Designing for Ceramic Transfers Workshop

Yesterday I spent the day at Beans Coffee Shop Gallery teaching a workshop on 'Designing for Ceramic Transfers'. The lovely ladies created a square piece of art using the same techniques of ink, collage and stitch that I use in my work. Some used imagery of a place, some illustrated a saying, one lady produced a piece to celebrate her long lived dog Queenie. Having demonstrated the techniques involved in turning artwork into ceramic transfers and how to apply them, it is now my task to turn their artwork into transfers and apply them to tiles so that they will then receive a decorative tile featuring their own art work.

It's a busy couple of weeks for me. On Thursday I'm teaching on the foundation degree at Leek College of FE and on Saturday I'll be doing a demonstration of my work at the launch of the National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford, Lincolnshire. Next week I've another ceramics workshop and a 'Recording Memories' workshop. I've got one place left if you know anyone who would like to come.

I'll let you know how it all goes....I've STILL got pictures of my summer holidays to share!  Good job we're having a second summer....it'll give me a chance to catch up.

Favourite

This is my favourite picture from my recent photo shoot.  I had the pictures taken so that I can put together a pack about my work for galleries.

Now available

My new range of art cards are now available in my Folksy shop. Taken from my British Landscapes series, they are beautifully printed on high quality textured card with a lovely crisp white envelope.  Available as this set of six and this set of four.

Summer Snapshot

Found this one in my camera.

I did it!

Wow!  What a weekend! The festival art trail saw nearly two thousand visitors on Saturday and nigh on the same on Sunday. The weather was kind and the people kinder still!  My hosts, the Kerr family, kept Josephine and I topped up with coffee and good wishes. Thank you to them for letting me take over their lovely cottage for the weekend. Thanks too to everyone who booked a place on my course for Saturday 8th October. There is now only one place left, so let me know if you're interested. If you miss out this time I can add you to my mailing list for future workshops.

New work for Melbourne Festival

Yesterday I decamped to Melbourne, Derbyshire for the weekend. I spent the day setting up my exhibition, a luxury in contrast to the normal scramble to getting things ready for a one day event.  This morning I've woken to relentless rain but live in hope of it brightening up for the start of the art trail in three hours time.  It's been a busy week packaging my new card range, getting tiles fired and packed, finishing work, framing, wrapping prints, labelling and pricing.  I'm relieved that it's all done and looking forward to sharing it all with the visitors to Melbourne Festival.  The festival receives no public funding and it's future is under threat so please come along and join in the trail.

Here are my new pieces that are on show at Melbourne for the first time:

Hamlet £160

Red Harvest £160

The moon rose over an open field £275

Journey £275

Three Trees £250

To the Rookery £375

Valley Deep £495  SOLD

I'm also launching my new range of limited edition giclee prints this weekend.  The following pieces are available in editions of fifty.  Valley deep is available in two sizes:

To the Rookery 23cm x 76cm  £105

Valley Deep 39 x 49 cm £105  29 x 39 £70

Daybreak 17cm x 43 cm  £50

Sunshine 23cm x 76 cm £105

Looking forward to seeing you over the weekend.  Please bring some sunshine.  Doors close Sunday evening at 5pm. 

Eleri Mills

I've just discovered the work of Welsh artist Eleri Mills.  I love her lyrical landscapes.  like me she stitches in to her work, for her by hand where as I machine.  I read that she makes no distinction between fine art and fibre art.  I wonder what she calls it though?  I struggle to name mine.  With it being a fusion of art and craft, I feel strange calling my work 'art'.  I often refer to 'framed pieces' to get around the fact that they are not paintings but ink with collage and stitch.  I also call myself a 'textile designer' having come that route though I no longer design textiles.  I need a label! How about 'Craftist'? There's still such snobbery between 'high' art and 'low' craft.  I feel I straddle both. Anybody got any suggestions. Helen Hallows ................... (polite answers only please!)