Following on from yesterdays’ blog, highlighting exhibitors from last weekends’
Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester.
Glasgow based ceramic artist Cosima Sempill originates from South Africa and has
a fresh slant on traditional shapes we are familiar with. She uses a fifties palette and
design style to make salt and pepper hand-grenades with flowers on them, or mugs
with guns for handles. For the less military focussed amongst you there are beautiful
bird houses and ceramic jewellery too. More work and items here.
Another ceramic artist is Linzi Ramsden. She is manchester based and creates wall tiles and slab
made pots and vessels.
(photo taken from the M.E.N paper )
Linzi has developed a way of decorating her vessels and wall art with embroidery
and pieces of fabric, and stains them with coloured oxides.
Her pieces retail from £12 to more than £1,000 for a series of vessels. Having a studio in the cities
Craft Centre suits Linzi well. She says “It’s a total community here, like a village within a city,
and the studios are so affordable and inclusive,” she said. “I’m a regionalist and I love being
in Manchester and having my business in the Northern Quarter.
Anna Creighton is the brainchild behind the company Sockees, fun, spongy filled
creatures made from… you guessed it socks ! Kids seems to love them and I also saw
a few adults purchasing one for themselves. Anna also runs courses and coming with
a degree in Embroidery, her stock (or should I say socks) will raise a smile !
I also thought this advertising was pretty clever.
Glassworker Gavin Marshall graduated from Sunderland University in 1999, gaining a BA Hons
in Glass & Ceramics, where he also received an Award for Excellence in Architectural Glass.
He says “I try to keep my designs as simple as possible. I use the texture of everyday materials
or objects to create moulds for slumping the glass over. I base a lot of my wall sculptures
on movement, whether it’s the flow of water or a flock of migrating birds.
Glass is a liquid and I try to use the inherent strengths that the material possesses.”
I thought his pieces were priced very reasonably with items ranging from £40 to a few hundred pounds
and he also takes commissions on through his website, have a look at some examples here.
Lucy Roscoe not only is a fine illustrator, a printmaker and paper sculptor but
she also set up a small printing press in Edinburgh called The Book Tree Press.
It is a press producing hand printed limited artist books and paper works
for purchase and exhibitions. The manifesto for the press is to explore the concept
of a sculptural bookwork inspired by the printed word, and develop publishing and
exhibition opportunities for this medium.
Lucy is interested in referencing such novels as Alice in Wonderland and Noah’s Ark
and fairy tales like The Red Shoes. Beautiful, delicate work.
More designers work this week.
Autumn Colour Walk
Sunday I took a walk along the River Mersey Ship Canal. It was one of those strange
days where it was frosty to begin with but the sun was strong and there were clear skies.
It made me notice all the colour around me and I was glad to have my camera at hand.
I even liked this shot, as it feels like a dream sequence where the leaves are slowly falling.
Sarah Morpeth, Ken Eardley, Janine Partington, Linda Miller.
This weekend saw Manchesters’ third Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair.
A wonderful array of designers, artists, sculptors, ceramists and other craft disciplines
from up and down the country. I was there on saturday and want to say a big
‘ thank you ‘ to everyone who politely answered my questions and let me take images
of their beautiful work to put on my blog. There were about 150 stands in total so my
apologies that I’ve just pulled a few people out who’s work caught my eye.
I’m sorry but I’m like a magpie when it comes to colour and printed surfaces.
I’ll be posting my images over the next couple of days.
Sarah Morpeth completed a degree in Embroidery at Manchester Metropolitan University
about 2 years ago. Since then she has gone from strength to strength cultivating and
displaying a beautiful assortment of pop up paper gifts and hand crafted and scalpel cut books.
Now based in Northumberland in the National Park, she literally draws from her surroundings
to create the animals and nature inspired paper sculptures we see today.
Ken Eardley is a Brighton based potter, originally a textile designer who now decorates hand-made
earthenware ceramics, which are press moulded and then colourfully decorated using stencils.
Janine Partington is an emerging designer-maker in the South West combining the traditional craft
of Enamelling with fresh, contemporary designs. Enamelling is the art of fusing glass onto metal.
Janine’s work is mainly created using the technique of dusting powdered vitreous enamel
over hand-cut stencils onto copper. It takes multiple short firings to create a finished piece of work.
Janine takes inspiration from the shape of things around her. In particular she is inspired by trees,
flowers, leaves and seed heads, and taking their shape and form in new directions.
I was familiar with the work of Linda Miller for a number of years as her playful embroideries were
always on sale in the Gallery of the Royal Exchange Craft Shop here in Manchester. I had always
admired her intensively stitched pieces as much for their craft as for the fun scenes Linda created.
She told me that in the twenty years she’s been in business this was her first time in Manchester !
May she be a regular visitor in the future.
Linda has also recently completed a fantastic book, documenting her work and showing detailed
photographs of her stitches and wonderful work. Pick up a copy here.
More artists work from this show tomorrow.
Alice and Martin Provensen Vintage Children’s Illustration
Martin and Alice Provensen worked as a team, so much so that noone ever seemed to know
which artist had created which piece of art, it was as though they worked with a singular mind.
Even before they met, they had had remarkably similar early life experiences.
Both of them were born in Chicago, Illinois, and their families moved to California
when they were twelve years of age. In California, they graduated from high school
and college. Martin worked for the Disney Studio, in the Story Department, from 1937 to 1941.
Alice worked with the artists who drew for the Walter Lantz Studio,
the creators of Woody Woodpecker. Both studios were in Hollywood.
