wildly between the conceptual and the purely decorative. This is something that I feel has a future as some sort of beautiful combination of the two. I know I will enjoy the journey but it can be very hard to reconcile with myself in the mean time. I constantly worry about creating a visual language which represents 'me'. I hope that maybe this language will start to be heard at my exhibition......

Needled!

2010-06-01T07:49:00.003+01:00

I was recently lucky enough to be tattooed by the fantastic artist WT Norbert, at Inner Vision Tattoo in Sydney. The tattoos aren't fully healed yet, but I will post pics when they are. However, Norbert was nice enough to give me the drawings he did so that I could do some embroideries of them.
This is one of the pieces 'in progress'. First of all I painted the drawings with watercolours. I then scanned them in and printed them on a colour laser photocopier. To transfer the image onto the fabric I used the acetone transfer technique - which mutes the colours a lot. I have then started to work back into the colours with stitch. I am using seed stitch/ french knots/ satin and detatched chain stitch. This is one of the most delicate pieces I have ever done. It is also taking me FOREVER. I usually like to finish work all in one go (as in, I don't usually start another piece until one is done), but I think I need to put it down before I go nuts!

I think it will be worth it though. I have bought two huge quilting hoops to display the pieces in. I really like the pararllel between tattooing and embroidery. We both use needles in our work, but to very different effects. Norbert and I also agreed that tattooing and embroidery are both forms of art - even though some people would argue they are not!

I would like to use these pieces in my show, but am waiting for Norbert to confirm this is ok. Fingers crossed!

Seeing Red

2010-05-13T07:13:00.004+01:00

I have recently been working on a red tryptich for my show. Red is a colour which predominates this country, so I feel it is especially fitting to be included. I have begun to add layers of process into my work by first dying my found fabrics, and then printing onto some of them - this has given my work more depth.
I have realised just how much I love working intuitely with my fabrics. I love picking apart clothes for example, and using ready made aspects like these rouleaux (originally for buttoning a shirt) as a design element.

I recently showed a friend of mine all my work - which I probably shouldn't have done, because now I am worried that I don't have enough! The deadline is fast approaching, so I need to pull my finger out. Bizaarely enough, I feel more relaxed about it now than I did months ago, but I guess this is because I put so much effort in at first! I need to keep up the momentum!

Recent Press

2010-04-28T03:17:00.006+01:00

While I am on the residency, I have been lucky enough to generate a little press. Most recently I was interviewed for the Midstate Observer with a 'getting to know' type article. I think this one is going to be published next week. The paper is a free local one, which is distributed widely. Hopefully having this article published will start to generate a little interest in me and my work. The reporter has promised to run another article nearer the time of my exhibition - so hopefully it will encourage more people to come and see it!

I'm only in the bottom left corner of this one, which was about the TAFTA forum:

This first bit of press was from the school newsletter:

I am looking suitably happy here as it was the day that I found out I had secured my exhibition!

Textile Tantrums

2010-04-22T07:39:00.005+01:00

I recently submitted a piece of work for a travelling exhibition entitled 'Textile Tantrums', which is the brainchild of The Thread Studio.

I didn't want to blog about it until I knew whether I had been accepted or not. Today I found out that it has, so here are a few images of it:

You may recognise the skull and flowers from a previous post. I know I have tried to keep work simple and not 'overwork' it, but, it just looked sad on its own -isn't it better now I have involved some applique and texture? Haha. I just CANNOT resist.

The processes involved in this are: hand embroidery, cutwork, applique, reverse applique, tailor tacking foot, free machine embroidery and painting. It is also made from entirely reclaimed and recycled fabrics.

The exhibition will travel to: The Australian Quilt Convention in Melbourne (March 2010) and will be shown at other venues including Textile Art Festival in Brisbane(May 2010), WA Craft, Quilt & Stitch Show in Perth (August 2010) and The Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace, London in October 2010, and another couple of events still being negotiated. The exhibition will be featured on The Thread Studio website in a special gallery section and featured in at least two international magazines.

TAFTA (The Australian Forum of Textile Arts)

2010-04-20T09:48:00.007+01:00

This last week saw the annual TAFTA held at non other than my school of all places! I can't believe what fantastic opportunity it is to have had such a phenomenal event right on my doorstep (literally!)

