artist
People of the Heath private view was last night. There was a great turn out. If you want to see the exhibition now there is a charge of £2 to get into the museum. You can pay £5 for a years pass to the museum and the Flora Twort which means you can pop in whenever you want for a year. Finishes Monday 21 September 2015.
Manically making for Romsey wish I could say its all going swimmingly but its not! Watch This space.
haven’t been blogging cos I haven’t had time…here’s a quickie…..
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Did stint at open studios ……lovely work from Caroline Bell Lynn Onions Alison Hulme Consuelo Simpson and Sue Chapman as well as yours truely…AKA Room 6
i was also showing at Chritine Watkins in Romsey…most of my work is still for sale..funny that?????.Call me if your’e interested!!! need to buy more materials….and school shoes!!!
Sold a picture at Petersfield Arts and Crafts Exhibition and got a highly commended. Thank you very much!
Next I will be exhibiting at the Flora Twort People of the Heath Exhibition. No photos as I am without access to internet at home and have handed all my work in…why do internet providers always tell you there will be no problems when you change? What’s worse is you believe them!! the picture above is the start of my second version..i ripped the first one up! there will be an interactive piece form me too!
Opening night is Monday. See you there!
No blog for a bit as have been panicking! *The reason for the panic was all the stuff I needed to get ready for open studios, Petersfield Arts and Crafts and People of the Heath Exhibition. (Also been trying to negotiate a way back to uni and fit in visit to the Embroiderers’ Guild in my role as Education Scholar to discuss plans for getting more stitch in to schools..all looking very exciting!! More info in next blog! ** Frida (as in Khalo) is my sat nav who gets me from A to B….. I am now a sat nav believer…I used to be very sceptical but am now a convert!!! (With a little bit of help from Ken)
Frida managed to negotiate my drops offs for Open Studios at Romsey and Owselbury smoothly and avoid the crush for Boomtown. Anyway two weeks ago I was in a bit of a tiz about everything so I did the only reasonable thing and left home….went to Gateshead for a bit..fab trip to the Baltic which had some great art on show .
Ida Ekblad – junk but presented interesting way
Tony Swain- great paintings and collage on newspaper
Fiona Tan – huge truck and great film set to sound of narration from Marco Polo travel book..photos will follow just losing will to live with downloading them..so next time ay!
and said hi to the angel….which I love too..and then before heading back up to Chester and North Wales…where I have invested in super trainers and Parkgate ice cream to keep me going over the rest of the summer.
So panic over I have delivered to open studios…Christine Watkins..who will again have great eclectic mix of stuff on show this year including yours truly… I was so pleased to be invited to show there. Had a great chat with Christine who is really lovely…if you are around Romsey please go and see her at her house..drop in for cake and a cuppa you won’t be disappointed!! (Christine and John Slade – the sculptor who works next door will even provide a map to help you negotiate all open studios around Romsey.)
Then I whizzed over to Owselbury to drop more stuff –at the Granary Studios..where I am showing with ‘Room 6’. Another great mix of stuff, tea, cake and demos. ( Hoping to make it to the New Forest to see you too Sarah.)
As well l as being at Open Studios over the next couple of weeks I am helping Lyndsay Taylor at her workshop for Liss in Stitches..where I will be her slave for the day. I am also trying to pull together a children’s entry for the Steep Flower Show…got all the bits just need to put them together now…oh dear!! As well as looking after the kids I think I may have bitten off a bit more than I should have but what the hey…..nearly finished my pieces for the Flora Twort and had a great few enlightening hours at Fishbourne Palace learning about the’ Ashling Hoard’ from Professor Stuart Needham..loving jewelry they recovered..they liked making necklaces, big rings and huge bangles…wonder why it interests me so much? HMMM? More fodder for my exhibits!
Sussex Loop, Bronze Age | The Sussex Archaeological Society
Also managed to cram in a bit of camping WITH POSH CRISPS….though rain hampered our efforts somewhat so we packed up early and came home.
Anyway I have definitive list now that I appear to be on top of..so next???? Bring it on.
