What’s done is done….. a years work?
My shortest blog ever…..honest
My ISA
Just back from Wales -it’s not Cambodia thread fairy – but it was rather beautiful..spent this morning finishing my foray into acrylic and drawing..been talking to a wonderful painter who is next to my studio space in uni. She uses acrylic beautifully.. sadly I do not, but it has inspired me to have a go with other media..really like the way it turned out. Will be putting it into my studio space tomorrow to finish off my work for my final module at uni before I intermit for a year or so. Just need to take in my sketch books too, all the rest is done..what will be will be….looking forward to seeing what the exhibition space looks like with all the other’s work and happy that I know what I would have put in the space…..
anyway whilst away….. I wasn’t idle. I did loads of drawing, which was a total luxury and I finished my Sue Hawkin’s scissor saver. You didn’t think I would did you Sarah!!! Not as beautiful as her scissor saver with all my tent stitch going the right ways – its haphazard but I love it. reminds me of a chatelaine which is a bit apt considering all the research I have been doing in that area.
Also spent a lot of time shisha mirror attaching. Why I hear you ask? When I bought some silk it came with a beautiful scarf with glued in mirrors …so courtesy of Mr Finch I tapped into http://www.myjoyfulabode.com and learnt how to shisha courtesy of u-tube and Tenby library. Only another 160 to go…
Back to my ISA and why I need a studio which is uppermost in my mind at the moment ..painting on the floor whilst watching Britain’s got talent’ or at my kitchen table..is not necessarily condusive to the production of fine art …however it does make one rather inventive….I am open to sharing with my seven year old …constructing Lego ninjago at the other end of my kitchen table .. fortunately it’s large – the cat walking over wet acrylic and changing my design, – attaching my picture to the wall with masking tape to see if it looks right – it falls mercy to the wind ….the picture not the cat…. and blows it off the wall onto the sofa depositing acrylic paint all over the sofa and the cushions to whit I then spend rather long time trying to remove the acrylic from said sofa and cushions and not being very artistic at all. However you do end up with a running commentary and feedback on everything you do and inbuilt quirkiness. So there are some pluses.
So in my bid for my studio fund and my first million I have started my dressmaking class with Lyn Onions. I am currently making purses and bags soon to be followed by copying Alison Hulme’s dress.
Will this lead to paying off my uni fees and first million ? Who knows …perhaps not …but its rather fun and very enjoyable. Maybe one day I will get my 4ft wide concrete staircase and mirrored ceiling watch out VB….I have a business name and everything!!!
P.S. hope too see you this week Sarah
P.P. S. When are you up for the McQueen exhib?
P. P.P.S. My screens have arrived!! Exciting! What will I burn into them?
You wait all week for a post
Call it serendipty but there’s a picture of the London skyline in my kitchen and I have been hanging my precious silk screened silk over it all week to try and make my mind up with what to do to it next and him indoors has been saying all week ‘mind that’s just hanging on a nail and not up properly so be careful’. And reader I was, up until about 8am this morning when I decided, in a fit of bravado I was going to tug it down and do something to it…guess who forgot it was hanging on a nail..?
Half an hour, two children and a cat fed and a lot of glass in a dustpan and brush later I decided I have been prevaricating over making a jacket for too long and …..put the silk away. Spurred on by Dibenkorn’s ‘don’t make what is certain’ or something a bit like that – I decided to just go for it with what I had in the house. Child care duties called so needed to make do.
I raided my wardrobe for ‘clothes that are going to fit again one day/never going to fit me again actually’ .
Cut a paper pattern out of newspaper, got my trusty fabric dyes out and some screened and heat press scraps…
and sat in the garden and sewed….
Tah dah!
I’m quite pleased considering I haven’t really done anything like this before.
PS Wish it still fitted me!
PPS forgot to feed the children and the cat so was a bit in the dog house ..fish fingers to the rescue….
PPPS what do you think Sarah?