They didn’t meet until 1943, when Martin, who was now in the Navy,
was assigned to the Walter Lantz Studio to help create instructional films for the military.
Alice and Martin married in 1944 and moved to Washington, D.C.,
where both were employed in war-related jobs. When peace was declared,
the couple moved to New York City, where friend and artist Gustaf Tenggren
helped them get their first picture book illustration assignment.
That first book was The Fireside Book of Folk Songs.
They bought a farm in upstate New York, and their book A Year at Maple Hill Farm,
has become a classic. They illustrated several Golden Books, among them
The Color Kittens and Animal Farm. In 1982, one of their illustrated books,
A Visit to William Blake’s Inn, by Nancy Willard, received the Newbery Medal.
In 1984, the couple received the Caldecott Medal for The Glorious Flight,
about French aviation pioneer Louis Bleriot.
Sadly ,Martin Provensen died of a heart attack in 1987, at age 70.
With one half of her picture book team gone, Alice didn’t know if she would create
any more children’s books. “You see,” she says, “we were a true collaboration. Martin and I
really were one artist.” In 1990, with the encouragement of her editor, Linda Zuckerma
at Viking Press, and her innate curiosity and love of research, Alice Provensen published
The Buck Stops Here: the Presidents of the United States. Since then, she has researched, written,
and illustrated several more noteworthy books.
Martin was responsible for creating the early version of Tony The Tiger for Kelloggs,
way back then he was teaming up with Groucho Marx to say ‘They’re Gr-r-r-reat !’
MUMMYSAM is Samantha Cotterill
Samantha Cotterill took a five year break from her career as a painter, in order to start a family.
Now, in upstate New York, she’s re-emerged as a fabulous fiber artist and works hard to keep a husband
and two young boys happy, whilst still managing to keep her career going from strength to strength.
Her beautiful characters have a ‘frightfully’ english quality to some of them with their rolling moustaches
and disapproving looks, there’s something quite unique to them. Why… even the Queen gets a mention.
Her work seemlessly travels into screenprints, etchings and engravings, brooches and other objects
of interest. With the release of a new book ‘ Fanciful Felties ‘available in Sam’s online etsy shop here,
and a whole wealth of other delights to purchase here. I wonder how she fits it all in.
So glad that she does though! Do keep up the ‘splendid’ work m’dear !
Robert Tavener , Illustrator and Artist
Illustrator and printmaker Robert Tavener (1920-2004), was born in London.
He was keen on art from a young boy, always drawing in chalk on the pavements.
On leaving school he initially went into office work until in 1940,
when aged 20, he joined the Royal Artillery.
After war service he attended Hornsey College of Art (1946-1950).
He was head of Printmaking at Eastbourne College of Art and Design from 1953,
later becoming vice principal until he retired in 1980. He also taught at St. Martins School of Art.
Tavener was well known for his illustration work and commissions for organisations
such as Shell, the BBC, and London Transport, and he was a senior fellow of the
Royal Society of Painter Printmakers.
Tavener’s work is held in over 25 public collections including the V&A
and the Government Art Collection.
You can read more about this wonderful British artist, or perhaps purchase a print here.
Manchester Artists’ Book Fair Nov 6th and Buy Art Fair Oct 28-31st
( Last years Manchester Artists’ Book Fair )
I’ve just had some exciting news. I will be exhibiting at my first event in two weeks time.
The event and place will be ….
The Fifth Manchester Artists’ Book Fair at Holden
Gallery, Manchester School of Art,Manchester
Metropolitan University on Saturday 6 November 2010
10am-6pm
Details on how to find it are here.
On show will be 40 stands of hand-made journals, hand-printed
and bound editions, altered books and lots more, from artists and
small publishers from the North West region and around the UK.
Entrance will be free, and all artists and makers are there to discuss
their work. There are lots of bargains too, I have been to this event
for the last two years and the standard of work is amazing, the wealth of
craftsmanship and creativity on show is always outstanding. Some great ideas for
some early christmas purchases too. I will be selling the full range of my cards
and notebooks, some hand-made cards and some brand new designs too.
Please pop in and say hello, I’d love to see you in person.
Also If you’re interested in Art Prints and original work,
you’ll want to come to the Buy Art Fair on in Spinningfields,
Manchester 28th – 31st October,
Details on which 60 galleries will be featuring the work of over 300 artists you can
register online for free entry tickets and find out more here.
You can even pick up a Banksy original !
The Sketchbook Project Tour adds extra dates
Do you remember me telling you about the Sketchbook Project Tour way back here.
Well they’ve added three more dates and stop offs for the travelling collection of artists’
sketchbooks to visit, bringing the total up to nine. Those being, Brooklyn, NY , Austin, TX ,
San Francisco, CA Portland, ME , Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Washington, DC,
Winter Park, FL, and Seattle, WA.
I registered back in September and have already started doing the odd page here and there,
you’ve still got about a week to register if you’d like to take part. You can do that here.
There’s a great poster to go with the event from Two Arms Inc, a brooklyn based studio
specialising in rock posters and for just $20 it can be yours. (click here.)
Have many of you signed up for it ? Get drawing !
Fishink New Designs Coming Soon
I’ve been designing a new greeting card range over the last few weeks, they were inspired by
my holiday to Colonsay, which I’ll put up some images of soon.
There may be some Christmas ideas on their way too. All I can say for now is… Watch This Space !
There was also an unexpected visitor to the back of our workplace yesterday,
I don’t know which of us was surprised the most !
I wonder if he knows any of the snooty guys I know ?
You can catch these guys on a FISHINK Notebook here.
fishinkblog.com 