Thursday 16 October 2014

New work, exhibitions and more.....

Angus and Neville

 So some of you may know I exhibit in at The Cross Gaits Inn, Blacko on a regular basis. Selling quite a lot over the last few years, this time with an Autumn theme with a mix of landscapes and animals all in very autumnal colours. 

The animals do go down very well and I nearly sold a few as I was setting them up. The landscapes are mainly birch trees as at this time of year they are stunning in actual fact I am a bit in love with birches and they have been a continuing theme throughout my work since college. 
They will be up for a few months till I get more mobile as still in a leg cast but seeing a surgeon next week. The theme of Winter won't be far behind.

birches
birches
Bobbie
Cross Gaits Inn, Blacko

And along side this exhibition I have some work at the Winter Warmers Exhibition at Towneley Hall, Burnley and also this week delivered a mix of new trophy heads and parian slip cast cow parsley vases to the Christmas exhibition at the Platform Gallery, Clitheroe. 
Quite pleased with the new heads they are very cute and high fired to stoneware give the ears more strength as they have been the most vulnerable of late. I hope you like the sheep I think I now have an excuse to buy a book on different sheep breeds now and play!

Baabara the Sheep

Bonnie the hare

Gertrude the cow

Orford the Otter

Sunday 5 October 2014

Details of my Creatures in clay workshop at the Whitaker 22nd Oct 2014

King of the Cats

 

Exhibition and workshops.

4th October- 9th November 2014

Come and meet Boggarts, Haunted Hares, and Talking Cats, and be immersed in windswept moorland, snow capped hills and icy becks. Taking its inspiration the folktales of Lancashire it responds to them with 21st century wit and wonder. Spectral cats, unearthly black dogs and shape changing girls will haunt the exhibition as will earthenware geese and of course the King of the Cats himself.
Four local visual artists respond to old Lancashire folk tales and their contemporary retelling by acclaimed writer and storyteller Jackie Harris, to produce a stunning and varied exhibition of engaging contemporary art deep rooted in the local environment.


Running alongside the exhibition there will also be several fabulous artist led day long workshops, (including lunch, material and tools) exploring the different disciplines of each artist. These workshops are particularly suitable for teachers, and for all levels of ability.
These will be exciting and highly productive CPD opportunities for the facilitators of KS2 literary, art/design, history and geography. The artists involved all have extensive experience working in education and delivering CPD. 

Each one day course will cost £95 per person and will include lunch and refreshments. The Courses are running 10.00am – 4.00pm.
get in touch with The Whitaker on 01706 218858
or email: info@thewhitaker.org  to book.


My workshop is on Wednesday 22nd October 2014

Title: Characterful Creature Creations 


Join Julie in this workshop to explore her imagination and learn how she creates her creatures in clay. From exploring the King of the Cats exhibition as a starting point to create your own characters from the tales using scribbles and sketches. From there you will learn how to create your own clay heads from a single sheet of clay. Manipulating, pushing and forming this versatile material into one of the characters from the stories or creating a character of your own. 

No experience needed just enthusiasm and a little imagination.

Level: suitable for beginners to the more advanced in clay techniques. All techniques will be taught step by step so don’t be shy and come and play.

Suitable for teaching literacy using it as a starting point in class for creative writing, design technology for use of tools and Art.

 

About the Artist:

Julies work has always been inspired by nature and landscape around her and is probably best know for her exquisite porcelain sculptures of natural objects or porcelain vessels. Julie creates larger scale installation pieces for exhibitions and display ranging from bone china feathers suspended from above the viewers head in the shape of a Harriers wing beat to celebrate the diversity of the Forest of Bowland to a full size cloak of ceramics crow feathers to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Pendle witch Trails. Julies foray into animal sculpture is a new venture she is exploring for the King of the Cats exhibition.




Saturday 4 October 2014

Launch of the King of the Cats at The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery, Rossendale


Launch night at The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery in Rossendale was a blast. Really busy and bustling with lots of people including family and friends of all the artists.

It was lovely to see old friends and supporters of Arteach. 
Including Bob Frith was there from Horse and Bamboo who we went to talk to when we first set up as a group quite a few years ago now. Frank Royal and Lynsey from Traweden Primary School who were one of the first to buy into the vision of giving artists space in their school for us to work as well as working with teachers and children throughout the school. 
It was also good to meet curators from the future venues where the exhibition is touring too.

Carl from the Whitaker gave a fab speech, at first voicing his concerns when we turned up the day before to set up the exhibition and then his surprise and pleasure at what he thinks is a fabulous display of high quality diverse range of work that fits together to create a very good exhibition with work for everyone to engage with and enjoy. 


We then had three of the tales retold by Jacqueline Harris our storyteller standing behind
Dildrum, 
the King of the Cats.




Thank you for everyone who made the journey to the show which is now on till 9th November
Opening Times  are 10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Sunday.


The Whitaker Whitaker Park Haslingden Road 
Rawtenstall, Rossendale, Lancashire
BB4 6RE 

Phone 01706 260785

Don't forget there is an opportunity to work with all of the artists in full day adult workshops suitable for beginners upwards and also teachers who would like to take it into schools. 
for details please follow the link below





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