oops forgot to post in all the eggscitement
… this flipping being an artist ‘in the round ‘ is a bit like being a circus entertainer …more balls anyone? ( it’s supposed to be a juggling analogy but not sure it works!) I am ok at doing the painty stuff but the outward media face thingy selling yourself stuff I not so good at… (just incase anyone else is reading apart from Sarah)…a bit over due with this post but here we go….Easter got in the way slightly. Last weekend started off brilliantly with the very poorly advertised (in my humble opinion anyway!) world textiles day in Wickham …….as no one at uni knew about it… That has now been changed and its on the map for next year!!! Thank you Vicky! Everyone who lives.. oops I mean loves textiles (or do I?) should go next year..they happen all over the country and are free events… talks cost £2 which is a flippin bargain! The range of textiles on show was amazing and the stall holders graciously allowed me and my two … (11 and 9 ) year old textile fans to touch…and were happy to explain about everything. The book lady was great and met Helen Murchie who sells amongst other things, beautiful cushions..we had a good chat about textiles in general and will look out for her at Brockenhurst…talks were really great…didn’t think I was going to get to listen to them but I bribed the kids with cake and a fiver to spend on the stalls in order to make them sit for an hour…we listened to how baskets were brought from Ghana, all about weaving and the puma claw design on textiles from Peru and John Gillow’s travels in Pakistan. It really was quite fascinating to hear the stories behind the businesses. Just incase the kids felt hard done by I bought them more cake afterwards and gave them my last three quid to spend on Chinese coins and a wooden stamp which I have since purloined…well I had to make up for not having enough cash to spend on books to make books. Yes, I know pure torture for me Sarah! (Alison and Teri were there too!)
Anyway check out …..the African Fabric Shop – Bob Irwin…go Canada!
Tukuru textiles – Meri Hunneyball – great name, really interesting talk and John Gillow….apologies for any typos and for pinching images from any websites without permission… I think everthing I heard was great and gladly support theses businesses!!!
Then a busy week getting my final modules together for uni this year. No exhibition to do so just trying to pull all my background work together to tell a story. Now I’ve decided I need to take time out I am getting more into everything! Think it’s called being less stressed. Really wish I could keep going. I do have a cunning plan ( watch this space! I have news Sarah. ) Spent a whole day prepping screens and hot pressing fabrics.. Great. No photos here, as left screens and my portfolio at uni will post next time. Another day spent screen printing and being experimental…..have been learning how to transfer my images to a screen using photocopies of my work…love the process. Have screen printed before but not using my own photo screened images. I love it! Been experimenting with different dyes..don’t need to worry about colour fastness as not intending to wash so interesting to see what happens to the surface of the material. Was really scared to just go for it on the beautiful silk but in the end I bit the bullet and just went for it…want to but my own screens now…got to sell some stuff on eBay to fund….so worth it!! Have nearly forgotten I have lost one of my jobs!
The facilities are really are amazing and it’s great to actually have the time to take advantage! 
Also managed to make some frames….
Now trying to see if stitch works on top of the silk or if I leave it alone….this is what I did with some extra bits I put onto painted calico the detail is lovely..the photos are sadly not
By the way Alison Hulme acrylic wax did not do the business although it did produce some interest interesting effects… ..just not the ones I wanted!!
PS have tickets now available for Jae Maries talk in June….just contact me if you want – £12 – interesting talk with great cake…
PPS still looking for studio space…..
PPS and just incase Sarah, you think I have been neglecting familial duties, I have managed to cram in three National Trust visits and two Easter egg hunts so there X
PPPS I did listen to your advice about getting someone to proof read my blog but I haven’t got anyone to do it so it is what it is! I am sure my huge readership will be forgiving.
I’m available for top gear….
Just back from the NEC Birmingham. Had a great time at the show. Just realised my photos are rubbish and don’t show all the work! But hey! Wish had been able to go up for longer. Worked out how to do selfie on new phone. Have permanently deleted the totally gross ones!
Managed to find the lovely ladies from Juko….www.jukodesigns.co.uk and told them about their bag that appeared in my final year shows as well as in London, Dublin and Harrogate Knittting and Stitching Shows and also more recently with cake exhibition at Southampton Art Gallery. They sell beautiful weaving kits. (Photo at top of page can’t manage to manipulate and losing will to live with this blog so it’s staying where it is!) I made a bag up and put it in one of my acrylic boxes..along with other things that are precious to me…reminded me of the chat I had with one of the ladies last year about their business and how they kept going- inspiring and kept me going!)They were chuffed and wanted me to send a photo of it…need to get a good one!!
Am so glad I only sold 5 of my boxes …going to hang on to them all now!
Lots of nice things to see. Too many to mention – kept nipping round the corner to visit Susan Chapman, liked Kim Thittachai’s Experimental Textiles..had seen the cloak on facebook- really touching story behind it…lots of nice sketch books too! Also the ladies on stand opposite from Castanea were lovely! So friendly and a hoot into the bargain….maybe one day I can teach on their holidays? …heels you need oxygen for…was the quote of the day. They had rather nice chocolate fudge too.