The forum takes the form of a week long residency where people descend upon the school to attend workshops from well know textile artists. This year some of those artists included: Kim Thittichai, Anna King, Dorothy Caldwell and Efie Mitrofanis amongst many other amazing and creative tutors.

I was lucky enough to be given a bursary to attend the workshop held by the Beadcats - which involved learning about bead weaving. I started the class on the Monday as a complete bead virgin - but by the end of the week I had learnt so much: right angle weave, spirals, herringbone stitch (flat and tubular!) amongst many other things.

I think the most eye opening thing for me was even just learning what all the numbers on the beads means (its their sizes). Having had no idea how bead weaving was done before, I feel I have learnt so much.

I didn't think the applications of this workshop were evident at first (but I do LOVE to learn, so was happy to attend, and what great opportunity!) but I could see how things like this frond (see below) could be used as a edge treatment - how exciting, how expensive!! Haha. Can't you just see them repeated along the bottom of an embroidery?

Unfortunately because I was in class so much, I didn't get a chance to take many photos, but here are a couple. I am sure there will be many more on the official TAFTA forum in the coming weeks:

A sample made in the Anna King workshop

This forum also resulted in an unexpected bit of press for me - I had my photo taken in class, and it ended up in the local paper as part of an article on the forum. Now they want to do a feature on me! This is great news to raise awareness of my presence here in Orange, and hopefully increase interest in my exhibition when the time comes.

Shibori Shenanigans

2010-04-14T08:17:00.007+01:00

Do the titles of my blog posts even draw anyone in? Oh well! Well as you may have guessed, this post is about shibori. Many textile buffs may already be familiar with this amazing technique, which is traditionally done using indigo dye.

I won't go into massive detail as to how it is done, as there is a great guide available here - which along with some guidance from a colleague was the process which I followed. My interest in it started really just through my passion for learning. Robyn was making a dye bath and I thought why not - I'll put a few pieces in and see what happens! These samples actually got cut up and used in a small textural fabric 'painting' I was doing. However, I felt that the piece was too busy and it needed balancing. So it hit me - why not do a larger piece of shibori to mount it on effectually??

After doing my research I used the kanoko (binding the cloth with stitch) process, to make lines first (to echo the rest of the piece), and then did the pole wrapping technique with the rest, which is often called 'storm shibori' - so was perfect as my theme was 'water'.

I had to dip dye it twice which wasn't ideal, but the dye bath was in a bucket!! It produced some interesting effects anyway, which can be seen on the final piece.

This piece is currently on display at the TAFTA Textile Forum.

It seems like an age....

2010-03-23T06:05:00.006Z

....and that is because it has been! (almost a month!!) I do apologise, but due to circumstances out of my control, the internet has been suspended at my house, and I am just grabbing a chance to use the school network to update this.

Some great news: I have been awarded a TAFTA (The Australian Forum for Textile Arts) bursary to attend one of the workshops at the up coming forum (which happens to be at my school - how lucky is that?!!) I will be attending a week long workshop run by two US ladies, otherwise known as the Beadcats. I am so excited to be involved in the forum, as I will also be exhibiting there for the week as well. This could be a fantastic chance to network in preperation for my exhibition in August.

Another reason for my sporadic updating is the amount of work I am putting in for my exhibition. As this is my first solo show, and the room is so big, I am very worried about having enough! As I have begun to work more intuitively, my art has changed somewhat from the first samples I was doing, to become something more organic. To reflect this, I have changed the name of the exhibition. I now feel a lot more comfortable in what I am doing.

My bed has become my new creative hub - and the amount of films and episodes I am watching is phenominal (errr, how good is Entourage by the way??) Here is a coil pot in progress (I taught myself the process) - which is made from entirely reclaimed and recycled material. I really wanted to absorb the culture here, so this is my take on traditional Aboriginal coil weaving. The piece has layers of meaning, also being made from the disregarded clothing of Australian citizens.

I think I have mentioned before that I feel that my drawing is one of my strengths. I have really been enjoying exploring this through my embroidery. This WIP, is part of a set I want to call 'Home Invaders', looking at the idea of how the first settlers here would have found themselves surrounded by all sorts of dangerous beasties, and how they would have felt about their new housemates! I have done this by stitching into found domestic textiles eg. hankies, table cloths and doilies. This little fella is a brown snake. I can tell you I was dreaming about stitching his scales when I was finished!!

