Inspirations



I have always loved History, Literature and Art.........................................................................................................
beautiful things, the stuff of dreams..................................................

flowers, butterflies, fairy tales, embroidered fragments, Chinese blues, Botticelli angels, Blake's visions, Burne-Jones pictures............................................................................................

amongst many other hints and wisps of the past..........................

to catch in my net and weave into mydesigns..................

which I hope others might find as beautiful as their inspirations.

Monday 26 September 2011

OU course......beginning to get to grips.....

Despite a late application ( well about four days before the cut off) the OU -with the efficiency I remember from days gone by- has already got my box of goodies  delivered to my door. So, although the course doesn't officially start until October 1st, I have been grappling with Book 1 and Modernity/Modernism/avant-garde/extended fields/aesthetics etc. etc. for the past week or so. It is all proving to be very interesting and thought provoking. I am sure it will inform future gallery visits, as well as explaining much of the contemporary art I have been looking at over the years!

Had to smile as I read that many regard such as the 'emporer's new clothes.....that was exactly what someone had written in the comments book at the Damien Hirst print exhibition I visited at the Bowes in January!!!:-)

Saturday 17 September 2011

Pascale Hemery -french print artist's workshop at the Bowes Museum

Had great fun trying to produce lino prints at Bowes Museum today!!!!!

Pascale, a lovely french print artist, come to England, with her partner Luc, to take a workshop as part of the activities associated with the John P Eckblad 'Heart of Progress' exhibition. John a collector of imagery associated with industrial subject matter has a number of Pascales prints in his collection.

A room full of eager students, including a large french contingent, (consisting of members of John's family and friends) assembled at 10 am and began to create designs on an industrial theme. Having transferred them to lino we cut in to them and, after inking them up, produced large numbers of prints, with the help of Luc on the press!!!

Although I found it very much outside my comfort zone, being used to producing detailed fine line drawings, I really enjoyed myself. The medium isn't suited to fine detailed and so simple shapes/designs have to be created. So I made a simple factory scene with lines and stylised smoke. It looked very crude, on the lino, as I tried to carve out the lines for printing. Somehow the print looked ok!!!!!

I attended the session because I have wanted to try lino printing after seeing the beautiful prints on Mangleprints blog. I am even more impressed by them having had a go at the technique myself!!

I really enjoyed my day out. Pascale was a very good teacher,who was supported by a very enthusiastic , knowledgeable and helpful member of Bowes staff called Pauline. I met some very nice people, had a delicious lunch in the museum cafe, learnt a new technique and produced some 'art'. What more can one ask of a day?! Perfick!!!!!!

Friday 9 September 2011

Blog fame!!!!!!!! THRILLED!!!!! (Bowes Museum, Naseem Darbey Exhibition)

Can't believe it....my blog entry about Naseem's beautiful exhibition has been given a link on the Bowes Museum official website!!!!!!!



When I recently contacted Naseem, about the possibility of attending one of her workshops, I told her I had written about her work and hoped she liked what I had written!! She liked it so much that she has given a copy to The Arts Council (who I think must have given her funding-very deseradly so in my opinion).  Today I discovered she must have also given it to The Boews Museum who have included it, as a link, at the bottom of their entry informing visitors about the exhibition.

I am thrilled!!!!! Firstly, because I am so pleased to help such a talented artist in any way I can ..... Secondly, because, as my very talented textile lecturer (claire.a.baker.blogspot.uk) will remember all to well, I was absolutely terrified at the prospect of setting up a blog for my PPF module. Like the 20th century Art History I am about to embark on, I felt the fear and did it anyway!!! In fact I became a bit of an addict. Although I have finished my degree and have not managed to do any design work since then I have continued to blog about Art subjects and events that I have found interesting.

So, for anyone out there contemplating blogging ....give it a try! If I can do it anybody can (after the initial registration it is incredibly easy. especially if you have used Facebook).  It has been a very rewarding experience :-)

Saturday 3 September 2011

OU Art of the twentieth century................

Can't believe it...have just committed to another year of being a student!!!!!!

Some years ago I did an Arts based OU general degree. For various reasons I did not carry on to Honours. Having enjoyed the academic side so much of my revent Textiles degree I decided to look at options available to me, including OU courses....To cut a long story short I am taking this third level course in order to continue my general to a higher level, as well as continuing to extend my  Art History essay writing skils-in order to be able to study for a higher level degree in the future. This was something that was only a possible option/on a back burner until I made various enquiries about various options and discovered I could only afford (just about) to do this THIS academic year due to fee increases. £2,500 for this module, in autumn 2012 puts it way out of my league

So with some trepidation, modern Art being very much outside my comfort zone I had to make a very quick decision to 'feel the fear and do it anyway'.  So much for a relaxed year following my artisic whims and extending my design portfolion (though still hope to keep my skills by doing drawings etc.) !!!!!!

Now the decision has been made and forms filled in I am beginning to feel excited, like I used to when studying abroad with the OU, waiting for all the lovely new and, hopefully, very interesting and thought provoking materials to arrive! I don't have to like a piece of Art to find it interesting and I do like Dali, Warhol and some of the modern artists work.....so fingers crossed I've made the right decision!!!!