Road Trip • Autumn 2011

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Just back from my Autumn road trip revitalised and raring to go. The trip took in a couple of days at the Drunken Duck Inn in the beautiful Lake District. We were celebrating my husband’s birthday and our 36th Wedding Anniversary as well. We met up with our friend Steve Holmes with whom we enjoyed a couple of pints of the very tasty Barngates Brewery Cat Nap Ale.
After a couple of days relaxation at the Duck we moved on to Leeds for a stop-over on the way to the Hepworth, Wakefield. I love Leeds as a city especially the Victoria sector. 
We called in at Whitelocks  which sadly was very lacking in atmosphere this time. The recession has obviously hit hard. 
Searching for a Tapas bar we happened instead upon Carluccio’s  which had a fantastic meal deal on. I can really recommend trying it. 

Then on to the fantastic Hepworth in Wakefield. This was our first visit and I was very impressed by everything about it. I am a big fan of Barbara Hepworth so it was great to see a whole section of the Gallery devoted to showing the way she worked. It was wonderful to see so many young people at the Gallery. Many were participating in the various workshops on offer over half term. 

The scale of Clare Wood’s work (above) was incredible and indeed the larger pieces worked much better, in my opinion, than her smaller scale works. 

Wakefield’s Modern Art Collection are shown alongside pieces on loan from other collections . The Ben Nicholson’s were a joy to see, especially a small piece featuring fish which I had not seen before. 

I particularly love the mark making aspect of Hepworth’s work and the way stitch is used within it. 

It has to be said that the Hepworth also has a great Café, a vital ingredient of a Museum/ Gallery and a very high quality Gift/Book Shop where I stocked up on greetings cards.
GGIFT are working hard to get something of this quality at the Ice Factory in Grimsby.


Thanks to Tilleke Schwarz I am now organised!

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During her recent visit to Grimsby for the 7 Strands Textile Symposium I had a conversation with Tilleke Schwarz about a photograph I had seen of her studio with all her threads neatly arranged in colours in separate boxes. I asked her how she had the patience to wind them all onto bobbins and she replied that she does them whilst watching the television and even though I am rather impatient when doing that sort of boring job I did think I should maybe do the same.

When I told her that my threads were jumbled up in polythene bags she seemed horrified so I resolved to get on and get organised. It did seem to be a huge task when I looked at the number of threads I seem to have accumulated but I have managed to motivate myself to do it and even though I have not yet finished the task yet I am very pleased with the result.
Here are 3 of the 8 boxes I have done so far .I’ll probably need to rearrange them when I have done them all but I am getting there!

I bought my boxes from Barnyarns of Ripon and I they were very inexpensive but they do the job perfectly. I would highly recommend doing this as I can now find the exact colour I want to use.I don’t use the thread numbers to organise them but just do them in colours by eye which is how I use them.
Barnyarns website
 

Tilleke has just won 3rd prize in The Hague (NL) Summer expo at Gemeentemuseum for her piece entitled Purr Chase. This is a major show akin to our own Royal Academy Summer show 250 works of art (all techniques) were selected out of 5000 applications so my congratulations go to Tilleke for that.  

Thrunscoe Community Learning Centre

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As someone who struggles with her actuaI embroidery technique when I was recently asked to present a City & Guilds Gold medal at Thrunscoe Community Learning Centre I felt a bit of a fraud. This is a fantastic achievement as only one medal in each discipline is awarded per year. This one was for Level 3 Embroidery.
My own knowledge of stitches is very limited and I adapt my basic 4 stitch vocabulary to suit what ever piece I am working on.

The recipient of the gold medal, Lynn Haith, on the other hand has definitely mastered the technique of embroidery in all its forms and her wonderful use of strong colours is sublime.
 images below work by Lynn Haith.