Upping the scale

2010-02-26T07:38:00.005Z

Well it's just work work work for me at the moment. I have even given myself a blister - I believe it is called 'suffering for your art'.
I have set myself a schedule for my exhibition, which is a rather monumentally scary one piece a week!! So far it has been a month since I got back and I am bang on track. Not sure how long I can keep the whole momentum up, but I'll try as much as I can.
This last week or so I have been working on the biggest hand embroidery I have ever attempted. The cloth is almost 2 metres long and the actual embroidery is probably about a metre.

This is it in progress (it's nearly finished now). I have used about 12 skeins of black floss for this so far! It is taken directly from a drawing of mine. I feel that drawing is a real strength for me, so wanted to see how I could combine my two favourite art past times - drawing and stitching!

Blue Flowers

2010-02-17T11:06:00.004Z

It seems like an age since I updated this blog. I have had to get back into the swing of things at school (2 months for a holiday is so excessive, it's easy to lose your motivation.....and your marbles!!)

Folllowing some advice from a good friend of mine, I have dedicated a notebook to the planning of my exhibition - and am writing myself weekly lists. The hardest thing for me is actually saying that a piece of work is 'done' - and resisting the urge to keep adding to it!! eg. this piece of work. I like it now, but is it too simple?? Answers on a postcard please....

Physically working on my art helps me so much to see what works and what doesn't. Although I am happy with my explorations into diary entires using stitch, I felt that an illustration path just wasn't working for me. I have decided that I work so much better in a less literal fashion.

I have decided that the way that I work best is when I literally 'paint' with the fabric and threads. Working intuitively in this way gives me the best results.

I would really really really appreciate any feedback on my work............

Im back baby!

2010-02-05T04:03:00.004Z

It has been a couple of months since I was able to post, but I am back in Orange at the start of a new school year, so you can expect some more regular posts from now on.

Working whilst I was away proved to be quite hard, I took all my sketchbook, pencils and sewing equipment with me, but with all the good intentions in the world....I didn't get much done! I did however manage to complete one piece:

It took me ages! I experimented with blackwork in the eyes and nose:

Anyway this is just meant be a sample, but it might end up in the show. My theme is 'journey', so I thought it might be interesting to include some of the ways I complete my own creative journey to a final piece, by including drawings and samples too.

I also got some good news recently..........I sold the painting that I exhibited in the Orange gallery at Christmas. I feel realy encouraged by this, and am going to do some paintings for the show too.

......

2009-12-09T02:01:00.004Z

Since the opening of the Christmas show, I have been working hard on more samples. It is enouraging to finally see some of my ideas taking shape, and as always, ( and as I always tell my students!!) sampling is a way of seeing what works and what doesn't.

I have also ordered lots of lovely stuff to play with - like computer fabrics, and went to Spotlight and bought more hand sewing threads and covered buttons. I am very excited about working towards my exhibition - if not also just a little bit scared too!!

I'm on holiday now (writing this from a hostel in Sydney), so won't be updating the blog as regularly as normal until January. Have fun and have a great Christmas kids!!

Christmas selling show at Orange Regional Gallery

2009-11-28T02:49:00.006Z

Last night was the opening of the Orange Regional Gallery Christmas selling show. It was quite a quiet affair, which I suppose can only be expected from a country town. There were a lot of artists involved - and it was really pleasing to see my work hung up in the gallery with my own little tag! It still excites me to be involved in things like this - I hope the novelty of people actually wanting to show my work never goes away!

This 'red room' is the same one that I will exhibit in next year. Seeing how much work fitted in made me realise just how MASSIVE it actually is, so of course I am starting to feel just the slightly little bit panicky at the thought of creating enough work to fill it! Sometimes I wish I wasn't such a perfectionist, because I know I will drive myself nuts trying to make everything amazing - after all, each piece is a representation of me, and I want to make the right impression.

SPLAT!!

2009-11-26T05:52:00.006Z

I have been experimenting with getting colour onto cloth, and with compositions on paper - with a view to finally completing the painting I started right at the beginning of the residency.