PS hope Cornwall was good Sarah and inspirational. Really miss not going there this year x
PPS Christine Watkins 2 Albany Road SO51 8EE www.chistinewatkinsart.com
22 August -31 August 10.30 til 6pm
‘Room6’ the Granary Studios Owselbury SO21 1LU 22-24 August and 27th -31 August
10am til 5pm
Or visit Hampshire Open Studios at www.hamshireopenstudios.org.uk for more info on all the great places you can visit between Saturday 22nd August and 31st August 2015
Petersfield Arts and Crafts Exhibition open on 27th August thru til 1st September 2015
People of the Heath Exhibition Flora Twort Gallery , Petersfield –opens 8 September til ?!
yes this is a truly amazing fact. Yes indeed sir. It really is amazing. And quite true. Point in fact …follow my first two wildly contrasting days of the summer holiday…..
Yesterday – first day of the holidays – and I spent all morning slouching around in my dressing gown drawing..lovely..absolute blisss…true I was a accompanied by the trainee teenager pirouetting around the kitchen and high kicking to what ever is most popular on capital radio these days BUT I had my iPad on full blast, listening to reruns of the Archers and was firmly concentrating on my Peoples of the Heath submissions…here’s a bit from my sketch book
(this was following on from the hell journey back from the north west which involved Lionel Richie legendary dinosaur and T. Rexwho lives in a castle with Queen Helen, King Gary, Princess Megan and Prince Nathan …..don’t ask ..and two hours stuck crawling though Stafford.) Anyway ..I digress back to day one of hols…drawing and progressing to stitching to John Osborne on Radio 4 and Desert Island discs with Imtiaz Dharker
Fantastic particularly liked the bit about the Gujarati belief that some people possess the gift of always having enough in to feed unexpected guests……. Think I’m a bit of the opposite of the opposite of that cos I definitely had too much chicken last weekend..mainly thanks to glasto girl,who turned up,with an Italian and lots of chicken……couldn’t flipping give it away in the end!…..anyway I digress…back to calmness and serenity of day one of hols …..furthering my research for People of the Heath project for exhibition at Flora Twort. . . ..and enjoying wonderful drawing and stress free sketching and googling into the beaker people… found beautiful photo constructed from what wessex archeology found …lots of supposition here…..skeleton was found not that far away from Hampshire ..so, it’s a bit of a stretch… but artistic licence and all that….
Isn’t she lovely!
I have stitched my version of the image in to my version of the Heath. Just trying to decide if it works in an old up- cycled frame. Like the oldeness and reuse of it but not sure that it’s quite right aesthetically…..hmm one to ponder.. working on three pieces.. …. yes displacement activities…… I should be making bags!!! To sell. Actually looking at it again think the frame might work but the mount is definitely wrong…
…the squares represent the barrows and finds the swishy bits the Heath…..women’s head free machined in bottom left..not that clear…..
WHat do you think Sarah…, does it work? Or can you actually see it? Sorry I do take rubbish photos I need to find a good photographer who wants some practice!!!! I’ve got another frame coming now!
Anyway I digress back to what a difference a day makes…. Day two of the hols .and you couldn’t ask for a more different day …not sure that this was what Dinah was going on about ….but artistic licence and all that……spent today tootling down to the coast and doing a bit of shopping to get more stuff for daughters camping trip…ended up being rather stressful with warring factions within the camp and cries for can I have more stuff please .. ….all after ice creams, toys and lunch out…well Gregg’s, which is lunch out for us these days.. If it doesn’t sound it, believe me it was VERY very stressful… back to this evening and sorting out how many cards I need to have printed for open studios, speculate to accumulate and all that jazz.. Will anyone buy anything? …aaaarghhh!!!!! What do I need to send where and what do I need to finish/start? Who knows ….anyway had a premonition in the 
supermarket….yes I can just feel it in my bones, I am going to come into money ….. And throwing caution to the wind I decided not to give into the children’s cries for yet more tat and treated myself to a classy pair of lacey knickers from that well known luxury brand “Tu” …ah the high life….Rigby and Pellar eat your heart out..just wait till I win the Turner!!!!
P.S. Talk to you tomorrow for an update Sarah. X
… Or….