 I went to see the end of year show at the Thrunscoe Centre two days prior to the medal ceremony and was blown away by the standard of the work produced by Jan Dowson’s students. I have been going to see this show for a few years now and the diversity of the work produced never fails to amaze me.
As usual the things I liked best were the sketchbooks , containing little gems of samplers waiting to be developed in to finished pieces.
images below from various sketchbooks.
For me the highlight of the exhibition was a moving and empathic piece by Sue Normandale which was inspired by a visit to the Foundling Museum in London.
I would urge that anyone thinking of doing a creative arts course in the Grimsby and Cleethorpes area to go to Thrunscoe  and see what they have on offer.
image below : Sue Normandale work inspired by the Foundling Museum
 

7 Strands Symposium • What happened on the Day

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 Tuesday, 12 July 2011 saw the first 7 Strands Textile Symposium take place in the historic surroundings of Grimsby Minster. This was the first event of this kind I have organised and  participants traveled from as far and wide as Hastings, Heckmondwike, Hull, York and Lincoln to take part in the one day event.
During the morning International textile artist Tilleke Schwarz delivered a workshop entitled ‘Telling your own story’ . Everybody made a collage about their interests, likes, dislikes and life in general and then Tilleke invited them all to tell the others about their work. It was a great ice-breaker and some interesting tales were revealed.

 Then, after a break for coffee and delicious home baked cakes and scones courtesy of the Minster coffee shop which I can thoroughly recommend , it was time to practice Tilleke’s favourite stitch which is couching.
Couching is often overlooked in favour of more complicated techniques so it was fascinating to be reminded of the versatility of such a simple stitch. I have used the technique myself with difficult threads such as recycled stranded rope as well as finer threads to create varied results. Tilleke uses it for drawing and also for text .The couching threads may be either the same color as the laid threads or a contrasting color. When couching threads contrast with laid threads, patterns may also be worked in the couching stitches.
The feedback I received indicated that the workshop was thoroughly enjoyed. For me it was great to see simple activities like collage and hand stitched couching with fresh eyes. A real inspiration and I will definitely be using those techniques myself in the future.

The afternoon started with a talk by Lucy Brown , a conceptual artist from Brighton. Lucy practice is a complete contrast to Tilleke’s so the different styles gave some insight into the breadth of contemporary textiles in the 21st century. Lucy uses vintage and second hand, mainly women’s, clothing as the raw materials for her work and it was fascinating for me to hear about how she collects and stores these items in her studio as well as seeing the finished pieces of work. Her talk ‘Other People’s Clothes’  discussed the works presented in Seven Strands exhibition in context with her wider practice. The materials and the process alongside narratives around femaleness, re-invention and body absence and presence were also covered .http://www.axisweb.org/seCVPG.aspx?ARTISTID=5805

The final part of the afternoon session was an illustrated lecture by Tilleke Schwarz  ‘Making Sense out of the Non Sense’ . http://www.tillekeschwarz.com/ The lecture covered not only her own work but that of others that she finds inspiring . I was particularly interested to find out that she enjoys the work of Michael Raedecker , an artist I greatly admire myself .http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/michael_raedecker_about.htm
All in all I think the event was enjoyed by all who attended.

Bathing Belles meet the Old Masters

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 Just back from the opening at Museum Rijswijk which was great. The Museum is housed in an old mansion that dates from 1790 with a brand new extension. Imagine my amazement when I found my work amongst some impressive paintings and separate from the other textiles. They looked fantastic and it gave the pieces great status.

Check out the pictures of Bathing Belles amongst the Old Masters in Museum Rijswijk

The exhibition was very varied and well presented. It was a joy to see all the variety of textiles in such a lovely setting . See more at : http://www.museumryswyk.nl/rtb2011/uk/index.html

7 STRANDS TEXTILE SYMPOSIUM

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Well it’s been a mad couple of weeks getting ready for the Rijswijk Textile Bienniel in the Netherlands. Making sure my work was all prepared,frames retouched and then getting the work packed. Making the boxes was an event of its own! Cutting,taping, joining 2 together for the big pieces and then getting it sent to the Rijswijk Museum in the Netherlands. It arrived in 2 days. Good old DHL Express,fantastic service. 
In amongst all that I found out I had been successful with my Arts Council bid for the 7 Strands at the Minster Textile Symposium and Exhibition so then it was all hell let loose.
Leaflets to be prepared , the website to update, site visits, etc,etc. I feel like I have had no sleep for the last fortnight. Still it will be worth it when it all comes together. 
For more information about the Symposium and Exhibition please visit : 7 Strands
The tickets will be available to buy online from Sue Stone or at Gate Gallery by 26 May 2011.
Please book early to secure your place as tickets are strictly limited.
It’s a real privilege to bring artists of this calibre to my hometown. The Textile Symposium will be a first for Grimsby and we deserve to see the work of National and International artists in this area.The artists Helen Banzhaf , Lucy Brown, Dorothy Ann Daly, Ann Goddard, Christine Gornowicz , Tilleke Schwarz and myself, are all members of the 62 group of textile artists. This event must surely encourage a wider audience and a greater appreciation of Textiles as an art form.