This in turn will inform a tryptich of embroidered pieces that I want to do for the exhibition, which will explore the juxtaposition between life and death. Although it might seem like a lot of these 'experiments' look similar, the more I do them, the more I can work out how best to approach them to get the effect I want. The process is very hit and miss, but for example, I now know I need to leave them to dry before adding layers for more interest, and to stop the drips just 'following' each other (as they do if the paper or fabric is even slightly damp).

The work on fabric will be further embellished with hand stitch.

Being ill may stop some people.....

2009-11-24T01:21:00.008Z

....and it did me, for a bit! But I got damn bored of staring at my four walls over the past week, so decided to do some light crafting. This is an idea I have had in my head for a while. The puffs are made from recycled pillow cases and buttons that I picked up in an op shop (that's charity shop for you UK readers!) in Sydney.

I love the idea that these fabrics have a history to them, and that they have been fashioned into something new. This is something that I want to explore in my new work for exhibition. Apart from buying new white cotton for samples, I have decided to only use found and recycled fabric. In this way I am also making my work exclusivley linked to the country where it was made.

My first solo show!!

2009-11-19T02:37:00.004Z

I am so happy to announce that I have managed to secure my first solo show - at the Orange Regional Gallery. The working title of the show is 'Journey' - and it will look at not only my own journey whilst in Australia, but also the journeys taken by settlers in the past. It will also explore my favourite juxtaposition: life vs. death, in relation to the impact that the settlers had on the flaura and fauna of the country. I was pretty shocked by the statistic that over 50 species have disappeared in the past 50 years.

I am super (x100000) excited about the show. It is such a wonderful opportunity for me and will hopefully mark a huge step forward in my creative career. Now I just need to start producing a hell of a lot of work in order to fill the space!!

Suitably chuffed......

Tutorial: How to make suffolk puffs/ Yo Yos

2009-11-18T10:29:00.008Z

This is a very simple photo tutorial on how to make suffolk puffs, or as they seem to be known on this side of the world, the yo yo. What the hell, they're both ridiculous names!! So without further a do......

Cut out a circular stencil from paper. I wanted my puffs to be all different sizes, so I used a few different things to draw around like masking tape, or a mug. GO WILD!
Pin your template to your fabric.
Cut out your fabric. If you want to make more than one puff, I suggest cutting out all your fabric circles first.
Thread your needle and sew a regular, loose running stitch all the way around the edge of your circle. I have done some really retarded lines on paint so you can see a bit better what I mean!
Once you have gone all the way around the circle, pull gently on the thread and begin to gather the circle
Keep pulling the thread until the fabric is all gathered in the middle. Work the fabric so that it sits right
Now pass the needle in and out of the centre of the puff a few times and secure on the back. Et Voila....une puffe!!

A busy bee in springtime

2009-11-15T03:49:00.005Z

I still can't get my head around the fact that it is getting nearer to Christmas but also getting HOTTER by the day. This weekend I have mostly been getting up, sunning myself in the garden with a good book and then heading into my office/studio/art staff room to explore exciting blogs and actually do some work!!

These suffolk puffs have been made by printing a map of Sydney using the acetone technique. I quite like it but want to experiment with getting the image of the map onto fabric so it has stronger colours. I would also like to experiment with using different maps - so am making a conscious decision to collect them wherever I go on my travels here in Oz.

I have been making notes on things that capture my imagination and experiences I have whilst in this wonderful country. This is an experiment using the ancient Bernina I have on loan here. The background is printed from a diary page of mine using the acetone technique. I think I have fallen out of love with machine stitching at the moment though!

This is a sample on the same piece to compare....I am experimenting with stitching my own handwriting and quite like the effect. I am also finding that the hand stitching is really allowing me time to meditate on these memories. I was literally re-living this magical time whilst sewing this.

some drawings...

2009-11-13T08:08:00.003Z

I am slowly starting to pull together some ideas for exhibition proposals. I am thinking of something horribly selfish like a 'visual diary' of sorts - I am collecting bits and pieces for use in any embroideries....trying to work when I can. In the meantime, some drawings from my sketchbook:

This one has become a hand embroidered piece already (will post pictures soon). I am really enjoying my hand sewing at the moment - I think it is a backlash against all the machine embroidery I had to do when I was making products for the business. I have to say that I am LOVING being able to create for the sheer pleasure of it.....although I loved the business and all the opportunities it has given me, I can't help feel that maybe time has come for me to expand and move on with my creative practice.

