Emily Nixon - Best Maker Award

Jeweller Emily Nixon has won the award for Best Maker in the South West at The Contemporary Craft Fair, Bovey Tracey 2009. The sponsor of the award was British Ceramic Tile, based in Devon and the photo above shows Emily with Konrad Goes-Saurau their Executive Chairman.

Konrad Goes-Saurau said...

"Whilst The Contemporary Craft Fair is a wonderful showcase of the creativity of so many talented individuals across the whole of the country, Emily's range of beautifully crafted jewellery, rich in its coastal textures and natural forms, perfectly demonstrated the talent that exists right here on our own doorstep here in the southwest."

Emily will be exhibiting and selling her work at MADE09 in Brighton in November.

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Hilary Thorpe's Sailing Trip

Isle of Wight artist Hilary Thorpe is currently sailing up the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. She is carrying her paints along with her and painting a selection of pieces as she travels, plus a travelling sketchbook.

Presently the yacht she is on is docked for three weeks in Long Island. Hilary is taking the opportunity for a brief return visit to Bermuda to catch the ‘Tall Ships’ race. Hilary spent 3 months on Bermuda in 2007 as Artist in Residence with the Masterworks Foundation. She will then spend a few days at the famous yachting town on Newport Rhode Island before returning to the boat in Long Island



Gulliver, the vessel she is on, will explore the islands between
Long Island and Cape before she returns in mid July.

Follow her newsletter on her website on and watch out for images on the Bermuda and East Coast of the States when the site is updated. Hilary will be exhibiting the work at an Open Studios event on the Isle of Wight (www.isleofwightarts.com) and is also exhibiting at the Brighton Art Fair in October.

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Derek Yaniger at Castor & Pollux

Quoting Derek himself….

‘A gig in the works is a print show at the Castor and Pollux Gallery in the UK. The show will run from June 26th thru July 20th. On display will be my newest serigraphs as well as some of my old favorites. They’ll also have signed copies of my book, “Wildsville, the art of Derek Yaniger”. Should be a jolly big hoot! Be there if ya’ can, man.

‘I blew into Atlanta around the ’80s and gotta a gig scratchin’ out art at a local sweat shop. I copped a squat there for three years but the cabbage was, like, nowheresville, so I just had to cut out. I gave that nogoodnik from creepsville the heave-ho. I still roost in Georgia but nowadays I print my own foldin’ green. Over the past twenty years, give or take, I’ve rolled out chicken scratchins for someway big wigs like Marvel Comics and Cartoon Network. Today I spend my dims and brights pedalin’ my art to mags such as Atomic, Barracuda, and Car Culture Deluxe.

Once you get a load of my art, I hope you dig it the most.’

Join Castor and Pollux in Wildsville from 27 June.

http://www.castorandpollux.co.uk/2009/05/derek-yaniger-at-castor-pollux-in-june/

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Online Shop of the Week - Tiny Showcase

Tiny Showcase was created by Jon Buonaccorsi and Shea'la Finch in November of 2004.
Jon and Shea'la found that they were surrounded by a group of friends who were very talented people so they started thinking how good it would be if they could create a forum and community where all of this incredible talent could be showcased.

Each week they pick a new piece of tiny artwork and turn the work into a limited-run print production. Each run is printed on archival Hahnemühle German Printmaking Paper. The archival ink is specially treated and sprayed, giving it an archival lifespan of over 60 years.

In 2005 Tiny Showcase introduced a new pricing structure where a percentage of the money from each print sold is donated to a charity chosen by the artist.

Tiny Showcase offer a brilliant selection of work as well as a few printed tee shirts!

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Artist of the Week - Angela Lizon

Angela Lizon has been working for many years on fairly minimalist abstract paintings but 2 years ago changed overnight to painting giant cats which are humourous, kitsch, absurd and slightly disturbing!

One favourite living artist? Why?
No particular favourite living artist but I do admire artists who are very honest at what they're about, can play the system to their advantage and are the ones calling the shots rather than gallerists or curators.

One favourite historical artist? Why?
I have many favourite historical artists but all time favourite must be Matisse as his work is so joyous.

When and where did you first want to do what you do?
I've always wanted to be a painter, since I was about 6 years old.


What place in the world has inspired you?
Hard to think but with the work I'm doing now I'm sure that the childhood day trips to Brighton from London to visit an elderly aunt, playing crazy golf, going on the pier and eating knickerbocker glories must have had a subliminal effect somewhere along the line.


At age 15 who influenced your style?
Don't think I had any style when I was 15.

How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace - if at all?

Have always tried very hard not to bend my "vision" to suit the marketplace. I went to art college long enough ago to have been there at the time when it was considered dirty to mention art and money in the same sentence.

Where and what is your studio?
My studio is in Spike Island in Bristol - a large set up with many artists and creative businesses. Have a largish studio with really good north light.

Do you have a good work/life balance?
There are never enough hours in the day to get everything done so what does that mean? I could do with a holiday.



What one word would describe your feeling of doing your work?
Fun.

