Announcements

I'm excited to announce that I've been accepted to exhibit at the new Sock Gallery in Loughborough.  I'll be sharing the large, contemporary exhibition space with Helen Rhodes and Sue Vanderplank.  We've been given the coveted Christmas slot, from November 28th 2011.  I can't wait!

I've also been accepted for the Melbourne Festival Arts Trail on the 17th/18th September. It'll be my first time there. I'm really looking forward to meeting my hosts and seeing my venue in this beautiful town.

Derbyshire Open Arts

Today was day two of Derbyshire Open Arts.  I'll be exhibiting at Long Eaton Art Room tomorrow too, please come if you can. It's been a slow weekend in terms of visitor numbers.  Those that have come have been good friends, and people I've met at other fairs that I have done, and friends I've made through facebook.  So it's been a good, sociable weekend!

Today I had to say goodbye to a piece that I had created for my solo exhibition at Ashbourne.  It's nice to know that it'll be living locally.  My ceramics have been selling well, with some special offers especially for  this weekend.

Today the lovely Mary Graham taught me to crochet and introduced me to Oxygen shoes so I end the day happy!

Passing.  SOLD

Advertising boards

My space

Josie Harrington ceramics

Mary Graham  jewellery

In the post

Today in the post I got a wonderful selection of endpaper offcuts from book binder Heather Dewick.  We both have a passion for paper!  Heather creates beautiful hand bound journals and albums, covered in some amazing papers.

Heather Dewick' s hand bound books

So what am I doing with all those beautiful pieces of paper? I've started making some mini paper bunting to decorate my stall at Holmfirth Art Market on 12th June.....thanks Heather!

Wedding Bunting

Here's the paper bunting I made for Sarah and Ryan's beautiful wedding.  Forty metres of string adorned with pages from vintage books.  No close up, but there were pages from nineteenth century recipe books, crochet and needlework manuals and wild flower journals......everything that the perfect wife needs to know!

See more images of their inspiring day here.

Back in stock

Coaster tiles....finally back in stock.

Getting Ready

I'm getting excited about exhibiting as part of Derbyshire Open Arts this coming Bank Holiday weekend.  I'm putting these posters round and about and I've been painting signs to direct people to the Long Eaton Art Room.  I'll be on home territory for this event, so I'm shouting from the tree tops about it. Tell everyone you know....and see you there!

New for Summer

This year's Holmfirth Art Market has a garden theme so I've added to my Leaf range of ceramics to create a tea set that's perfect for afternoon tea on the lawn.

I'll be exhibiting at Holmfirth on Sunday June 12th.....pop it in your diary!  Can't make it?  Come and see me in Long Eaton during the Derbyshire Open Arts weekend over the May Bank Holiday.  Hope to see you there!

Six

Happy Birthday to my sweet, sweet boy.

Woo hoo!

Remember the tiles I was commissioned to create?  Well here they are in situ.  I'm really pleased with how they turned out and hope they are an inspiration to the chef!

They now reside in Sudbury, Suffolk where we had a lovely day out at the Open Gardens in aid of St.Nicholas Hospice.

I also delivered work to Gallery 47 in Sudbury for their Picture Bonanza weekend from Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd May. So if you fancy picking up a bargain or adding a Hallows or Hallows to your art collection, pop along! 

A bit different

Flowers in Grandma's vase.  Ink, collage and stitch.

From the garden. Ink, collage and stitch.

I was invited to submit work for an exhibition called 'Flowers' at the Thoresby gallery.  Here's what I came up with.

Dora Holzandler Exhibition

Mother and Children in Holland Park

Hepzibah's new baby

Tantric Lovers

One of the highlights of the Easter holidays was our visit to Uppingham to see the exhibition of Dora Holzandler's work at the Goldmark Art Gallery.  Whilst exhibiting at Sock in March, a lady compared one of my memory pieces to the floating figures in Chagall's, and I told her about Dora Holzandler inspiring my work.  Next thing, she was telling me about the Goldmark Art Gallery in Uppingham and their exhibition of Holzandler's work.

Whilst living in London a bought a book about her and her work.  It was about the time that David and I moved in together and I loved the romance of her paintings of lovers. Having recently been to India, the eastern philosophy behind her work and the highly patterned interiors made the work more appealing.  Along the way, through the staging posts of my own marriage and having children, her work captures for me, the joy of the everyday and the celebration of ritual and family.

Still painting in her eighties, her portrait exudes an energy that is full of love and joy.  Stood in front of her paintings, there is that energy in each bush stroke.  The pieces flood your eyes with deep, rich colour.  
I want one!!

The Goldmark Art Gallery is an amazing treasure trove of twentieth century art.   They have a great collection of prints by Ravillious, Bawden, Brangwyn, as well as paintings by John Piper and Christopher Wood.  Contemporary ceramics are on display and a fantastic library of artist books.  Truly inspiring.