And yes, they're birds.....what of it?

Inspirational: Louise Weaver

2009-11-10T05:40:00.004Z

As part of my plan for this year long residency, I have decided to immerse myself in the culture of Australia as much as I can. For me, this means travelling to the country with nothing (no materials or pre-conceived ideas) and allowing my surroundings and experiences to shape my work. As part of this, I am looking at Australian artists who inspire me.

First up is a female textile artist by the name of Louise Weaver. She creates crocheted sculptures in bright, eye catching colours.

Her work is a lot of fun, and although she works with some serious ideas behind her work, such as concealment and metamorphosis, above all her work has some great visual impact, and more than a little bit of a sense of humour to it.

I also find her work very interesting because it is reminiscent of an idea which I have had since coming here about starting to work in 3d - wrapping and weaving wire sculptures in a way reminiscent of Aborigine weaving. I am a bit scared to do so, but moving here has opened my eyes to the fact that I am OBSESSED with birds (and the sooner I realise this, the sooner I can learn to deal with my affliction). Because of this, I think my duty is going to have to be to try and explore the bird form in as many ways as I can - so my work doesn't get boring. But try as I might, I just cannot escape the fact that I keep coming back to them as inspiration time and again.

An adventure in painting

2009-10-29T02:47:00.005Z

I have been working on a couple of ideas for my submission for the Orange Regional Gallery Christmas exhibition (hard to get my head around we are heading for the festive season when the weather is getting warmer!)

One idea has definately taken preference - as I feel it is better suited to the clientele of the gallery, and after all, I would like it to sell if at all possible!

The background for the painting was created using a technique I learnt over 10 years ago in a workshop with artist Tom Wood. I particularly like the idea as it gave me something other than a blank canvas to work from, which helped me with the confidence I needed! Painting scares me as it strikes me as so permanent compared to embroidery (see previous post).

The bird is an Australian red tipped wren (the vast array of amazing birds in this country has inspired me all over again) - done in oil. This is only the SECOND time ever I have used oil paints. I quite like the way that texture is easier to create, as this worked well for the feathers. However, I felt that the background was too bright - so worked back into it with the oils.

This photo was taken when the paint was still wet so looks a bit shiny. I'm not sure that it doesn't need more....perhaps in the background? I am going to Sydney tomorrow again to do some drawing in the botanical gardens so perhaps this will throw up some more inspiration.

Now I just need to decide if I am going to try and mount this so it is the 'right' size for the submission, or paint another one.

why?

2009-10-28T03:39:00.002Z

Why do I embroider?
I am sitting here at my desk - hand sewing a drawing of mine in fine black thread. Is it the gentle motion of a needle passing easily through the taught fabric, stretched on my embroidery hoop? It certainly is satisfying......or perhaps it is the temporary nature of the stitch, that once it has been created, it can always be destroyed? Picked or pulled from the fabric as if it was never there? This last point certainly appeals to me.....that embroidery allows me the freedom of experimentation without the fear?

Finally arrived down under!!

2009-09-29T07:48:00.006+01:00

Well this is my first post from the other side of the world - where most of you will know I will be spending the next year of my life on a residency at Kinross Woloroi School, Orange, NSW. So far I haven't got internet connection in my house (which is conveniently on-site, so I have 24 hour access to the art room and facilities if the whim takes me), so expect updates to be slow at first.

I am incredibly excited about this experience, and am determined to make the most of it. I have been told I am allowed to order any materials etc that I may need for my practice, but at the moment I have held off from this at the moment (tempting though it is), as I am so unsure about the direction in which I will head. I really am open to all influences....and who knows where this will take me?

Even though I have been at work barely a week, I have already learnt some valuable new skills: such as making a canvas, box frame and plinth! These are all very easily done with all the fabulous woodworking machines we have here -who knows what it will be like at home when I have to do it all by hand!

I have also visited the Orange Regional Gallery which really is a beautiful little gallery - and have been invited to contribute to the Christmas selling exhibition:

I am very excited about this as I am going to be doing a painting for it - which is something I haven't done for a very long time. Luckily my new found skills have come in useful so far and I am exploring a couple of different ideas that I may pursue. I will post pics when I have them.