Took this lovely photo of a kimono for my research- owned by the embroiders guild managed to knab Annette just before she packed it up..thank you for holding it!! Strangely mine was at home when I got back….I can’t cut up up though! I will wear it. .Bought a rather lovely sewing kit of for embroidered scissor savers from Sue Hawkins (suehawkins.com). Will post a picture when/if I ever finish it..off to wales in few weeks so thats what I will be doing in the evenings when I am not doing my own stuff…its called ‘eat your greens’. Bought to remind me I need to give up wheat. (Thanks Lyn) Watch this space. Made sarah spend money on beautiful earrings by Harriet Stiles..she didn’t need much persuasion … I want a huge brooch!
Have bought rather a lot of paint too! Managed to push Lyn Onions off of ARt Van go stand for a little bit so I could have a play with their gelli plates…she was very generous..they are addictive!! I have now bought my own. Also managed to do a double act with both lyn and sarah…goodness only knows what the punters thought but it was fun! Builds wah… wah well and truely built up. Also got my wonder web and some acid dyes to use with the children onplanets books that I am doing with them when I get back to work.. I will photo them and post!( is there anything that viv does not know about paint?!) am sure they will be the only 8 year olds in Hampshire using acid dyes and wonder web..need to get them while they are young!
And back to reality…to any talent scouts reading I am available to be a to be a tv presenter after Easter as I have more time on my hands but just incase the call doesn’t come I am looking for my new direction. Still need to complete this semester and am looking for studio space.
Just had a talk from Laura Ford at uni. Fantastic pieces and so prolific..she reckons the trick is to have several things on the go at once….
- the 60 dollar shirt ( this started life as the jacket!!) but has become a 60 dollar shirt thanks to the mad canadian
- the women…yes I have started!!!
- the calico circles….been thinking about for a while
- the flat boxes…ditto
- 5 more drawing!!!
Had tutorial and was posted in the direction of Richard Diebenkorm 
‘notes to self’ … they are definately worth a look! And just to say I have always tolerated cha0s…my other half keeps tidying it up though.
PS have actively been looking for a studio
PPS been trying to workout what workshops I can do…
PPPS I want to see your fantasy hat Sarah…perhaps Laura Ford can inspire…look at her girls with guns…
Bit sad …bit happy
have learnt two new words this year at university..one was semester ..we didn’t have those at polytechnic …and the other one is intermit- which is evidently what you do when you take a break from uni- which means I have decided I can’t get into even more debt for my fine art degree dream.
So, after this semester, it is on hold until I can save up to pay off what I owe and then find the where- with -all to go back and finish my final year ..so close and yet so far or close but no cigar? I don’t know! Who said life as an artist was easy? It certainly ain’t cheap! But anyone who bothers to read my blog knows that! Where are the multi millionaires when you need them aye? ( been sneakily watching POLDARK sorry!) I will be making and exhibiting when I can tho. Have two open studios coming up after Birmingham and an exhibition at Romsey.
Anyway my default is books so thanks to Zoe and her fab ideas and Abi telling me how to start I made a book to spur me on. Thank god for pritt stick and envelopes!!!
I will make my coat or jacket or what ever it is I just won’t beable to exhibit at uni!
Books make me happy…
been looking a lot lot at hearts too.. More screen printing on Monday while I still can. Off to brum in the morning
p.s see you at 6am sarah!
p.p.s watch this space ……
p.p.p.s come and say if you’re at the NEC this weekend
Orange is the new red…
Been busy this week. Packing all my stuff up for exhibition at the NEC next week. Check out the website to see what’s on. Am exhibiting with the Eastleigh College stand….which is a showcase of our Graduate Show 2014. I will be there Saturday and Sunday. (http://www.fashionembroidery.co.uk/birmingham/). Done a few extra pictures. No boxes…you’ll be glad to know! Most still on show at Southampton till the end of March. I might take a couple with me when I go up at the weekend with you Sarah. Have been experimenting using some gold work techniques. Want to develop further. Otherwise some of my pictures and books will be there.
I think the Bosch. …the top one is the most successful. Now I just need to need to work out why!.
Photos not great. Note to self remember to photograph before framing.
Next did some printing. These bits were supposed to be scarlet. I love the Orange! Hence the title..is orange my red?…or am I digressing again?
Bit disappointed as my screen printing session got postponed..scaffolding needed to be built …don’t ask!…hopefully will get to do next week… but needed to make the most of being at uni so madly used the heat press and did I little bit of screening on a borrowed screen. (not my work so didn’t seem right to add a photo here. ) Love the orange – it was supposed to be red (yes! also don’t ask!). Started to go off on a totally different track and yearned to have everything orange instead of red…then reigned myself in. These next few weeks are all about being focussed..I think! Red silk is on order and on its way!!! Perhaps orange can be my red for next year? 
