Warp + Weft exhibitions and symposium...

The following is a press release for a series of exhibitions I am curating or coordinating.....

Ismini Samanidou (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Makeba Lewis (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Hiroko Takeda

Laura Thomas (Photo: Toril Brancher 2010)

Ann Sutton (Photo: Toril Brancher, 2010)

The Oriel Myrddin Gallery in Carmarthen is delighted to be presenting a long overdue exhibition of unexpected woven textiles by contemporary artists and designers who show a respect for tradition, yet are embracing new technology, aesthetics and making methods.

With generous support from The Laura Ashley Foundation, Warp + Weft will tell the story of contemporary weave in this oft overlooked field with a series of stunning works by the following artists and designers:

Ainsley Hillard
Ann Richards
Ann Sutton
Hiroko Takeda
Ismini Samanidou + Gary Allson
Kathy Schicker
Laura Thomas
Lucy McMullen
Makeba Lewis
Peter Collingwood
Priti Veja
Ptolemy Mann
Reiko Sudo (Nuno)
Sue Hiley Harris

Warp + Weft opens to the public on the 11th Sept and closes on the 30th October. The gallery is open Monday –Saturday 10am-5pm and admission is free. For further information please visit the Oriel Myrddin website.

Alongside this exhibition there will be a satellite exhibition at the National Wool Museum in Drefach Felindre, Carmarthenshire. Warp + Weft: from handloom to production will showcase weavers who have developed their practice into the commercial arena through collaboration with mills to produce contemporary woven textiles products for both fashion and interiors that retain a distinctive craft aesthetic. An exciting array of covetable textile goods will be presented from the following companies and designers:

Cefyn Burgess
Dashing Tweeds
Donna Wilson / SCP / Melin Tregwynt
Eleanor Pritchard
Margo Selby
The Linen Shop
Tim Parry Williams
Wallace and Sewell

The exhibition opens on 4th September and will close on 8th January 2011. The National Wool Museum opening times: April–September: open daily from 10am–5pm. October–March: Tues–Sat
10am to 5pm. Admission is free. For further information please visit the National Wool Museum website: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/wool/

To celebrate the opening of the two exhibitions, we are delighted that noted textile academic Dr Jessica Hemmings is directing a one day symposium entitled ‘Cross disciplinary approaches to weave’ at the National Wool Museum on Saturday 11th September. Speakers confirmed so far include:

• Professor Lesley Millar, curator of a number of key textile exhibitions in the last decade, including “Textual Space” and “Cloth & Culture Now”.
• Andrew Ross, Creative Director of ASF Shetland and GlobalYell Music will be speaking about the relationship between weaving and music www.creativeindustriesshetland.org.uk
• Ruth Greany, Textile Trend Researcher for Materials at WGSN will be speaking about trends in woven materials.
• Screenings of short experimental films will explore the rhythms of weaving at the Dovecot Tapestry Studio by filmmaker Matt Hulse and Anne Wilson’s recent “Walking the Warp” project.
• Dr Wayne Forster, Deputy Head of the Welsh School of Architecture will talk about the parallels between textiles and architecture.

There are limited tickets available for this event so early booking is highly recommended. Further details and a booking form can be found here: http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/whatson/?event_id=4380

Alongside these events there are two further textile exhibitions for you to visit at The National Botanic Garden of Wales in Carmarthenshire. Fibre Art Wales will be holding its first ever ‘textiles in the open’ exhibition across the dramatic landscape of the Gardens. Fibre Art Wales patron Mary Lloyd Jones will be exhibiting alongside the following members of the group:

Alison Moger
Bethan Ash
Claire Cawte
Laura Thomas
Lisa Porch
Louise Bird
Michelle Griffiths
Ruth Harries
Ruth McLees

In The National Botanic Garden Of Wales gallery, there will be an exciting exhibition showcasing the diverse work of selected graduates, students and staff, from the BA Contemporary Textiles course in the West Wales School of the Arts, Coleg Sir Gâr. Exhibitors include:

Anita Bowyer
Danie Carter
Debbie Smyth
Elspeth Morris
Kelly Jenkins
Lisa Connelly
Liz Miller
Paula Philips Davies
Shellie Holden
Zoe Gealy

Both exhibitions at The National Botanic Garden of Wales open on the 10th Sept and close on the 30th November 2010. The gardens are open daily from 10am-6pm until the 28th October. Between the 29th Oct-28th March the opening hours are 10am-4.30pm.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales admission prices:
Adults £8.00
OAPS £6.50
Children (5-16) £4.00
Under 5’s are free
Family (2 Adults & up to 4 children) £19.50

