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.

Click Here to Read More..

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.

Click Here to Read More..

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/

Click Here to Read More..

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!

Click Here to Read More..

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

Click Here to Read More..

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.

Click Here to Read More..

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.

Click Here to Read More..