Two sessions of life drawing and tried to do something different…
.
..before heading back to charcoal..sorry Barry…. I do try to be experimental sometimes..honest! I just love charcoal and it makes me draw big! Which is what I want.
Received my silk… more on way from Japan!. Going to practice screening before brave enough to have a go on the real stuff. Have actually worked out how I’m going to piece my coat together! Thank you Lyn oh wise one…need to buy some cheap stuff for a mock up first. Still got a massive to do list….. but a plan to go forward. Exhibition only x weeks away! (The x is there cause I am in denial not because I don’t know!) Crikey! Shame I’ve got to work too!
And finally, just as an aside, cos it’s quite amusing, especally for you Sarah… I decided that I would try to make science more interesting by getting kids to make books out of envelopes for ‘planets’ work…ala Zoe’s workshop ( hi Zoe..nicking your ideas!)…any excuse to use webbing spray….warning do not try when it’s just you and thirty 8 year olds! As the words ‘this really isn’t difficult’ popped out of my mouth about 20 children proved me SO wrong…..you really would not believe how many different ways there are to actually stick envelopes together! Great Tuesday…
Next task to work on a personal statement… when I haven’t made my mind up on my final selection. I reserve the right to change right up until the last minute! Ask Luisa!
P.S. See you a week on Saturday Sarah. I will bring photographic evidence of 30 books…
P.P.S. Can’t believe this all been done since Sunday!
Crisis of confidence
We all go through it and I’ve been having my own over the last week or so which is why I couldn’t blog,…thank goodness I hear you say (ha!ha!) well I’m back all because some good things have been happening…
1. Got some work accepted in to the Oxmarket in Chichester. (Sue will be pleased to know that I am causing confusion at Chichester now too by using my real name here!! (Dowdeswell- Sill -Sill -Dowdeswell) The exhibition has now finished. Blink and you missed it but I was there! It was a great space. Three of my boxes and a couple of pictures. Was nice to use the boxes in a different way and interesting to see them in a Fine Art setting.
2. I had a tutorial at college and have decided I have got lots of ideas but I need to start making for the exhibition on May!!! You need to go forward and not backwards. Still in a bit of a quandary about all that but I’m getting there. Have got too much stuff going on in my head but whilst researching all things red and madder have found a great story about a man called Ribbi…watch this space!
3. Made my first frame. Very PROUD!! No pictures to upload as left my precious iPad in doors today…see post Feb 4.
3. Was totally thinking about jacking the whole thing in…the course not the art… but went to my other exhibition at Southampton Art Gallery…more boxes. Evidently a lady had come in and said that she didn’t really ‘get’ art ….but she really like my boxes…they were her favourite and she didn’t realise art could be like that. Now I suppose there are two ways to look a this….but I reckon if she liked it then that’s great!! Will keep plodding on at least for the time being.
Talking about my work and the reason behind it to a receptive audience and meeting the other artists there was a great re -energiser. The exhibition is being run by a really great group of women who are really starting to do things with female art in the Southampton area. Raise the profile and get people networking and talking about women’s issues in a really positive way. Really inspiring. Do go along and see it of you can. On till the end of March though sadly not advertised on the Gallery website. There are other things going on around Southampton which are connected see http://www.cakesouthampton.wix.com/2015/ for further info. Oh, I also listened to the Louise Bourgeois talk while there. Also v.v. good!
4. Went to this woman’s exhibition on the Wirral. Rachel Howard. Redwork. Great!
Off to do some screen printing!
P.S. See you in Birmingham Sarah!
P.S. And make some more frames!
art is cheap
or in other words my way of ‘doing’ art on the cheap and pack it in to get vfm from a day trip to London.!!!
newsflash: Bit of a hiccup with exhibition delay in opening at Southampton Art Gallery….but I think the boxes should be on display now……
please see http://www.cakesouthampton.wix.com/2015/ for details of this and other events taking place around the city this month to celebrate International Women’s Day (free)
Monday…..my day ended with my private view of the Marlene Dumas exhibition at the Tate and the photography exhibition on conflict based on slaughter house five ( I got in cheap!) Truely fantastic. I love what she does and what she says. Real narrative to her work. Love the way she uses found images and the way she talks about her work…. it is all captioned in her own words..no arty bollo*ks here just real speak. I have a ticket for her talk in April. (cheap) Can’t wait. Including some images twice on purpose..ok it’s my blog!