I have also applied for a solo show, so please, please please keep those fingers crossed for me....this could be a giant stepping stone in my development as an artist. EXCITING!!

Broadhurst FieldFest

2009-08-29T11:26:00.004+01:00

I know I have been neglecting my blog recently, but that is for good reason! I am desperately planning and packing for my move to Australia, where I start my residency at Kinross Wolaroi School in September!! Watch this space for loads more blog updates once I arrive and start experiencing a new country....and a completely new artistic experience. I have big hopes for the development of my practice.

In the meanwhile, I have been working hard on workshops to pay the bills. As well as 5 weeks at Harrop Fold helping with their summer scheme, I recently did a customisation workshop at a festival in Moston, Manchester. Working side by side with graffiti artists, who helped the kids write their names, I then helped them customise their t-shirts by cutting, tying and adding corsages made of ribbons and fabric. I was really impressed by some of the creativity shown.

I don't often get the chance to prepare properly for these workshops, but I have found that having examples to show the young people really helps to inspire them. Talking and describing just isn't enough. I found once I started working on a t-shirt myself, it sparked their interest -and made them want to do more than just colour in.

Summer workshops

2009-07-28T18:50:00.002+01:00

Yes it is that time of the year again - summer scheme workshops in Salford. We get a lot of the same young people, so I have been racking my addled brains for new ideas to bring to the table. Yesterday I made 'button cuffs' with a small group of around 6. I was particularly impressed by one young man's idea - he didn't want to use buttons so we cut out small leather skulls instead:

I am loving it! Today we made monsters - but unlike when I did this workshop previously, I encouraged the YP to design their own monsters rather than using a template. I was really pleased with their efforts - unfortunately I didn't have my camera! However, I am doing these activities for the next 5 weeks so I am sure there will be plenty of images.

Learning my Lesson and how my work got STOLEN! Grrrrrrr

2009-06-16T15:48:00.006+01:00

This weekend was the Mad Ferret Festival in Platt Fields, Manchester. I submitted a proposal for a piece of art to decorate the festival site, and was so excited when it was accepted. The brief involved 'recycling' so it needed very little money to complete, but expenses were agreed of £20, plus payment in the shape of a ticket. Not much payment considering how long the work took me (upwards of 25 hours), but I thought it would be a good way to make new contacts and raise the profile of my business.

I am really sorry to say that now the festival is over, I couldn't be more upset about how I was treated. In the end, I overspent by £8 and when I asked whether this was ok, I was asked if they could keep the piece. I said no, it has taken me too long, and unless they wanted to front the rest of the money for it, I would be taking it home (I had an idea to use it as a basis for a workshop). So I had to back down and only accept the agreed amount of £20. I thought this was unfair, on the flyers circulated about the proposal, it stated free drinks and tickets (I only recieved the ticket), but felt like I couldn't pursue it.

When I woke up on Sunday it was to the news that someone had STOLEN the work from the tree where it was displayed. The guy I spoke to couldn't have sounded less bothered. I went to the site (suitably upset and angry as you can imagine), and when we couldn't find the piece (it was long gone), I went to ask for my expenses. It was like trying to get blood out of a stone, and in the end I was proffered a plastic bag of change which barely came to £19. I was so disgusted I just took it.

But if anyone from Mad Ferret reads this, I just want you to know that I'm appalled by the way you treated me, especially when I know for a fact you bent over backwards for other artist friends of mine. I am sick to death of feeling myself and my art being disrespected by people. I learnt my lesson about 'doing people a favour' Next time I'll just buy a ticket and forget about trying to help people out. You don't get a lot of thanks for it.

Anyway, rant over - here are some pictures of the work (before it got nicked obviously!)