Would you rather be doing something else?
Never.

If you could exhibit in any gallery which would it be?
In the National Gallery, London alongside the Stubbs' horses.

Most overrated artist/maker?

Those who give a design concept to another artist, get them to make it and then take all the credit themselves without acknowledging the maker.

Where do the majority of your inspiration / ideas come from?

The majority of my inspiration comes from my childhood in the 60's and 70's and my two children.

Where did you train? Favourite / least favourite aspects of training?

I did a degree at Bristol Polytechnic (now known as University of the West of England) and then gained a scholarship to study at Krakow Academy of Fine Art in Poland for a year. As Poland was still under the communist regime it was quite an experience.

Favourite aspects of training? Colour theory lessons and life models available at any time. Least favourite? Art history lectures.

Please list any exhibitions you have had in the past 12 months.
Competitions - Bristol Contemporary Open at Paintworks in Bristol, Open west at Summerfield Gallery, University of Gloucestershire. In January I will be having a solo show at Howard Gardens Gallery in Cardiff.


Angela will be exhibiting and selling her work at the Brighton Art Fair in October.
Angela Lizon: angelalizon@gmail.com

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Helaina Sharpley - Best New Business

Congratulations to wirework artist Helaina Sharpley who won an award earlier this month at The Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey, Devon. Helaina won the Best New Business award sponsored by notonthehighstreet.com.

Helaina has a studio at The Art House in Wakefield a purpose built studio building, which opened in July 2008, with the ethos of access for all. The whole building is accessible to everyone, artists with disabilities and artists without and is part funded by the Arts Council. The Art House speaks on behalf of all artists, representing their interests to funding and commissioning bodies, to training institutions, to galleries and venues and to others - promoting a vision of a profession without barriers.





Helaina will be exhibiting and selling her beautiful work at the Brighton Art Fair in October.

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Floral Lawn at the Bluecoat Display Centre Liverpool

To complement the Bluecoat Display Centre's recycling themed exhibition 'Junkshop Revolution', Liverpool based textile artist Helen Chatterton is showing her new summer collection of textiles at the gallery.

The Floral Lawn range includes Tana Lawn cotton dupion silk backed cushions and scarves, covered buttons and lavender bags all inspired by a collection of fabric which belonged to Helen's mother.



Helen was brought up in a textile obsessed household. Her father had worked for the Cotton Board in Manchester and Helen's Scottish mother was a very keen and talented knitter and dressmaker.

When Helen's parent's died and it was time to clear out their house, Helen found the true extent of her mother's fabric collection; vast quantities of tweeds, woolens, cottons, linens, buttons and masses of Liberty Tana Lawn.



Helen started the collection as a tribute to her mother who taught her everything she knows about textiles and her father who taught her to love and care for items which have been well made.

Bluecoat Display Centre, Liverpool, L1 3BE
Junkshop Revolution runs until 1 August, 2009


Helen will be showing her work in Brighton in November at MADE09.

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Sussex Heritage Trust and Exhibition of Prints at Farley Farmhouse, East Sussex.

Yesterday I went to see an exhibition of prints by printmaker Peter Carreras who last year donated his prints to the Sussex Heritage Trust for them to sell and raise funds. This is the second exhibition of his prints and shows a range of prints all for sale, with all proceeds going to support the work of the Sussex Heritage Trust. It is an incredibly generous donation by Peter Carreras and the prints range from small zodiac prints to larger images, many of Sussex.


This time the exhibition is being held in the barn at Farley Farm House in Chiddingly, near Lewes, East Sussex. The setting is beautiful and the barn is part of Farley Farm House which was the home of the Surrealist Roland Penrose and his wife Lee Miller. As part of the visit to the exhibition yesterday there was also the opportunity to have a tour of the house and gardens.


Farley Farm House gives a fascinating view into the work and lives of Miller and Penrose and their many friends who visited such as Picasso, Max Ernst, Man Ray and Joan Miro. The collection of art is superb and the house and gardens are largely kept as they were when they were home to Miller and Penrose. As well as being full of works of art there are also many photographs by Lee Miller and even her camera and type writer from her years as war correspondent. It is really worth a visit and on a sunny day like yesterday the gardens are beautiful and the Long Man of Wilmington can be seen in the distance.


Peter Carreras Exhibition is free and is on at the Farley Barn Gallery on 20, 30 June and 1, 4, 5 July 10.00am - 5.00pm. For details of the exhibition and more about the work of Sussex Heritage Trust please see http://www.sussexheritagetrust.com/ or tel. 01825 767087


Farley Farm House Tours are available from April to September on the first Sunday of each month or for groups by appointment. They are also open on some other weekends. For full details see http://www.farleyfarmhouse.co.uk/ or tel. 01825 872691
Farley Farm House, Chiddingly, East Sussex BN8 6HW.

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Through the Keyhole - Sarah Downer

Sarah Downer moved to Dunham in Cheshire in July 2008 after four years of being on the National Trust waiting list for properties on Dunham Massey estate. She wanted to live in Dunham Town after getting married ten years ago at the beautiful stately home.



