Aspex Gallery Workshop

I had the great pleasure of working with artist Adrian Mundy at Aspex Gallery recently. Adrian's exhibition 'Natural Imperfections'  has been on show at Aspex and is the culmination of 2 years hard work, growing flax and using the harvest to create artworks.  Adrain is a sufferer of ME and agoraphobia, his work is not only political and philosophical but also serves as a journey to overcome his illnesses. In response to his work, I facilitated a workshop teaching adults how to make artist books, using simple materials and constructions, that reflects both our philosophies of using observation and available resources as a means of creating something beautiful and considered.

recent workshops

I've been running quite a few workshops recently in and around Hampshire. Working with Winnal Primary School year 5 pupils,  was lovely and considering it was their last day of the summer term, very relaxing. The aim was to create paper cuts in response to the children's still life drawings. This particular project was commissioned by Nicola Henshaw, a new forest artist working in wood, who has is creating a regency inspired carved seat for the Jane Austen centenary. She'll be using the paper cuts to inform her designs and the bench should be installed later this year in The Water Meadows, Winchester.  

Aspex Gallery and Portsmouth Grammar School

As part of the National Gallery's 'Take one picture' project, Aspex Gallery commissioned me to spend a week at Portsmouth Grammar School working with Key Stage 1 children.  A 650 year old painting provided the inspiration to creating a collaborative piece of narrative collage,  that included giant painted and paper cut trees and creatures.  We had great fun in the making with the outcome being a huge layered wall mural. The children and staff were amazing and it was a joy to be in such a beautiful school.

basing house drawing from nature paper cutting workshop

 A beautiful hot sunny day spent at Basing House, sketching in the gardens before returning to the old stables to convert our drawings into paper cuts. a lovely mixture of people came which is half the pleasure of workshops. The results were stunning, especially considering no one had cut with a scalpel before. 

Basing House workshop saturday 21 June 2014

I've been preparing for a workshop taking place this Saturday, 21 June 2014,  at Basing House in Basingstoke.  Not having been before, I was taken aback at the amazing history of the former Tudor house.  In it's time it was larger than Hampton Court Palace and had an enviable list of royal guests. The owner was almost bankrupted by them, so decided to curtail further visitors by demolishing half of it!

The surrounding landscape is beautiful and you could easily get lost on many of the walks.   Hopefully the weather will remain good on Saturday so I can take the workshop participants round the grounds drawing before going back to the former farm, where I'll show them how to translate all the work into layered paper drawings. 

Basing House walled garden 

Portsmouth Museum, Secret Egypt Exhibition. Drawing with paper workshop/

This saturday was spent at Portsmouth City Musuem in Portsmouth, where I lead a drawing workshop responding  to the 'Secret Egypt' exhibition.  13 of us spent 6 hours drawing the bird sculptures, graphics and images in the collection and translating into fabulous layered papercuts.   It was so amazing to see how everyone responded so differently and how very talented all the results were.

starting to draw birds from specimens and reference material.

first collection of paper cuts

drawing with paper inspired by egyptian hieroglyphics

shadows

paper cuts inspired by 'secret egypt' exhibition

developing work from drawing to paper cut

Portsmouth Museum, 'Secret Egypt'. Paper bird workshop 18.1.14

A really lovely day spent at Portsmouth Museum making egyptian birds in response to their current 'Secret Egypt' exhibition. 5 intensive hours were spent, sculpting, painting, cutting, sticking wonderful creations, that looked stunning and uncannily resembled each of their individual makers.

 

Great Hall Winchester, Big Draw/ArtSOUTH drawing workshop

Part of the national big draw day took place this saturday in the Great Hall in Winchester, where I worked with families encouraging them to have a different look at the hall and draw their findings. Different tools were provided to help view surroundings.   As part of the current ArtSOUTH exhibitions running across the region,  Annika Stroms' piece called 'look the other way' which has been commissioned for the Great Hall, set the theme for the days' workshop.

Andover Lights tree dressing project November 2012

It didn't rain! In fact it was calm and quite warm.  Unfortunately the first tree got the better of me and I only managed 5 rungs of the ladder before my fear of heights took over.  I seem to be able to cope with being on the actual tree, far better than having to rely on a ladder.  So it was that the lovely Lyndon Wells, from Andover City Council, did most of the hanging of the decorations, my side of things being to string them and holler 'left a bit, up a bit' etc! We got there in the end......

Harrowway tree, in the high street, Andover City Centre. Bigger than I thought!

starting to hang the baubles

more help at ground level!

Andover C of E tree outside The Lights Theatre, Andover

Portway Junior School tree, outside The Lights Theatre, Andover

Portway Junior School tree, outside The Lights Theatre, Andover