‘Flourish: Continuing Professional Development for Craftspeople' at Craft in the Bay - Jan-April listings

I wear lots of different hats..... and one of them is coordinating the Continuing Professional Development series of seminars and workshops at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff.  Below are details of the latest tranche of events.  If you're interested in attending any of the sessions please do book soon.... I'm not just saying that - they really do book up quickly! Hope to see you there!

Public Art Commissions, Mererid Velios, Celfwaith
Friday 28th January 2011, 11am – 4pm

Are you keen to extend your professional practice into the realm of public art commissions but don’t know where to start or find the tendering process daunting? This workshop is designed to give you an insight into the opportunities available for craftspeople, how to construct effective expressions of interest, the interview process and different approaches to community engagement requirements.

Mererid Velios is a highly experienced public art consultant having worked for Cywaith Cyrmu - Artworks Wales before establishing her Cardiff-based consultancy Celfwaith. She has managed high profile projects across the UK, many of which are specifically involved craft practitioners. This is an invaluable opportunity to get insightful advice and individual support to tackling this rewarding area of craft professional practice.

What to bring:

· Essential: notebook and pen.

· Desirable but not imperative: a laptop would be helpful for the practical exercises. Images of your typical work that might be applicable for public art applications. If you have put together an unsuccessful public art commission proposal, you are welcome to bring it along for brief feedback from Mererid.

Cost: £45 for non members, £40.50 for members and friends of the Makers Guild in Wales


Membership of the Makers Guild in Wales
Monday 28th February 2011, 11.30am -12.15pm

Want to find out more about becoming a member of the Makers Guild in Wales? Want the chance to exhibit and sell at the Guilds prestigious gallery Craft in the Bay in Cardiff? Want to get involved with the largest maker-led craft organisation in Wales?

Laura Thomas Makers Guild in Wales member and trustee, will give a presentation on the benefits of joining the Guild. Current exciting developments at Craft in the Bay as well as the history of the Guild will be covered alongside the specifics of the new application procedure and what membership actually entails.

Cost: Free. Limited spaces, so booking is still absolutely essential.


Arts organisations supporting makers and designers in Wales
Monday 28th February 2011, 1.30pm – 4.30pm

Six of Wales’ leading arts and design support organisations will each give a 30 minute presentation on the services and support they offer makers and designers in Wales. Where relevant, membership benefits will be explained; practical support and/or facilities outlined; and grant opportunities highlighted.

· 1.30pm Arts & Business Wales – Yvette Kemble

· 2pm SATNET (Science and Art Network) & Creative Industries Research and Innovation

Centre (Swansea Metropolitan University) – Anna Lewis

· 2.30pm Arts Council of Wales – Michael Goode & Cerys Thomas

· 3pm Coffee break

· 3.15pm Design Wales – Victoria Jones

· 3.45pm Textile Technologies Project & The Shared Technology Resource Centre (Coleg Sir

Gar) – Liesel Taylor

· 4.15pm Fibre Art Wales – Laura Thomas

What to bring: notebook and pen.

Cost: Free, but a donation of £3.00 to cover afternoon refreshments would be appreciated. Limited spaces, so booking is still absolutely essential.


Press coverage for crafts, Nicola Wilkes, interior design journalist, Western Mail columnist and editor of Wales at Home. 
3rd March 2011, 11-1pm

This workshop is designed to give you an insight into what the press is looking for from craftspeople: how to generate press interest, the “dos and don’ts” of writing and sending out your press releases and the kind of photographs publications are looking for.

Nicola Wilkes is a respected interior design journalist, columnist for the Western Mail, editor of lifestyle magazine and directory Wales at Home, and freelance PR consultant with clients including Melin Tregwynt, Leekes, Cardiff Design Festival, Momentum and Made By Hand. She will present ‘The Infectious Effect: how to make the media work for you’ which will offer valuable tips and insights to creative crafts professionals on how get to market with the help of the media.

NB: this is the rescheduled December 2010 seminar that had to be cancelled due to ill health and adverse weather conditions.