The piece is a patchwork of purely recycled fabrics from charity shop clothes *big up Help the Aged!! and scraps from my studio. The tree's 'leaves' were stuffed using the trapunto technique to make them nice and squishy! Also got a bit of advertising there with my website - I just hope whoever took it has hung it on their wall and not dumped it in the bin :(

Custom Order

2009-05-28T19:26:00.004+01:00

I have literally just finished my teacher training course (phew...didn't think I would make it for a while there!) and am happy to say that I have several orders to keep me busy. One for a custom bag which will be winging (excuse the pun) its way all the way to Germany very soon for a lucky birthday girl:
The other is a rather large order (well for me, anyway) for Sheffield Millenium Gallery, for work to be sold alongside Timerous Beasties' response to the John Ruskin Collection. This gallery is one that I supplied at Christmas on SOR, so it just goes to show it can be really beneficial, because if work sells well then orders will be made!

I want to write more about my state of mind at the moment, but the cat is giving me earache over being fed so it shall have to be left for another day!

Jeff Soto @ Stolenspace

2009-05-15T12:44:00.003+01:00

I just had to blog about a new show that opened last night at the Stolenspace Gallery, Brick Lane, London. It's solo show by arguably my favourite artist - it runs until 6th July, and I gurantee it will be well worth a visit. I am really gutted I couldn't make it to the opening (damn uni commitments) so a big thankyou to Beth for saving me a signed copy of his new book 'Storm Clouds' - you're legend girl!

Stolenspace has got a special place in my heart because I did my work experience there when it was in its first incarnation - The Outside Institute - where I got to work with some other artists I admire like D*Face and Flying Fortress. If you haven't visited Stolenspace yet, then do - it has a great selection of contemporary exhibitions.

2009-05-13T16:55:00.001+01:00

To celebrate me geeking out on Star Wars movie last night, I wanted to post about this amazing artist Devorah Sperber - who I just happened to find in fantastic magazine cloth.paper.scissors. Devorah works by manipulating popular images (amongst them - Star Trek), and famous paintings into digital pixels. She then uses these pixels to 'paint' using pipe cleaners and rolls of thread:
She then places a viewing glass in front of the work so that viewers can see the image the right way up. Her work is so unusual, I had to write about it - it is great to see a textile artist pushing the boundaries. I also particularly loved this piece which was made by threading glass beads into monofilament:

Manchester Craft Mafia In Quick and Crafty Magazine

2009-04-29T17:55:00.004+01:00

The Manchester Craft Mafia has been featured in this month's edition of Quick and Crafty Magazine. It is a lovely full colour four page article, which I was lucky enough to be quoted in:
I would like to thank Sally Fort for helping put together the press information which was used in the article. Fellow mafia members see if you can spot yourself in some of the photos. They used a lot of our images in the article.

Printed Treasury and feature in Craft Gallery Guide

2009-04-25T11:22:00.002+01:00

I have really been neglecting Etsy recently, I just don't have the time to put in what it needs with all my other (mainly teaching) commitments. However, I was really happy to be informed my print has been featured in this lovely treasury:
This week Alison from the Heart Gallery offered me the chance to be associated with the gallery in the 2010/11 Craft Galleries Guide. I found this guide essential when I was preparing for the BCTF, and of course I jumped at the chance to be on the Heart Gallery pages! I have selected a small ad as the book will be published when I get back from Australia, I am sure my work will be different by then.

Stitched Jewels - on pre order now!

2009-04-12T15:32:00.008+01:00

Those of you who follow my blog will be aware that I had a project chosen to be featured in the new book: Stitched Jewels. Well, I got my contributer's copy in the post when I got back from holiday, and I am so excitied to share! When I was getting it out of the package, I don't remember being that excited in so many years, lol.

The book is beautifully set out, and my work appears on page 72. I have 4 full colour pages. Because I wrote the instructions, technically I have been published! I was also really pleased to see that an image of my project is on the back cover. I am also very happy that they got the name of the business right - it does seem to cause people a lot of problems!

Anyway, enough blurb, here are some pics:

You can pre-order the book in the Uk from Amazon.
It is available already in the US.

Skatebored - Platform Gallery

2009-04-12T12:48:00.005+01:00

It has taken me a while to blog about this exhibition, and sadly, it is now over (it ran for little over a week). This series of workshops and resultant exhibition was part of the UK:DIY series of events which are being held this year. One young person's skateboard from these workshops is now in the UK: DIY exhibition itself, at the Turnpike Gallery in Leigh. That exhibition is only on until the 25th April, so hurry!

