I like coffee AND tea

I like cats and dogs.

I like movies and books.

I like sweet and savoury.

I like art museums and Star Trek.

I like oil and acrylic.

Pictures of the Marmite Prize for Painting show

The Marmite Prize for Painting exhibition pictures of the opening night are up on the
Residence blog page.


Here are 3 of them:












You can just see my lavender coloured painting in the centre.



I am in green, with Gary and Lisa behind me and we are being entranced by Claire, doing whatever it was she was doing!

Winter Salon at Hackney Museum

I am in the Winter Salon at Hackney Museum. Another show of small paintings. It runs from 14 December 2006 to 25 February 2007.

Marmite Painting Prize

I am in a painting show next week at the Residence Galley at the top of Victoria Park.
It looks like it will be a lot of fun. It is an exhibit of small paintings. (Then why is Julie in it you ask? I have made a few smaller pieces... on occasion..., I say.)
Come along if you fancy it!

Peace Camp is a hit!

Peace Camp's private view last Friday was very popular. The overflow from the gallery filled the street and there was a sea of umbrellas on both sides of Brick Lane. As it was such a crush that sardines would have felt crowded I didn't get to see much of the work (except the little cars downstairs which I liked) so am going back this afternoon. Hundreds of pieces are displayed and it may take hours to see them all! I will be looking for the poof (footstool) shaped like Iraq, though I understand it may have been used as seating for watching the band at the private view and so may be a little worse for wear.

Art For Art's Sake EXTENDED

The Art For Art's Sake exhibition in the Bar B Low in Bloomsbury, has been extended until January. See The Ground Floor Group site for more details.

Peace Camp

I am in Peace Camp, a group show hosted by Bob & Roberta Smith which explores our perception and vision of Peace, at the Brick Lane Gallery from 2-31 December 2006, Private View: Friday 1 December 6-9pm. I chose to show my Have A Nice Day book instead of a painting because the subject matter was more in keeping with the show. It is on display on a shelf with some postcards that go with the book.
The exhibition will bring together over 100 established and emerging artists including Wolfgang Tillmans, Bob and Roberta Smith, Gavin Turk, Jason Shulman, Shane Bradford, Mary Zygouri, Mattia Paganelli, Ellie Howitt, Keith Ball, Alan Miller, Brian Dawn Chalkley, Andrew Mummery, Ryan Booth, Thom Driver, Sue Golden, Rebecca Taber, Rebecca Meanley-Eyre, Velika Janceva, Mike Newton, Eduard Bigas, Mark McGowan, Maria Chevska, Seb Patane, Lucy Harrison, Julie Caves and Leigh Clarke all treating the notion of Peace through different mediums and disciplines.

Art For Art's Sake

I have donated a painting to an auction taking place on 23 Nov. to help raise money (I hope) for a musical production of the life of Sister Wendy the TV art critic. The event on Thursday is called Art For Art's Sake. Buying art to help fund more art! What a lovely idea!
Update: ended up being a one week show, everything was left on display.

Chocolate Factory N16 Open Studios

Superb ceramic art and high quality paintings feature amongst the fascinating attractions at the two Open Studios weekends at the Chocolate Factory N16 in Stoke Newington, North East London. The public is being given open access to over 20 top and upcoming artists in their studios on two weekends: Nov 25 & 26 and Dec 2 & 3 (from 10-6 on the Saturdays and 12-5 on the Sundays).
The art on view will range from a variety of painting styles to functional and non-functional ceramics, from performance art to exclusive designer lampshades.
There will be sculpture, drawings, artists’ books, photography and textile art.
As well as the chance to view the artist’s studios and artwork, there will be the opportunity to buy or commission a unique creation. The old building and cobbled yard will be full of life. There will also be a preview of the new studios building, nearly finished alongside, that will double the spaces and artists in the complex.
I hope to have some new work finished in time, wish me luck!

Exhibit at Pleasance Theatre in Islington

The foyer of the Pleasance Theatre in Islington will be filled with my paintings for a month! It is a challenging space, as the walls are different colours, the ceilings are low and the hanging rod system is unusual. I am looking forward to finding the right works for the space. I may even get a new piece finished in time, made especially for the orangish wall at the back.
19 Nov. to 17 Dec. The theatre is a five minute walk from the Caledonian Road tube station on the Picadilly line. The big show that will be on while my work is up is Tim Rice's Blondel.