I’ve been off blog…family stuff going on so haven’t felt much like blogging …but Need to get back in the saddle so To break myself in gently here’s a typical day in the life…so what DO artists do all day…. well they get up and make packed lunches
whilst nipping outside to spray bits of paper with acid dyes
and add glue and sealing substances to works in progress.. Then they take their son to school after arguing with their 12 year old going on 19 about suitable school attire.. obviously in dulcet tones… then they attempt to answer emails and texts whilst catching up with the Archers( very important stuff this and integral to the creative process) and planning lessons for tomorrow..whilst also chucking ingredients into several bowls to make Dundee cake 
and tiramisu
for partners birthdays whilst still frantically trying to spray bits of random paper and at the same time also look for zips from fabric land which have mysteriously disappeared in the chaos that ensued after Spanish student arrived.. and ‘studio’ was up turned upside down and became a bedroom for 12 year old going on 19…. after which they spray more bits of paper and have crisis of confidence when they think everything they do is crap and try to do meaningful sketchbook time… and panic about open studios they have coming up and and the exhibitions at……where????
then they go to lidl and buy three pizzas for £1.95 which can be customised by children for wholesome evening meal…. collapse into bed with a cup of chai and scone with jam and cream…purely for medicinal purposes…..this was not at all like Cornelia Parker’s what do artists do all day for channel 4 … funny that……
P.S. Glastonbury was fab…wouldn’t go as a punter but working it was fab and loved the opportunity to do Glastonbury tapas with Glastonbury girl …..it never ceases to amaze me how many fantastic amazing people there are out there doing amazing things….
P.P.S.Eastleigh was great, but sad that the college is not doing as many courses as it was… Some lovely work on show.
P.P.P.S. looking forward to first meeting of Embroiderers guild on pilot for stitching in schools
P.P.P.P. S. Thank you for letting me picnic in your house Sarah.
*People of the Heath….A community project hosted by Petersfield Museum to understand and conserve Petersfield’s prehistoric barrows. A four-year project focussed on a remarkable but little-known prehistoric monument complex on the edge of Petersfield dating to the Early Bronze Age.This large group of barrows has seen no active research since it was mapped in the 1930s and it is one of the most impressive and diverse barrow cemeteries to have survived in south-east England.
ok lets back track….thank you for the pep talk Sarah… this is my self realisation week……I will be more proactive …look at the fantastic things that have happened since Wednesday…and my big decision, also looking at going back to uni to finish my degree..appointment made with tutor…tick
him indoors gets me to go and talk to Dr Kathrin Pieren re the people of the Heath project…and it sounds fab….what a gift for an artist.. I have started my sketch book already…. I know I am a bit sad but hey it’s what I love..tick
get lovely book and card from mad Canadian ..as pressie for my scholarship …which I put to good use immediately by starting my Heath project in it…is that serendipity? Tick
get my glass cut for beautiful old frame for my cell work piece for Eastleigh Exhibition..nearly finished all my pieces now..big tick
Friday-and saturday go to the Petersfield dig….really is a gift got loads of ideas for the exhibition…..tick
spend so long with a friend purloining free fabric that I arrive extremely late at son’s school fair which consequently as the kids are done spending …almost….only costs me a fiver..big tick
meet glasto girl to try out camp beds…we working Glastonbury …going to search out Kurt Jackson. I am working in a food tent….!!!! I must be mad!
Ps does any one want a lift to Glastonbury ? I am leaving Petersfield at ridiculous o’clock a week on on Wednesday.. and have a big car …
And so to my fantastic workshop with Ruth Smith… making folded secrets books. Or zhen Xiang bao . I first came across Ruth at world textile day earlier this year ( and Alison Hulme if you are reading this that indigo home top needs to go to Glastonbury…you know it makes sense…) a wonderfully inspirational day.
If you are in the vicinity of Southampton or can book Ruth to come to you..do! You will not be disappointed! Or if you if you can’t, buy her project books or her book on the ZHen Xian bao. I had such a lovely time. Ruth is an amazingly generous tutor and has a wealth of information about these beautiful historic artefacts… she has gathered some beautiful examples from her travels in China talking to the Miao people….as well as the gorgeous ones she has made herself….let’s hope that her enthusiasm helps to revive this dying art…..it was lovely to hear her talk about these lovely treasures…. her book on this folk art is currently being translated into Chinese!
I will post a photo of my finished work……lovely to see all the different ideas and potential of these beautiful books …mine is a work in progress…not nearly as beautiful as Ruth’s or the other participants….but I hope it will be….
my efforts….
some beautiful old books that Ruth has gathered from her travels…….
