On the move.....

Well, its with a very heavy heart, I said goodbye to my studio in Model House Craft & Design Centre this weekend. Whilst I loved my studio space in the heart of Old Llantrisant, my vision of juggling a toddler & a studio hasn't really worked out! We've recently bought a house in Bridgend which is big enough for me to work from home instead. Hopefully I'll now be able to get on with work more efficiently in the evenings etc.

Anyway, I now have a scary amount of unpacking to do as I write this surrounded by boxes and boxes and boxes of yarns, fabrics and paperwork..... Wish me luck!

Arts & Business Cymru Awards

Photo: Carrick Creative 2013

Earlier this year, I was really honoured to have been given the significant commission to design and produce the 2013 Arts & Business Cymru Awards. Presented last month to notable businesses and individuals that have made an outstanding contribution to the cultural landscape in Wales, the awards have been designed to incorporate the A&B corporate colours. Using my trademark technique of seemingly loose threads cast in acrylic resin, these pieces have an added extra: light reflective thread. When light hits the threads, you get a wonderful flash of light in the same way as light hitting safety clothing at night.

Many thanks to Carrick Creative for these photographs, Arts & Business Cymru for the commission and huge congratulations to all the winners.

Photo: Carrick Creative 2013

Llanelli town centre glass canopy

Rather overdue sharing this news with you, but I'm really excited to bring you these wonderful photos by Dan Staveley of my largest commission to date. This canopy in Llanelli town centre was unveiled last month, as part of its multi-million pound regeneration programme. The canopy structure had been designed as part of the town centre facelift, and I was commissioned to create the glass. 

Drawing inspiration from the incredible industrial heritage of Llanelli, I decided to explore using industrial materials to laminate in glass, rather than my usual dyed silks, cottons and linens. Carbon fibre threads alongside copper and steel meshes were chosen, and they had the added benefit of being colour stable for this outdoor usage. I undertook a lot of research into the tinplate manufacturing process - Llanelli was once the worlds largest producer of tinplate, and so there were a huge number of people once employed in this industry. And it wasn't just men working on the hard production lines either as I had assumed, and so for this commission I wanted to honour the memory of all the women working in the tinplate industry. As the shape of the canopy reminded me greatly of quilting patterns, there was a pleasing juxtaposition between the more expected feminine pastime of quilting and the work women were doing in the tinplate factories.

And so each pane of glass was treated as if an individual pattern piece in a quilt. The gradating blues were achieved with an adhesive vinyl. The copper and steel meshes were folded in reference to the significant 'doubling' process in the tinplate manufacture. This creates a fantastic moire effect so the work has an extra dynamism as you shift your angle of gaze. There are also wonderful shadows cast on sunny days.

As always, I am hugely grateful to the brilliant Innovative Glass Products for helping me realise this commission. To say that this was a challenging job would be an understatement, but they made sure that my vision became a reality.

The canopy structure was made by Broxap who were an absolute pleasure to work with throughout.

The seating underneath the canopy was also a special commission, undertaken by Dallas Pierce Quintero.

And the public art manager was Emma Price, and the build contractors were Alun Griffiths.

Enjoy the pictures...................

Contemporary Craft Festival, Bovey Tracey, Devon 7-9 June

This Friday sees the opening of the tenth Contemporary Craft Festival in Bovey Tracey. I'm delighted that I will be part of the festival for the first time this year. I'm demonstrating weaving on stand 13 outside, and will also have a selection of my resin sculptures, plus blankets and cushions available to buy.

Mill Marsh Park, off St John's Lane
Bovey TraceyDevonTQ13 9AL
June 7-9th
Open 10am-5pm

Hope to see you there!

Coleg Sir Gar degree exhibitions

Its that time of year again: my BA3 Textiles students have completed their studies, and their final projects are on show. Do come see their hard work, either at our Jobswell Campus in Camarthen or at New Designers next month.

Art Craft, 1-30 June,

The next exhibition that I'll be featuring in, has a fantastic line-up of artists based in or near Cardiff. Organised by the Cardiff Arts Collective, they have once again secured a vacant shop in the city centre.

