Summer is upon us! Blasts of hot air and sunshine, after too many cold damp days in UK. With lockdown restrictions gradually easing and hugs resuming, there also seems a to be a new energy (among humans anyway). Many of us have learnt important lessons about care.
In between projects, I’ve taken a few short courses and continue to connect with membership groups: RSS, SAW, BSA and IN:CH. Care is an overwhelming mantra - not just caring for others, but also self-care. Through Mind the Gap with Fiona Winning (open honest sharing to find our inner resources), RSS meet-ups where we discuss fighting our inner demons while reaching for our North Star, it’s clear how necessary it is to have downtime. I’m trying… :-)
All The Colours
The work I’ve been doing for All The Colours, part of Art First with Seed and Buses of Somerset, is soon to launch. The printed artworks are almost ready for the buses.
The design process has been complex, involving several stages, some completely new to me! Initially I created 3 chameleon paintings in different colour schemes, plus a background. After compiling all the community’s image submissions, I used software to import them into the chameleons as photo mosaics, ready for lenticular printing. Thanks to Neil Lumby (Seed designer) for his part in the process.
Lenticular prints are holographic, making images almost cinematic. As the bus moves, or viewers move past the image, the chameleon will change colour, and the eyes will rotate.
We will be launching the art on buses in early June, when you’ll be able to see the work featured in and on 30 buses across Sedgemoor, Somerset.
Thanks to all who contributed. I’m excited to see the final results! To find out more about the project visit Art First and head to my All The Colours page.
Round Lemon Talk, Interview and Publication
Following Round Lemon’s selected ONE exhibition and winning first prize, an Interview about my work has been published on Round Lemon’s ZEST platform, and you can catch my online artist talk on their YouTube channel. A Round Lemon ONE Exhibition publication is also available to buy.
Hope of a Tree, Inch by IN:CH
Inch by IN:CH
The tour begins! We launched Inch by IN:CH in Bath over the bank holiday weekend, and with it, a range of drawing sessions. It was a lovely way to engage visitors, while providing stimulus and more reason to linger and chat. Drawing from Cases is an ongoing event, daily when we are open. Shirley Sharp and I also facilitated an experimental shadow drawing session, using ink, charcoal and graphite to draw shadows cast by the lit work. We’ll be running this session again at Backwell Playhouse on 7 August.
My truck conked out last week, so I am eternally grateful to Philippa Edwards for kindly coming to the rescue and transporting me and my work on installation day. With help from Jez Truelove and the amazing IN:CH team we cleared two garages and set up a coherent exhibition! My piece Hope of a Tree will be adapted for different venues. It’s a relief when work comes to fruition successfully..
This 1min film about the work was prompted by a short film-making course I did recently with Chris Kemp (Suited and Booted Studios) via Creativity Works.
If you haven’t yet, do try to visit our Bath venue before 13 June (The Garages, Bath Artist Studios, The Old Malthouse, Comfortable Place, Bath BA1 3AJ; open Fri, Sat, Sun, 11-5). Take a look at our website and instagram @inchbyinch for details of all our venues, dates and events. At our next venue (Frome Festival) I will be there each day (3-11 July), showing my work in the spiral staircase museum entrance, and running taster drop in workshops. Join me!
I’m looking forward to running a series of workshops - online and in-person. I’ll be working with Eastover School, Bridgwater later this month via SPAEDA creating a giant octopus. And via SAW’s InspirED programme, I’m creating resources/materials for Primary School Teachers, with a focus on creative approaches to engage with Climate Change. There’s still time to book!.
I will be showing some of my earlier work: drawings, a nest and dung beetle sculptures in the Trowbridge Windows on Nature Trail, 51 Fore Street, BA14 8ES in time for World Environment Day (5 June). All work is for sale. If you’re an art/nature lover, pop along if you can!
For a list of current and forthcoming exhibitions please visit this link
Happy chilling!