What to bring: notebook and pen.

Cost: £20 for non members, £18 for members and friends of the Makers Guild in Wales


3d mapping workshop, Dail Behennah
Saturday 9th April 2011, 11am – 4pm

This workshop will explore lateral approaches to making through a practical 3d mapping exercise, which all makers regardless of discipline will be able to benefit from. You will encouraged to experiment with unfamiliar materials, discover new methods of joining components and new ways of realising ideas. The emphasis will be on self directed discovery, rather than prescribed teaching of techniques.

This is a rare treat to be taught by Dail Behennah, who is an internationally regarded maker, renowned for her elegant willow structures that epitomise a thoroughly atypical approach to her craft.

What to bring: materials will be provided but please bring some materials typical to your discipline which you would be happy to share with other participants.

Cost: £50 for non members, £45 for members and friends of the Makers Guild in Wales

To book on any of the courses, please phone Craft in the Bay on 02920 484 611 or email cpd@makersguildinwales.org

warp+weft exhibition on tour to Craft in the Bay, Cardiff

Maelstrom by Lucy McMullen. Hand woven quadruple cloth in Shetland wool and wire

The warp+weft exhibition that I curated for Oriel Myrddin is now officially on tour!  I have just spent the day installing the show at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, before it opens tomorrow evening at 6pm (please do come along if you are in the area!)

The gallery space at Craft in the Bay is completely different from Oriel Myrddin and so there is a very different visual dynamic. Its been great to rearrange the show accordingly to make new links between work, and to hang some pieces differently too.  Also, as its a bigger space, I have been able to make some additions to the show which I didn't have space for at Oriel Myrddin. Of particular note in the above work by Lucy McMullen.  This was created to mark the launch of ASF Shetland, and is a truly extraordinary piece of work from both an aesthetic and technical perspective.  Three panels of hand woven quadruple cloth unfold to create an extraordinary whirlpool structure.


Kase by Nuno

Another addition is 'Kase' by Nuno. This beautifully translucent woven cloth, has been devore printed post production - a paste is applied which selectively 'burns out' certain fibres leaving the overlapping circles pattern.
We also have two new pleated neckpieces by Ann Richards, and a second framed work by Ann Sutton so if you saw the show at Oriel Myrddin its very worthwhile to see the show in its new format at Craft in the Bay.

As mentioned, the show opens tomorrow evening at 6pm, and then continues to the 20th February.  I'll be giving a free gallery talk on the 22nd January at 2pm.  There are also two weave workshops running to coincide with the exhibition - Silk Inlay Weaving with Sue Hiley Harris on 29-30th Jan and Woven Passementerie with Jessica Light on the 5-6th Feb. Both workshops only have a couple of spaces left, so please book soon if you want to attend.

Inspired by the legacy of Anni Albers, Ruthin Craft Centre

Just thought I would share a few photographs of the exhibition currently on at Ruthin Craft Centre which includes two new pieces of work of mine.  Alongside the rare treat to see some of the woven and printed works by the legendary Anni Albers, there is an exhibition entitled Inspired by the Legacy of Anni Albers.  I was deeply honoured to be invited to exhibit in this show, as Albers is such icon in the world of textiles, who has been a major source of inspiration to me over the years.

The exhibition continues until the 6th February 2011.  Many thanks to Elen Bonner the Ruthin Craft Centre Education Officer who sent me these pictures after I forgot to take my own!

'Three x Five' (on wall), Horizon I-V (on plinth)

'Three x Five' hand woven strips, rewoven in a triaxial structure (the yellow is a brighter acid-yellow colour than that in this image)

Dorte Behn's work in foreground

Anni Albers exhibition

Ptolemy Mann to left, Wallace Sewell on back wall

Anni Albers rug produced by Christopher Farr, Ptolemy Mann to right

Fiona Mathison

'Best Maker in Wales' award at Made by Hand

Well, Made By Hand at Tredegar House is going really well. I was awarded the Newport Council 'Best Maker in Wales' award yesterday.... a rather nice way to start the fair! Tomorrow is the final day, so do make sure you come and visit.