Details are as follows:

Art Craft
1-30 June 2013 | 10-5.30 daily
11 High Street, Castle Quarter, Cardiff CF10 1AW
Private View: Saturday 1 June 2-4pm
Artist Talk: Alun Hemming: ‘Scale’ Saturday 8 June 2-3pm
Artist in Residence 1: Michelle Griffiths 10-14 June
Artist Talk: Ingrid Murphy: ‘New Technologies within Ceramic
Practice’ Saturday 15 June 2-3pm
Artist in Residence 2: Natalia Dias 24-28 June
'The exhibition focuses on artists whose work either transcends the boundary between what is traditionally classified as art and craft, falls between the two areas or highlights the theme of what is art and what is craft.
We think it is as current an issue as ever, with the development of new technologies used with more traditional materials and techniques, with many local artists producing technically innovative and thought provoking artwork. Organised by the Cardiff Arts Collective.'


Artists:
Jonathan Anderson
Sophie Buckingham
Claire Cawte
Natalia Dias
Kathryn Campbell Dodd
Michelle Griffiths
Ruth Harries
Alun Hemming
Ingrid Murphy
Mike Murray
Zoe Preece
Lisa-Marie Tann
Laura Thomas

Weave: A One Day Symposium: Stroud International Textiles, 11th May 2012

Weave: A One Day Symposium: Stroud International Textiles

Helga Matos

SPRING SELECT APRIL 27 – 26 MAY 2013
Presented by Stroud International Textiles

Saturday 11 May 2013
‘Weave’  is a one day conference will bring together a diverse group of experts to explore weaving and woven structures. The day will discuss how weaving has progressed and developed while continuing to delight in traditional textiles skills.

Confirmed contributor speakers are Laura Thomas; Nadia-Anne Ricketts; Eleanor Pritchard; Tim Parry-Williams; Deirdre Woods; Helga Matos. Philippa Brock (Chair);

These are inspirational designer makers who test the boundaries of textile material and experiment with how far those boundaries can be pushed. The work they produce is exciting, beautiful, intelligent and inspiring.

The day will bring opportunities for makers and designers to contribute their specialist skills and knowledge of materials and encourage new systems and processes. The day will explore and discuss new techniques while basking in the pleasure of woven cloth.

Each contributor strives to push the expected boundaries of woven textile working with design, architects, fashion, science and interior design
Tickets:
Full price £70
Concessions full time students, unemployed and Friends of SIT £40
Early Bird Tickets: Full Price £60 Students Early Bird £35
Early Bird tickets end on March 30

This includes a light lunch and tea/coffee on arrival.
Advance booking through www.sitselect.org symposium booking page.

A bookshop run by Yellow-Lighted Books will be present.

Booking
To book a ticket please go to www.sitselect.org or www.stroudinternationaltextiles.org.uk and navigate to the symposium page where you will find full details on how to book online or if you prefer you can send a cheque to SIT office.
Or book through Tourist Information centre on 01453 760 960

Venue: Stroud College in Gloucestershire GL5 4AH
Contact Stroud International Textiles on 01453 751056 / info@stroudsit.org

Eleanor Pritchard

Tim Parry Williams

'Maker in focus' exhibition photos, Mission Gallery

My 'Maker in Focus' exhibition at the Mission Gallery in Swansea has just finished. Thought I would share some photos of the show with you. Many thanks to Nicolas Hughes for the pictures, and to Deirdre Finnerty for her considered curation.
 

Glass wall panel made with Innovative Glass Products

Pembroke Civic Trust Talk, 22nd April

Maker in Focus, Mission Gallery, Swansea until 5th May 2013

Until the 5th of May you can see a collection of my work at the beautiful Mission Gallery in Swansea. Amongst the collection of thread-wrapped wooden vessels and Resonate sculptures, there is a brand new laminated glass wall panel made especially for the space with the wonderful Innovative Glass Products.

Photo courtesy of the Mission Gallery

'Lattice' blanket joins the National Wool Museum collection

Delighted to report that one of my Lattice blankets has recently joined the permanent collection at the National Wool Museum. Its 100% lambswool and was woven at Melin Tregwynt. I have just a handful of cushions and one throw left in this design now, so you'll have to get in quick if you want one!

Second Chance, Craft in the Bay, Easter weekend

A chance to bag a bargain at Craft in the Bay this coming weekend: resin sculptures and miniatures half price, and handwoven stretched silk canvas' and scarves are amongst the treats available. I'll be manning the sale on Sunday: hope to see you there....