Phew I am quite exhausted..and I did a workshop with 30 children today which was fab!!!…. No photo sorry forgot my iPad!! …. textile art inspired by Turner…..I think I will need a week to recover! No chance as I have bags to make, a dress to finish and I still need to look for more opportunities to make my art work! Help!!!
Ps See you on Friday, Sarah for ‘Made’ at West Dean
Well what a half term… I start the week with bad news that I didn’t get a job I went for.. sandwich in between a trip in the new forest camping (really glad I caught up with you too Sarah and you were very polite as I gate -crashed your felter’s day smelling of woodsmoke and looking decidedly the worse for wear..I never sleep properly when I’m camping!) and end it by being an Embroiderers Guild Scholar.
So, I am very proud to announce that I will be the Guild’s first Education Scholar or Educational Scholar…. not quite sure about the title just yet but it’s all very exciting. Can’t quite believe it and really pleased to be involved in what looks like will be a fantastic project. The aim is to get more stitch into schools by providing resources for teachers linked with the national curriculum and to inspire children; make stitch based projects important in schools and raise their profile. It was great to visit Guild House and meet the team there, some of whom I know from last year. Can I just say I didn’t realise there were so many gated communities in such a small acreage of Surrey..my rather old Honda was very out of place!!) Got to look at the some of the stitch collection at the Guild…..I still love books tho….even though we think we don’t need them because of the internet..there’s nothing that beats the smell of an old book!…or a new one come to think of it!
There will be an article in the forthcoming edition of Contact magazine explaining more about what is happening re my scholarship and on the Guild’s website. Bottom line is I will be at the K & S again this year. I’ll be on the Guild’s stand with my new work and answering questions about the new programme for schools. It is really great to be involved with something so worthwhile and recognised for doing something that I love and I really do appreciate being given this opportunity.
There really were some lovely pieces at the EG to see and the photos I took don’t do them justice… ….Audrey Walker…..Jane Lemon….. Diana Springall …as my photos really don’t capture the beauty of some of the pieces there…. here’s just a few photos of the children’s work which is on display…
Oh and I case you thought I abandoned my children, they came too and him indoors took them on a tour of Walton on Thames whilst I pootled around the EG. I think his experience of
Walton ended up being a lot less serene than mine…nuff said!! He did come in handy when the fourth plinth needed to be howked into the boot of my Honda for its return to Eastleigh College.
We also got to see this fabulous piece that was in the most intricately 
carved wooded chest from turn of the Century Hong Kong…the last one that is…
And so, with the fourth plinth now safely in my boot and heading back to Eastleigh for another outing at the End of Year Show (2nd – 4th July), I sign off.
Well not quite.
P.S. Went to Graduate Fine Art Degree Show at Chichester University. Hopefully I will be there in a couple of years time! Few highlights for those of you who didnt make it….
P.P.S. Really looking forward to my felting day with Julia Little tomoro – being organised for the volunteers that help run Phoenix Junior Stitchers in Petersfield. I will post a picture of my bag…it wont be quite as ambitious (or as good) as yours Sarah…but I am learning….baby steps!..it will probably need to be an arty snap of a corner!!!!
P.P.P.S. Can anyone explain to me why every time I check my facebook account even within a few minutes it says a lot has been happening on it since I last logged in…this is a blatant lie!
P.P.P.P.S. And finally if anyone out there is thinking of making their fortune at car boot sales…remember that when you put the key in the ignition as you are paranoid about losing your keys, remember to make sure they are in the definate ‘off’ position as the 25 quid you make on the booty doesn’t come close to covering the £81.95 it costs for a new car battery!
Have been blog quiet for a couple of weeks but have been stitch busy. Signed up for a dressmaking course. I havent been taught dressmaking since I was 12… which consisted of Mrs Nicholson my teacher running up curtains on the berninas, this is when I first realised they were good.. whilst me and Pauline Connelly lusted over Billy Idol (well she did I just pretended to like him) and made ill fitting school dresses with darts that made our non existant boosoms look huge..anyway I digress,..I also gave up ironing when I left home aged 17..as at age 12 it was decided that I needed to start to do something to get my pocket money and so I used to iron..everything….on a sunday evening, sitting in the corner of the front room watching telly..probably ‘the Good Life’ anyway I ditched that too when I decided life was too short to iron and havent really done it since, apart from on wall hangings and melting stuff…consequently I am now discovering a whole new world and dah dah look what I’ve been making….