To whet the appetite, here's some pictures of my stand....

Latest news....

Just thought I’d let you know about some forthcoming events and other bits of news.

Firstly, you can find me from this Friday to Sunday at Wales’ first major contemporary craft fair: Made by Hand at Tredegar House in Newport. I’ll be exhibiting my Resonate sculptures and a number of framed ‘Jacquard Sketches’. I will also have a small table loom on the stand so you can get a glimpse of the weaving process. My stand number is P66 which is in the Pavilion. The opening hours are as follows:

Friday 11-7pm
Saturday 10-5pm
Sunday 10-5pm

Adult Day Ticket £5
Accompanied children under 14 FREE
Concessions (aged 15-18, students, unwaged & OAPS) £4
Family Day Ticket (2 Adults & 2 Children aged 15-18) £15
3 Day Weekend Ticket £9/£7 concession.

This Saturday, a major exhibition of Anni Albers work opens at Ruthin Craft Centre. For those of you that are unfamiliar with her, Albers was one of the most influential weave designers and artists of the last century. A graduate of the famous Bauhaus, this is a rare treat to see some of her graphic pattern design and woven samples in the UK, thanks to The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation in the USA. Alongside this exhibition, there is a complimentary show entitled Inspired By: The Legacy of Anni Albers, which I am honoured to have two significant new pieces of work in. Ruthin Craft Centre is open 7 days a week and entry is free. The show continues to the 6th Feb 2011.

Alongside these events I have been busy finalising the design for the Museumaker commission to create a triptych window for The Beaney Museum and Art Gallery in Canterbury. The Museum is currently closed for renovation and for the building of an exciting new extension designed by SidellGibson Architects The commission will see the translation of my characteristic Loose Threads resin sculptures into laminated glass. Pictures of the final design and making process will soon be published on my blog: www.laurathomaswoventextiles.blogspot.com (please subscribe!)

The warp+weft exhibition I curated for Oriel Myrddin will be touring to Craft in the Bay, Cardiff in the New Year. It will be open to the public from: 7th January – 20th February. I will be giving a free gallery talk at 2pm on the 22nd January. To compliment the exhibition there will be a number of weave workshops and talks from other practitioners. Please visit the Craft in the Bay website for further details. The exhibition will then tour along with the warp+weft: from handloom to production exhibition (currently on at the National Wool Museum until the 8th Jan 2011) to Smith’s Row in Bury St Edmund's, who will also be planning a series of complimentary events. The exhibition will be open to the public from 12th March – 30th April.

I am also busily planning for my next curation project for Llantarnam Grange. The exhibition will feature a new body of work from myself, alongside the work of 5 artist-makers that I have selected. The exhibition is entitled ‘Resonant Colour’ with the connecting thread between the makers and their work being an inherent vibrant and intelligent approach to colour. I am delighted that Sara Moorhouse, Ann Sutton, Nicholas Rena, Heike Brachlow and Kate Blee have all agreed to contribute work. The exhibition will also have publication featuring essays from Sara Moorhouse and Dr Royden Hunt. The exhibition will be open to the public from 19.03.11 - 07.05.11.

Lastly, I shall be moving to a new studio at Model House Craft and Design Centre in Llantrisant, just outside of Cardiff in the New Year. The move-in date has yet to be confirmed, but I shall keep you posted! The Centre has a lovely shop and gallery space downstairs, with around 20 studios upstairs which is open to visitors to have a look around.

Wales Music Foundation stand at Womex

I love it how my work can crop up in surprising places.  Above is a picture of the Music Wales stand at WOMEX. The wonderful Kutchibok Design were responsible for all the branding and stand design, and between them and Wales Arts International who were supporting the venture, they decided one of my jacquard woven Welsh landscape views would make a suitable backdrop. Cardiff is one of the candidates to host the WOMEX festival in 2013..... and I've got my fingers and toes crossed that it's successful.

