Manchester Artist’s Book Fair 2007

I will have a table at the second annual

Manchester Artist’s Book Fair

on Sept 29, 2007.
I will have about 12 different books and some postcards on display.

Sent off painting to auction

Here is the painting I just finished and sent to the Spectrum Autism charity art auction. It is from The Universe in a Drop of Water series. The title is Interior Landscape 26. It is acrylic on 60x60cm deep edged canvas.

Spectrum art site
Spectrum art blog

A studio snapshot

Last week. Lots of work in different stages. It gets crowded sometimes when some work has to lay flat to dry and the oil paint formula is a slow drying one.

Rich and Strange book is finished!

I finally finished the painting and gilding of the Dreamers of Decadence book for the Rich and Strange altered books project. The project is a way to use discarded books (they were all art books). It should have arrived with them on Friday.

Dreamers of Decadence is about Symbolist painters and is an interesting book but I was fascinated by the title. To create a feeling of decadence the pages of the book are extravagantly painted and gilded with an extra thick layer of 24kt gold. This excessive use of gold expands the fore edge of the book and gold shines out.

They have now set up a web site about the exhibit: Rich and Strange

Spectrum Art Auction for autism charity

I am donating a painting to the Spectrum art auction in Cornwall. It is to raise money for the Spectrum autism charity.
Spectrum art site
Spectrum art blog

The Twits in Shoreditch

Last chance to see the Twits in Shoreditch exhibition at Standpoint Gallery. There is one day left. The open evening was Thursday and the MP for Shoreditch who cut the ribbon pointed out that 22% of people in Shoreditch are under 16 and that Hackney has the largest concentration of artists in Europe, so we should do more with our 2 largest groups: kids and artists.
I helped Anna Boggon with a workshop where the kids made small furniture and stuck it on the ceiling upside down like in the book.
I will put pictures on when I get them from Mia, the organiser of the event.

Rich and Strange: Altered Books Project

Flock Gallery Space, Newport School of Art Media and Design
artschool.newport.ac.uk
04-Oct to 18-Oct-2007

A group exhibition of 120 altered books by artists all over the world and the UK that begins at the Flock Gallery. The project is a way to use discarded books (they were all art books).
All books will be exhibited first at flock, the new gallery space at Newport School of Art Media and Design, University of Wales, Newport, from 4th to 18th October 2007. The exhibition will then move to Newport Central Library, from 22nd October to 2nd November, where the public will be able to check the books out on loan.

For 3 months I have been constantly painting and gilding my book Dreamers of Decadence. I will miss the book when it is gone, it is an hourly part of my life, painting and waiting for that page to dry and coming back and painting the next one...

Just finished a big fish

As always my painting revolves around colour. This time I chose a fish to play in the colours. Just finished it yesterday. Acrylic and oil paints on deep canvases. It is 200x120cm, pretty big, so it is over 2 canvases.

Gasworks Poster Show

The Gasworks show begins this week.
Opening Night
Thursday 9 August,
7-9pm

Exhibition Continues:
to Sunday 26 August

Gasworks
155 Vauxhall Street
London SE11 5RH
UK

Pictures from the Holloway Arts Festival 07-07-07

The kids from the Rowan Arts after school art club Art Games did a fantastic job and we had such a great day! It was better than anyone expected. And the people who attended were very interested and asked the children lots of questions and it went really well. Well done everyone!
Also, not only did it not rain but I got a bit of a sunburn! Woohoo!

070707

It is July 7 2007.

Poster in Stick*Stamp*Fly

Stick*Stamp*Fly, 2007
Gasworks
10-26 Aug. 2007

I have had a poster selected for exhibition in Stick*Stamp*Fly. It is an A2 version of my 50% happier flyer.
There will also be events each Thursday at 7:00 during the exhibition.