Prelude exhibit review

The Prelude Fair last weekend was a great setting with a lot of visitors who were very encouraging. I had a great booth partner, my friend Karen, and met some wonderful artists. The worked looked good and the audience appreciated it. Some even thanked us for being there and brightening their day!

Manchester Artists' Book Fair was great

We went to the Manchester Artists Book Fair on September 30. It was great! The other participants were friendly, the weather was fair, the building was nice, the visitors were interested and the work was interesting!

Here is a picture of me at my table with some friends who came to see me. Notice my new imprint logo on the wall behind me!

Liberté d´Expression

I have a small (24x24in) colourful painting called Opposites Attract at Liberté d´Expression Art Exhibition. To see it choose the Abstract and Cubism G-J section from the menu.

September

I love the autumn. Always have.
September rocks!
I have been nearly overcome the last few weeks by a thrill that feels both exciting and scary. The world is full of possibilities. The sun is out but there is a little hint of the chill to come. This perfect place between two extremes happens a bit earlier here in the UK than back in the South. I think it's about the sky, too.
(Could be why I loved school. And did better in the Autumn term than the Spring...hmmm)

This glorious feeling is a complex combination of happiness and feeling a bit sad or scared. Maybe it's like stepping onto a plane to go off to your exciting but scary future. You can't wait!
I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the air and that dizziness is enhanced by the slight feeling of something not quite right.
It is exhilarating and peculiar and wonderful.
That's why I love autumn.

This is a painting I made earlier this year called 'Autumn 4'.

Mile of Art 2006 is cancelled!

Oh No! We have just been told that the Hackney Mile of Art
has been cancelled! :-(
It was to be in 2 weeks but the organisers said "too many of our regular artists have made other commitments". I guess it does take a lot of art to make a mile of it! So, they will try again next year but earlier in the summer (and I hope with a bit more advance notice and publicity).
The Good News: My friend Claire (see photo below) was so looking forward to being a barrow girl ("roll up! roll up!") that we are going to look into a market stall in Brick Lane for a weekend! And I say: I made the paintings for Mile of Art already so let's go flog 'em!
It'll need to be soon, while the weather holds...

Thelma and Louise

This is what a 120x150cm painting looks like when it just barely fits in the back of a van. This is my friend Claire who drove the 11 hour return journey in 1 day as I chattered constantly alongside her and occasionally remembered to navigate. Neither rain nor traffic nor distance deterred us!
The painting will be in the Sefton Open! See entry for last Aug 2 titled Sefton Open for more info.
Thanks Claire!

Hackney Mile of Art 2006

I will be participating in this year's Mile of Art, Hackney, Sunday October 1, 2006, between 11.00am-5.00pm. See last year's blog entry for this event for pictures.
I will be next to my friend Claire Nock, a printmaker and painter, who promises to drum up viewers with a market traders call!
Imagine it, an entire mile of art stretching through East London!

Hackney Mile of Art

Artists' Books are hard to pin down

Some brave attempts at defining the genre of Artists' Books:

University of Washington Libraries

Yale-Artists' Book Information Resource, Jae Jennifer Rossman

Kohler Art Library, click on Artists' Books, enter the virtual exhibit, then scroll down to What are Artists' Books?

The Bookarts Web

Printed Matter, Inc.

Serendipity Press

I have decided to publish my artists' books under a press name: Serendipity Press.


Everything big is made up of something small. Trying my best to make contact with humanity, I make books that offer a moment of cheerful confusion, books that celebrate the beauty of the so-called ordinary, books made of groupings and lists, cataloguing the things and places we think we know, books that offer a new look at things you see every day. (Also, the occasional faltering attempt at communication about big ideas.)

I m currently working on a new book about American's and passports.

Selected for the Prelude Exhibition

I will have a space at the Prelude exhibition in October! I just found out I was selected!
Opening hours: 10:00 to 6:00
Friday Oct. 6, Sat. Oct. 7 and Sun. Oct. 8, 2006.

'Prelude'

is a new public art initiative from Inspired Art and Spitalfields Estate, which supports up and coming artists by showcasing their work in the run up to the Fourth Inspired Art Fair held this year at Christ Church, Spitalfields, in East London.

I will have as many paintings on display as I can get down there, small and large, and a table with some artists books.