Affordable Art Fair, London, 21-24 Oct 2010

Just a quickie to let you know that you can see a selection of my framed jacquard artworks and resin sculptures at the Affordable Art Fair with the Interior Angle Gallery, stand F3 in London this week.


The fair is open to the public from Thurs 21st to Sunday 24th and can be found in the Battersea Park.

Cardiff Design Festival 2010 awards

I was delighted to be commissioned once again this year to create the Cardiff Design Festival Awards.  The theme behind this years events is 'into the light', and the ceremony is being held at the Coal Exchange in Cardiff Bay.  I therefore opted to have dark blue, grey and charcoal threads (to represent the coal) in silk cotton and linen merging in to silver lurex and light reflective threads. Winners to be announced this evening.

My other blog.....

Just a quick little reminder that I have just set up another blog, where I will be collecting together all the interesting weave related 'stuff' that I come across on my travels and online research.  I hope in time it will build up to become a valuable source of information for everyone interested in contemporary woven textiles in art, design, craft, fashion, science and industry.

Please do follow this link to the warp and weft blog and if you like what you see, subscribe and forward the info on to your contacts.

Many thanks.

Some more photo's from the warp+weft exhibition at Oriel Myrddin

Have been delivering a series of gallery talks at Oriel Myrddin over the past few weeks, and took the opportunity before speaking to my West Wales School of the Arts textiles students last week to take some more pictures of the exhibition. The show is on until the 31st October.

Ptolemy Mann in foreground, Peter Collingwood, Ann Sutton and Hiroko Takeda on wall.



Ainsley Hillard

Ismini Samanidou with Gary Allson

L-R Ann Sutton, Hiroko Takeda

Laura Thomas

Reiko Sudo, Nuno

Reiko Sudo, Nuno

Priti Vega

Sue Hiley Harris

Makeba Lewis

Ann Sutton

Hiroko Takeda

Ann Richards

Kathy Shicker

Lucy McMullen

Ann Sutton

Hiroko Takeda

Priti Vega in foreground, Peter Collingwood and Ann Sutton on wall

New Melin Tregwynt colourways @ 100% Design

I've been working with Melin Tregwynt for many years - all stemming from a work placement I undertook with the company when I was in the second year of my BA in Woven Textiles.  Over the last year, I've been doing lots of CAD colourways of their archive and contemporary fabrics...... and the latest batch was launched at 100% Design last month.  It was the first time I'd seen the selected colourways 'in the flesh' and I was delighted.... all my favourites colours!

Material Matters, Howard Gardens Gallery, UWIC, Cardiff 4th-28th October

Next week a new exhibition featuring some of my jacquard and resonate works opens in the Howard Gardens Gallery in UWIC (University of Wales in Cardiff).

For this exhibition coinciding with the Cardiff Design Festival, I find myself in very illustrious company. I'm exhibiting alongside a very international line-up of contemporary textile artists: Keireine Canavan, Philippa Lawrence, Cathy Treadaway, Helen Watkins, Brett Alexandrer (Australia), Catherine Bebout (USA) and Ainsley Hillard.

The private view is on the 7th October - so if you're in town, drop me a line and I'll email you further details.

warp+weft gallery talk at Oriel Myrddin Gallery, Carmarthen, 2pm, 22nd Sept 2010

Just a quickie to let you know I am giving a gallery talk tomorrow about the warp+weft exhibition I've curated at Oriel Myrddin in Carmarthen.  Its at 2pm.  Directions etc can be found here: http://www.orielmyrddingallery.co.uk/

warp+weft: cross disciplanary approaches to weave symposium at The National Wool Museum, 11th Sept 2010



Dr Jessica Hemmings. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.

 To mark the opening of the warp+weft exhibitions at Oriel Myrddin and the National Wool Museum, Dr Jessica Hemmings kindly put together a brilliant symposium exploring the unexpected connections with weave.