Another picture of my studio floor

Holloway Arts Festival

The Art Games group of kids and Over 60's will have their work set up on Saturday July 7 for the big day of the Holloway Arts Festival. The art work is really good. They have made sculptures based loosely around the idea of a made-up board game. There are plaster buldings, wishful islands, and trophies (for things like the best limbo dancer). It has been great working with them and the other artists.
Here are the new links available with information:

Holloway Arts Festival
Holloway Arts Festival on myspace
Rowan Arts blog

UK Artists' Book Fairs

At my Open Studio private view last night two lovely people said I should put the dates of book arts fairs on my blog so that new book artists and collectors could see an overview. I will just do the ones I attend for now, and add more later. A good place for this type of information is UWE's Centre for Fine Print Research

March-Until this year there has been one in March in Halifax, this year it moved to Leeds.
The 10th International Contemporary Artists' Book Fair

April-BABE - Bristol Artist Book Event is a weekend affair in April at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol. This year was the first one and it plans to be every two years.
BABE website
UWE's website coverage of BABE

September-Manchester book Fair is in September. This will be the second year. (and I better get my table soon or it will be too late!)
Manchester Artist’s Book Fair

November-The London Artists Book Fair is every year in November at the ICA near Trafalgar Square. Very expensive to have a table unless you share or can put your book on the table of your alma mater or something. It is huge and is a great opportunity to see a lot of work.
London Artists' Book Fair

Open Studios Summer 07 !!!

It's that time again! Sunshine and blue skies and walking around visiting the artists in their studios. It is one of the few times when we are all here at the same time and hanging around rather than immersed in work. So it is a perfect time for me to get to catch up with studio neighbours, see what new work people are making and meet new arrivals to our group. Please come along. I would like to know if anyone reads this blog! There is also a new building with lots of new studios in it! (I think the group is about 18 artists in the original building and maybe about 14 in the new one. A few of their spaces are really huge.)
It will be the weekend of June 16 and 17 in North East London.


The Chocolate Factory N16

Afternoon sun pics from the Oxford House exhibit

I went and took some pictures of the exhibition on Wednesday and I love the sun from the glass roof and the architectural interest from the ramps and railings everywhere!
Here is a sort of tour for those of you who can't make it.

These first three are from the lower basement gallery, with Rachel James' breathing sculpture in the back:


These next ones are in the upper gallery:



This piece (there is a detail below) is made of 100 panels and is titled:
Which One's The Pretty One?




And finally, looking down from the upper gallery:

Art Games kids

The group of kids I work with in the Rowan Arts Project is amazing. And Anna Boggon, the artist/teacher/leader of the group is very good at bringing out their best. Here is a picture of some paintings the kids did this week. They are a mixture of acrylic, collage and printing. They look even better in person. We are working towards a big project for the Holloway Arts Festival in July.

Oxford House Exhibition

The private view at Oxford House went really well on the 3rd! Lots of lovely old friends and some lovely new friends, most everyone - managed to come out for the evening!
The work looks great in the space. All the light is amazing and the different levels of railings and stairs make an interesting architectural backdrop.
It is still up for 3 more weeks, through May 29.
A big thanks to H for all her hard work. I could not have done it without her.
Photo credits for the pictures of the private view go to H




These two pictures are from the hanging days:

Five years in Engerland!

My coach arrived in Dover on May 3rd, 2002 from Belgium where I had been visiting my friend Jana. Five years later I still live in London and things are working out well.
Since I arrived I have:
Fallen in love and we've been together almost 5 years now.
Received my MA from Camberwell College of Art.
Had my painting studio at the Chocolate Factory for 3 years and been in some interesting exhibitions.
Found the few acceptable Mexican restaurants in London.
Learned to love the beautiful game. I support Arsenal.
Gained weight from my poor hibernation strategies (lots of tea and biscuits) to get through the winters. I think I may be genetically a hot-house flower.
Learned that ignoring people is a form of politeness in a crowded place; they are letting you have your privacy.
I have also learned patience, moderation and that the other person may be right.
I am obsessed by my work; painting and concepts for books are always in my head. I don't make enough time for people. I feel the results of this sometimes and it makes me sad sometimes but that is how it is.
Quinacridone crimson rocks.