Sarah says that probably the best thing about this home is the outside - set in two acres, it has a paddock where some neighbours keep some ponies and lots of lovely trees along the canal which runs along the bottom of the garden. The outhouses provide a great space for a studio, with good natural light, but this space still needs some work to make it completely dust-free!



In ten months, Sarah and her family have not done everything they would like to do to the place. "There's still lots we need to do to make it feel like it's ours. I don't know what my style is, but i like having furniture which has a history to it, like the church chairs in the dining room".



In the lounge apart from Sarah's son's 1st birthday cards, there is a family portrait on the window sill by her 3 year old daughter, Bessie, which they are very proud of! The sculpture in the corner is by John Downer. The painting in the dining room is also by John Downer.



In the kitchen the drypoint on the wall is one of Helen Fay's monkeys. You can just make out a painting of Sarah by her friend Bob Brown in the right foreground.


Sarah will be exhibiting her work at the Brighton Art Fair in October.

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Kate's Cafe

‘Kate’s Café’ - Rebecca Hossack Gallery

I went along on Thursday to the Private View of Kate Jenkin's latest exhibition - Kate's Cafe - at Rebecca Hossack's Charlotte Street Gallery in Fitzrovia. I'd had a bit of a depressing day in London (thinking that central London was just a clone town - every other shop was a chain, - Pret-a-Manger or Starbucks - the Tube was on strike, buses were bursting at the seams.) 'Kate's Cafe' cheered me up, and Fitzrovia was all that the rest of London hadn't been - buzzing, independent, fun and full of great galleries, shops, cafe's and restaurants.


We've seen Kate's work before over the years but she's pushed the boat out with this exhibition in one of London's more progressive galleries. The work ranges from actual crocheted cakes, small pictures - caviar tins, to large crocheted pictures of cakes, fish, patisserie etc.


In an inspired piece of timing the show opened the same weekend as the Fitrovia Food Fair and many foodies spent on woollen food as well as the real thing. If you are interested in buying a piece - don't leave it too late as they're selling fast.


"Kate Jenkins is a knitting genius: a true artist and a true original. She launched her fashion label Cardigan in 2003, having previously worked for the likes of Marc Jacobs, Missoni and Donna Karan. This is her first solo art show."

Kate's Cafe 6 June – 27 June

28 Charlotte Street, Fitzrovia,
London W1T 2NA
T +44 0 20 7255 2828

Gallery Opening Times
Monday 10-6pm
Tuesday 10-6pm
Wednesday 10-6pm
Thursday 10-6pm
Friday 10-6pm
Saturday 10-6pm
Sunday Closed.

PS sorry about the quality of the photo's - I can't do glass very well - the work is much better than my photo's!

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Deviants at Hove Museum

Hello - Richard Slee

DEVIANTS
at Hove Museum and Art Gallery is an exhibition of 16 objects from the Craft Council's collection which Deviate wildly from what is perceived as craft. The work is by ten of the UK’s leading craft makers, including Jill Crowley, Carol McNicoll, Richard Slee and Hans Stofer.

Hand of Good, Hand of God - Freddie Robbins

The ‘deviant’ artists featured make objects that depart from the norm and challenge the imagination. They include teapots with multiple legs, an unfurling jug and a glove with 25 fingers.

Bud - Felicity Aylieff

All the makers are highly skilled in the age old techniques of their particular craft, yet these skills are used to produce different and unusual objects.

Coffee Set with Tray - Carol McNicoll

There is a programme of courses for adults and children to accompany the exhibition with great makers (Penny Green, Matt Smith, Maria Rivans, Carol McNicoll) - course titles include "Wonky Teapots", "Quirky bags", "Potty Digressions", Bizarre Baskets"

Teapot On Foot - Jill Crowley

Grape Run - Hans Stofer

Bum Bowl - Christopher Williams

Deviants runs from
6 June to 13 September 2009
Free admission

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Sian Elizabeth Hughes - Goldsmiths Award

Sian Elizabeth Hughes will exhibit her feminine, floral and delicate jewellery for the first time at Goldsmiths Fair after winning one of their ten awards for new graduates.Showcasing the very best of British design and craftsmanship the fair is held at Goldsmith’s Hall, London from 28 September to 11 October.
Sian says, “I am delighted to have been selected to exhibit at the prestigious Goldsmiths Fair 2009. As part of the award I have been offered a free stand at Goldsmiths Fair and £1500 bursary towards the development of new work. This is the first time I will be exhibiting at Goldsmiths and will be showcasing my jewellery in week one: Monday September 28 to Sunday October 4th.”

From initial experiments in the manipulation of paper Sian translates the delicate and sensitive forms into jewellery. Each piece is a unique construction referencing nature’s interaction to the environment it is in. All of Sian’s collections contain earrings, pins, pendants, necklaces, rings and brooches. Materials include Gold and Silver as well as semi precious stones such as Garnet, Amethyst and Citrine.

Sian will be exhibiting and selling her work in Brighton in November at MADE09.