The Blodwen Heritage Collection

One of the first bits of work I did last year after Evan was born was to help out with this exciting heritage project for Blodwen. An amazing collection of hand drawn designs for double cloth blankets from the 1700s had been discovered, and I helped analyse which could be successfully woven within certain manufacturing parameters. With Evan in one arm (yes, literally) I drew up the fabric on ScotWeave software in the TTP centre at Coleg Sir Gar and worked with Denise the founder of Blodwen to explore scale, repeat and colourways.

Am delighted to share with you now, that the blankets and cushions are available to buy online..... contemporary heirlooms to cherish.

All images courtesy of www.blodwen.com 

Traditional Twisted, Unit 12, Stafford

photo courtesy of Iain Perry, Unit 12

photo courtesy of Iain Perry, Unit 12

Am delighted to share some images of four new Resonate sculptures made especially for 'Traditional Twisted' at Unit 12, a brilliant applied art gallery in Staffordshire. This exhibition celebrates designer-makers who work in traditional techniques and processes but with a contemporary twist taking the crafts into new territory.

The exhibition opens tomorrow, 2nd March 2013 and continues until the 25th May. I thoroughly recommend a visit (I can't wait to go see my work in situ!). As well as the exhibition, you can see studio makers at work, and there is also a very inspiring programme of workshops.

Each sculpture is made using my trademark techniques of cotton and silk threads in gradating hues cast in high quality acrylic resin. The sculptures each measure 20x20x6cm.

Gallery Opening Times

Thursday - Saturday 
10.00 - 4.00pm 

Unit Twelve Gallery
Tixall Heath Farm
Stafford
ST18 0XX

email: jcolliertextiles@yahoo.co.uk
tel: 07811 460494 

Hello Bournemouth

This coming weekend I shall be in Bournemouth. I am honoured to have been asked to speak about my practice at this exciting new conference: Design Your Career, alongside some very notable figures in the industry. I understand their are a few tickets left, so if you're planning a design / applied arts business, then this is the event for you.

Entirely unrelated, but very serendipitously, you can also see some of my work on show in Bournemouth University (Kimmeridge House) at the moment. They are showing a number of my framed jacquard artworks and some Resonate wall panels, including 'Grid Weave' (above). I also be part of a bigger exhibition there later this year entitled 'The Art of Making: Textiles and texture’ from 19 Sept – 7 Dec.

'Utility', Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, 12 Jan - 3 March 2013

Amongst the various 'hats' I wear, I sit on the Education and Exhibitions Committee at the Makers Guild in Wales. A year or so ago I proposed an idea for an exhibition..... and this is the result.  'Utility' opens next Friday, and quite frankly I want to buy all the exhibits. (Alas, my bank balance doesn't quite allow for this, so feel free to visit and buy.)

Claire Cawte

Enya Moore

Stuart Cairns

Cathy Miles

Sharon Adams

Kathryn Campbell-Dodd

Jennifer Collier

Lynda Shell

Ann Nazareth

Ann Catrin Evans

This is my introductory text for the exhibition catalogue:

The making of tools is regarded as one of the key milestones in human evolution. The development of more complex tools and utensils paved the way for new social behaviours, dietary change, greater dexterity and indeed the making of other objects.  Tools are fundamental to being human.

Craftspeople have a particularly profound relationship with tools and utensils for obvious reasons. The tools of the trade are treasured objects in their own right as they mould to the makers hand revealing their years of servitude and the unique demands they are faced with.  A weaver would intimately know the intricacies and differences of all their weaving shuttles, scissors and hooks, whilst the distinctive dents and worn patina of a jewellers’ hammer, pincers, pliers and files might hint at what they've been used to make.

This exhibition presents some of the UKs finest makers’ curiosity and reverence for tools and utensils. Whilst everything can be used for something, these aren’t functional objects in the traditional sense: they are aesthetic celebrations of the tools of making. They are designed to raise a smile, evoke a sense of familiarity and encourage a fresh look at a maker’s transformation of basic materials into something new, regardless of ‘what it is for’.


With thanks (as always) to Charlotte Kingston, Education & Exhibitions Officer at Craft in the Bay.