The day begin with Jessica's introduction, highlighting some wonderful examples of practice within the art textiles sphere which is woven, or references the process of weaving.  My absolute favourite example was the 'Wind up: Walking the Warp' project by Anne Wilson.  I thought the below image was so powerful - a real visual spectacle which to a non-weaver must seem utterly bizarre.  It's also a profound comment on the passing of time, the nature of craftsmanship, and the power of process.  You can read more about this intriguing project here: http://www.annewilsonartist.com/windup-chicago-walking.html

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28703188@N02/4250155682/

Anne Wilson, “Wind-Up: Walking the Warp,” 2008
Photo: Surabhi Ghosh

The first invited speaker was Professor Lesley Millar, well known for her high profile curatorial projects such as Cloth and Culture, 21:21 and Through the Surface.  Lesley spoke eloquently about constructed narratives implicit in the weave process, a concept harnessed to great effect by many of the artists she has worked with in her curation projects.  At the end of her presentation she told us of her newly launched web gallery / educational resource for textile art, Transition and Influence.

Professor Lesley Millar. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd.

We then had a presentation from Dr Wayne Forster, Head of the Welsh School of Architecture, which recounted much of the dialogue between Wayne and myself exploring the common ground between the architectural and textile disciplines.  You may remember I blogged last year about the Architextiles series of workshops I ran with Wayne at the School of Architecture.  Wayne presented many of the examples of cross disciplinary works in both textiles and architecture we'd come across in our research and how this fed into the workshops we ran for the first and second year architecture students.



Dr Wayne Forster. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

 Following a very tasty lunch in the Museum restaurant, we returned to lecture from Andy Ross, the Director of ASF Shetland, part of the Centre for Creative Industries in Shetland.  A trained opera singer, Andy ensured that anybody veering towards a post-lunch lull was re-energised.  He opened by singing a traditional weavers song, and then proceeded to explain his absorbing creative journey between textiles and music exploring where the crossovers are, such as in language and rhythm. He even got the delegates singing - quite appropriate for Wales!


Andy Ross. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

 During a coffee break there was then a screening of two short films by Matt Hulse Light Work: many hands and Anne Wilson’s Walking the Warp.

To conclude Ruth Greany, a textile trend researcher for WGSN talked about her former career as a woven fashion textile designer for Woven Studio and her work now at WGSN, exploring how trends are researched, identified, synthesised and presented to clients.

Ruth Greany. Photo: Kathryn Campbell Dodd

The symposium generated a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm on the day - a real feeling that the weave fraternity is starting to find its voice.  It was referred to time and time again by speakers and delegates that weaving has not been seen as a sexy discipline and as a result just hasn't been in the limelight such as knitting has in recent years.Craft skills are under threat, there aren't many job opportunities for weave students to aspire towards, and there isn't a strong collectors market for art and craft textiles.  But little is to be achieved by just repeating these laments.  Weavers need to be working harder to bring what they are doing to the fore.  The exhibitions I've curated had this very aim - to celebrate the achievements of the creative and entrepreneurial weave artists and designers working in this field, to both inform the public and to act as inspiration to other weavers.  We need to create our own opportunities and keep striving to create the most extraordinary woven textiles thus claiming our rightful place as an important and stimulating applied art / craft / design area.

As a result of spending two days at the symposium and the various exhibition openings talking to a veritable 'who's who' in the world of weaving, I've been mulling over how to continue the momentum of interest and energy thats seems to have started.  Ideas are already forming, and I'll tell you about them once they start to become reality.  One thing I have decided to start now is a new blog which will record all the interesting weave related items I find happening in art  design, craft, science, industry and academia.  I spend a little too much time researching online and it would be wonderful to be able to share the suprising, curious, intrguing, beautiful weave related images and links I find with you.  It will also review exhibitions I go to, books I read, and any other curious snippets of relevant info.  I hope it will in time become a valuable resource for students, researchers and curators who are exploring weave in all its guises, but also the general art/design/craft enthusiast.  There's not much posted yet (only just started!) but please subscribe and tell your friends and colleagues about it too: http://www.thewarpandweftblog.blogspot.com/