… the day started off well….past the ‘totally over priced i’m not paying 25 quid to go up that even though i want to Shard’
and on into my heavily discounted admission (national trust/student card) to the old operating theatre…lots of source material here… am continuing with my body narrative… listened to really fascinating lecture on the ‘birth’ of the surgeon(free). Learned lots. Very glad morphine readily available when I had my op on my back!
some great images that I will purloin, love the chatelaine…..every woman should still have one!
Swift walk (free!) down the Thames to the Courtald at Somerset House
I went to see the the newly finished Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery which showcases the incredible breadth of the Courtauld’s collection and it truly was amazing! This was my favourite and I couldn’t stop looking at it. I even tried to draw it until this woman came up to me and stood so close and hrumphed and tried to get in front of me that I had to leave..obviously she didn’t appreciate an artist in the making…did Reuben’s have this problem? Ok ok he’s probably a bit better then me……and well it is a public art gallery and I did get in free..(thank you student card!) It reminded me that I haven’t drawn in a gallery for ages, just been note taking on the last few visits and I need to get back into the groove. Hoping to visit the Walker and Williamson next week in Liverpool so watch this space. (also free!)
Gilbert and Ildiko Butler Drawings Gallery, Courtauld Gallery, London
15 January – 29 March 2015
And of course you can’t go to the Courtauld with out pouring over their permanent collection here’s some edited highlights
The Gauguin never fails to amaze me with its light. I am not a painter and would love to know how he did it! Answers on a postcard please!! (One of his paintings has just sold for a cool 3 million..wow!) I do have some more pictures on my lovely new phone but I can work out how to get them off said phone on to my site..one day I will understand Bluetooth but not yet! (Actually probably never) I need a teenager! Hurry up M!
This is not from anywhere I saw but the church under the old operating theatre had some picassoesque images on cushions which were great and I saw this and it reminded me of them even though its homage a Matisse so I am sorry an unknown artist who came up when I was researching Kees Van Dongen but I cant find you anywhere now!!!
Everonward I went – and back up past St Pauls and over the Wobbly Bridge then to Dumas and the Conflict Exhibition…severe sciatica and my pereneous longus is killing me (very free!) but it was worth it!!!
PS I nearly finished Strangeland on the train..(Amazon 1p)
PS….and finally on Friday to the Coastguard Studio in Southsea (free private view )…going to actually meet my dog sighs…watch this space!
PPS can I just say Nokia 725 with a free fit bit! Whoopee!
PPPS I will email you Sarah!
femme…
and a broken ipad…why is it that I also try to do twenty million things at once and consequently nothing particularly well? 
Last week started off bad, the on-going ‘which phone contract do I go for dilemma’ is getting totally in the way of any artistic creativity. I am blocked by how many minutes and megawotists do I need and do I really need a new handset debate. I know and appreciate that in the great scheme of things this isn’t that big a worry but perleease its stopping me from getting on ..I need to draw for chrisakes!! Not stress about stupid flippin phones!!!. Anyway I put the big phone dilemma to one side while dying all my current work red….and am currently looking into what happens if I try to do it naturally using madder… (thank you or maybe no thank you Caroline Bell… the whole natural dye stuff has opened up another new world to me) ….work in progress…anyway I managed to launch my beautiful iPad under the car and the screen smashed into a million pieces..80 quid later and still no iPad…watch this space….. can’t show you the lovely pics of my rather vibrant material…you will have to wait!! And another 180 quid later my Bernina is home so can start drawing on my lovely red fabric… To cut along story short I realise that I do have an unhealthy relationship with my iPad and technology in general – I have even commandeered my son’s tablet with which to continue to stress about a phone contract…so not good!! My family hate me at the moment as I am a phone bore. Starting to widen the circle of people to annoy so will soon be persona non grata at work …I need to get back to my sketchbooks….
I have been doing some creative stuff …apart from reading about madder and dying everthing red..and I bought a fantastic book in a charity shop all about Velasquez… last week I found out that I had been selected to put some work into an exhibition to celebrate International Women’s Day. The female is to be celebrated at arts venues across Southampton throughout February and into March with exhibitions being co-ordinated by the arts co-operative CAKE. I will be showing some of my work at the City Art Gallery from February 7 until March 14. I will also be showing work at METTRICKS – Tea and Coffee House at the end of the month…117 High Street, The French Quarter, Old Town, Southampton SO14 2AA 02380 710583. Pop along and see the fantastic Louise Bourgeois Exhibition at the City Art Gallery that I told you about in my last post. It really is fantastic. The Art House is just over the road and is also worth a look in for a peruse at their eclectic mix of goods for sale and great veggie foods, cake & coffee.
Anyway this is a quick one as I am trying to ween myself off technology and go and do some drawing…. PS…
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helen sill 