image • Tilleke Schwarz • Fisk (detail) 2010
Our work can be seen in 2 exhibitions:
7 Strands • 2 June to 23 July at Gate Gallery, 12, Brighowgate, Grimsby, DN32 0RA


7 Strands at the Minster • 16 June to 17 July at Grimsby Minster, St James Square, Grimsby
International Textile Artist, Tilleke Schwarz ( Netherlands) and Brighton based Textile Artist, Lucy Brown will be visiting the town on 12 July. Tilleke will give a half day workshop entitled : Telling your own Story and an illustrated lecture; Making sense out of non sense ,at the Symposium. Lucy Brown, who uses vintage and second hand clothing as the raw materials for her practice,will be giving a talk called : Other Peoples Clothes.
I am really looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at the event.

7 Strands

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Helen Banzhaf


I am very excited that the 7 Strands exhibition is to be hosted by Gate Gallery in my hometown of Grimsby. See the Gate Gallery website for further details .This will be a rare opportunity indeed for Lincolnshire folk to see such a diverse high quality Textile Exhibition . www.gategallery.co.uk

7 Strands brings together the work of Helen Banzhaf, Lucy Brown, Dorothy Ann Daly, Ann Goddard, Christine Gornowicz, Tilleke Schwarz, and Sue Stone, all members of the Internationally renowned 62 Group of Textiles Artists working in various disciplines including Stitch, Weave and Conceptual Textiles which challenge the boundaries between Fine Art and Making.

The images below are a taster of what you will see in the exhibition. 2 June to 23 July 2011.

David as Dali (left) and From Grimsby to Gracia (right) by Sue Stone
Tilleke Schwarz

Dorothy Ann Daly
Christine Gornowicz
Lucy Brown
Ann Goddard



Lineaments of a Coast exhibition 7 April to 21 May

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 If you are in the Grimsby area between 7 April  to 21 May, Gate Gallery is well worth a visit . The gallery is hosting an exciting exhibition of paintings by Pippa Llewellyn, who has lived and worked in Theddlethorpe for over 20 years. Theddlethorpe on the Lincolnshire coast is an area of sea dunes and both saltwater and freshwater marshes. The paintings are mainly large and abstract. Some are vibrantly coloured some more subtle in hue. They are not literal interpretations of a particular landscape but capture the pure essence of her familiar coastal environment. The images shown are my own personal favourites. See www.gategallery.co.uk for more images and information.

Top • Untitled Landscape • mixed media
Below left • Boats on Blue and Grey .Below right • Boat on Yellow • mixed media

At a Tangent – Textiles by The 62 Group – Gallery Oldham

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At long last I managed to visit the exhibition. Gallery Oldham proved to be a great venue for the work, although I did feel the lighting could have been better. It was a small but varied exhibition. I’m not sure it was one of the group’s best exhibitions but it was great to see handling samples and sketchbooks on display. My own personal highlights were a fantastic mixed media piece by Jae Maries  and 2 beautiful woven pieces by Christine Gornowicz:
Image below courtesy of Christine Gornowicz.
 
Also on display at the gallery  was :Threading Dreams: the Art of Kantha
I am so pleased I caught this exhibition before it closed. It was so inspiring.
The exhibition showed early Kantha embroideries by textile artist Lynn Setterington with a selection made by women and children of the Sreepur Village Charity in Bangladesh. 
Visit www.sreepurvillage.org for more details about the work of this charity. 
To buy charity cards visit www.sreepurcards.org