Z
This is an attempt to get stuff made so that I can replenish art supplies so ~I hope people buy them…watch this space..
Went to see Caroline Bell last week and I tried to set up a shop but failed miserably my ipad has not been the same since..need a teenager.. So at the mo my wares will be available at the Eastleigh exhibition and open studios…..or by you saying you want one…and if no one buys them them some people are going to be getting some rather lovely birthday presents..if i say so myself….
Anyway I am loving my course at the Granary Studios ( lots of other lovely things going on there check out their website) ,..and my teacher likes me which is a bonus and is truely impressed by my abilty to set stiches and grade seams..who’d have thought it…I am even considering investing in a point turner…used an overlocker for the first time last night..that is soo exciting!!!!trust me,…you need to have a go on one!!!
Apart from that I have been trying to make a kimono..been watching ‘make a lookey likey one’ on youtube which is hysterical and consists of young girls in canada and the US..hot gluing fabric together..needs to be seen to be believed…and yes dear reader the results are crappola!! But truely amazing to watch… However there are quite a few where they do actually stitch and the results are quite good..anyway going to pull something together so it will be ready for open studios and the Abbey in the autumn. Also been working on more pictures. Cells…….
I am off now..pulling stuff together for a carbooty at Rogate tomorrow…as I cant afford to buy materials going to sell stuff tommorow…to replenish some stocks..want silk and zips and fabriano paper!!! Hope I raise enough money.
I am also going to the private view of the Fine Art Degree Show at Chichester this evening 6pm..Art One..the show is on for the next couple of weeks..do pop by if you are able and support the graduates….
oh have started making these too….only making stuff I love doing…made one for a friend last year who’d just had a baby but now using same sort of things I used for my boxes to make them…not toys as they aren’t KITE marked but great to stick on shelf or throw at some one!!!!!
by the way sarah my dress making teacher wants to come to the new forest the next time I come..can she can she please???
other stuff..was slave workshop at Liss in Stitches..great day learnt lovely applique technique too…
And…been doing lookey like Jackson Pollack with my daughter in the garden..great fun..will put photos up another time results pretty fab
P.S. to plan London Gallery fix and apply for jobs!!too!
P.P.S.looking forward to workshop with eruth smith to learn about chinese book making and paper folding…….
x
well I had another one up my sleeve just for you!
Ther week has ended with this…
….
but began like this….
..after taking down my studio space last week…it’s still mostly in the car boot..unfortunately didn’t manage to sneak it past him indoors as he helped me get it into the car…so he actually knows how much c..p I need to get back in to the house. Does anyone know any altruistic patrons out there who would like to give me a studio space in Petersfield for 6 months or so for a nominal fee? I can move out quickly! The search is definitely on. If this year has taught me one thing it is that I need a space to work in…game on…
I got two more screens printed up..one of which I managed to wash away with the pressure washer..oops…then made ten purses.. and after thatI spent Friday felting and drinking tea in the new forest with sarah waters..(didn’t I Sarah?..look what we made…very creative!!)
I had intended to go to the Pallant Open House onSaturday but got waylaid by birthday shopping expedition with 12 year old going on 21 year old…so instead spent time in New Look and Hennes, Claires and Accessorise..very inspirational.
What I missed…
along with free coffee and workshops….
…what I got….
The great hing about going to a show like this is that it really fires me up. I want to make loads of things with my materials and be creative. Have got a definitive list of things to make up this week…started with another cell work picture and going to make some more things to sell as well as two more exhibition pieces which will be shown at Eastleigh College and Romsey Abbey later this year.
Monday, went to Ramster with Abi. Every two years Ramster hosts an exhibition of textile artwork. Its on until 30 Apr 2015 17:00 
. Abi and I are applying next time..wonder if we’ll get in? Actually I shouldn’t have said anything cos if wedon’t now you’ll know! Jane Simms from Liss in SticheS was successful there as was Consuleo Simpson(room6). Sorry no photographs of their work as I was too stingy to pay for the photo pass…these are from the Ramster website… http://www.02textiles.co.uk/Images/Ramster%202015%20Pieces/index.html
What’s done is done….. a years work?
helen sill 