We also managed to make the front page of the Clitheroe Advertiser and Times, which I am assured has never happened before! This time I am glad to say the local press got the name of my business right, but proceeded to call me 'Kate Terry' at one point!

I also managed to take some images of the exhibition itself whilst it was on display. I am very proud and honoured to be associated with the Platform Gallery, as I hold it in quite high regard.

Uk Craft Mafia Opening

2009-03-22T15:20:00.005Z

I went to the opening of the UK Craft Mafia exhibition yesterday. I am really happy with the display - I think I got a prime spot! The event was buzzing, with plenty of crafting going on. I am so happy to be a part of this exciting movement.

Amazingness

2009-03-18T20:47:00.001Z

I was just checking Etsy, and saw these absalutely amazing things:
AND you can customise the graffiti on them. I want want want so badly.....someone give me $195 please!

UK:DIY Craft Mafia Exhibition

2009-03-03T16:44:00.004Z

The Big Apple

2009-02-27T19:23:00.008Z

So, can't quite believe I actually forgot to mention I was visiting, but hey! Anyway, it goes without saying it was amazing. I want to live there - FACT. I don't actually care what I have to do to get there I will do it! I took loads of pictures so I will just include a few here:

Just a few ribbons.....Os Gemeos wall at Coney Island - the trip was totally worth it just to see this huge, amazing piece of art! Made my day :)Since my current obsession is with makeup, I visited the MAC Pro store in Manhattan. How pretty do these pigment jars look? MMMMM satisfying!

Prep for the UK Craft Mafia Exhibition

2009-02-24T20:24:00.005Z

I got back in the studio to make these items to add to the collection I am exhibiting at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre as part of the UK Craft Mafia show. I am pleased with the clutch bags - and it gave me the chance to use some of the new sequins I picked up in New York last week (post to follow).

Excuse the crappy pics, it was getting dark when I finished, and I need to post them tomorrow.

Some workshop Pictures

2009-02-22T19:32:00.005Z

Been sadly neglecting the business a little at the moment, I am really feeling the pressure of my teacher training! Just thought I would post a few pics from the workshops I am doing in association with the Platform Gallery, Clitheroe. Just two weeks left, so we are going to start sewing into them next week. I am having to do some serious blackmail to get some of them to do it bless them!

Silk Paper Making Tutorial

2009-02-11T20:14:00.006Z

Today I did a silk paper making class at college. It went really well! Just thought that I would use the images I took to make my handout to do a quick tutorial here on the blog:

CELLULOSE PASTE METHOD:
You will need: silk throwsters/ waste (dyed or undyed), cellulose paste (wallpaper paste will work), stiff bristled brush, sheets of netting, anything you want to trap in the paper (eg. threads/ fabrics/ sequins/ etc), and plastic to protect your surface, washing line.

1. First lay out a piece of netting on top of the plastic. Then start to lay down the fibres in one direction, making sure that they overlap slightly. Use a small amount of fibres for more delicate paper, or more fibres for a denser effect.

2. Now lay down another layer of fibres, this time at right angles to the first layer (so if you laid them down vertically first time, lay them down horizontally this time).

3. Now is the time to lay down anything you want to add to the paper. This could be cut out shapes, fabric, sequins, paper scraps, threads. Let your imagination run wild!

4. Now lay down a final layer of fibres. These could be dense or fine, it's up to you. Now lay the second piece of netting down. You should have a sandwich of netting>>>silk>>>netting.

5. Start to apply the cellulose paste to the netting. Work it into the fibres using the stiff bristled brush in a circular motion. This will help to 'felt' the fibres together.

6. When the fibres are thoroughly soaked (you can turn over the 'sandwich' and work in paste from the back as well), hang the whole package up to dry. The paper will take about 24hours to dry properly after which it can be:

cut
dyed
stitched
molded
printed
stamped
anything else you can think of!

UK Craft Mafia Exhibition

2009-02-04T15:16:00.002Z

I have been selected to show some of my work in the UK Craft Mafia Exhibition which is at the Manchester Craft and Design Centre. It starts on the 20th March and runs until the 2nd May. I shall post more information as I get it.

And just because a post without pictures is just plain boring, here is a Valentine's day print I have listed on Etsy. There are only 4 in the world, all signed and numbered by me. Go on, they're only £5. Bargainous.