Further details can be found here: http://www.gardenofwales.org.uk/

For further information about the exhibitions please contact:

• Curator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk
• Warp +Weft, Kathryn Campbell Dodd, Oriel Myrddin Marketing Officer, KCampbell@carmarthenshire.gov.uk
• Warp + Weft: from hand loom to production: National Galleries and Museums of Wales, Curator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk
• BA Contemporary Textiles Course Director, West Wales School of the Art, Paula Philips Davies, Paula.Phillips@colegsirgar.ac.uk
• Fibre Art Wales exhibition coordinator, Laura Thomas, info@laurathomas.co.uk

Forthcoming seminar at Ruthin Craft Centre 'The sum of its parts Applied art and architecture in the public realm'

Just thought I'd draw your attention to a fantastic forthcoming seminar at Ruthin Craft Centre:

The sum of its parts Applied art and architecture in the public realm

Monday 12 April 2010 10am – 5.30pm
£15 Fee includes light lunch

Chaired by Tom Dyckhoff Architecture Critic for the Times

Jonathan Sergison Sergison Bates architects
Jim Partridge & Liz Walmsley Artists
Tracy Simpson Safle
Brian Podschies Jewellery Designer
Isabel Vasseur ArtOffice
Yuko Shiraishi Artist

A day seminar that examines the relationship between Architecture and Applied Art in the creation of the public realm and the creative relationships at the heart of successful projects.

The seminar uses the experience of the design team of the new Ruthin Craft Centre Sergison Bates architects, Jim Patridge & Liz Walmsley and Brian Podschies, together with speakers from public arts agencies Isabel Vasseur - ArtOffice and Tracy Simpson - Safle and the artist Yuko Shiraishi. The seminar will be chaired by Tom Dyckhoff, architecture critic of the Times.

For further information and details of how to book please visit www.ruthincraftcentre.org.uk or call Ruthin Craft Centre on 01824 704774

Places are limited to 50 and must be booked and paid for in advance. Cancellation of a place does not automatically qualify for a refund.

Ruthin Craft Centre is part of Denbighshire County Council and is revenue funded by the Arts Council of Wales.

Introduction to Weave workshop at Ruthin Craft Centre, Feb 2010

As part of my Creative Wales Ambassador Award residency at the Ruthin Craft Centre I am undertaking various educational activities.

In February I ran an 'Introduction to Weave' workshop which went very well, and I think my five participants all got the weaving bug!

Some images from the day:

Jill Pardy Jones (above)

Hilary Gravells (above)

Kim Disley (above)

John Hunter (above)

Julia Barker (above)

not looking too tired by the end of the day!

Soon I'll be running a 'Making a warp and threading up your loom' workshop - will keep you posted on the date for this.

In meantime, you'll be able to hear me give a free lunchtime talk at Ruthin Craft Centre on the 29th April at 12.30 - would be great to see you there!

Photos from MidCentury Modern, 21st March 2010

Had a great show at Mid Century Modern last month. The show was extremely busy, and I saw a couple of old friends from school and college, that I haven't seen for years!

Just thought I'd share a couple of photos with you of my stand.....

'Second Chance' at Craft in the Bay, 3-4 April

Grab yourself a lovely bargain this Easter weekend. I'm one of 8 exhibitors in 'Second Chance' at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff. Open this Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4.30pm. Cash or cheque sales only.

Hope to see you there!

MidCentury Modern, 21st March, Dulwich College, London

Come visit me this Sunday 21st March at MidCentury Modern in Dulwich College, London. Am really excited to be taking part in this event for the first time. Hopefully there will be lots of visitors especially as its supported by Elle Decoration.

I'll be exhibiting my Resonate Collection, including the 'Miniatures' range that has been selling like hot cakes!

Open from 10am-4pm.

£6 admission.

For further details follow this link to the MidCentury Modern website.

Hope to see you there!

Mastercrafts, Friday 12th March, 9pm, BBC2

Sorry for the extended silence on this blog..... just been too busy! Hopefully over the next week or so I'll have a bit of a flurry of blogging to update you on all that's going on for me at the moment.

But to begin, for those of you in the UK, do watch this Fridays episode of Mastercrafts on
BBC2 at 9pm.... dedicated to weaving. The lovely Margo Selby is the master crafts person leading the novices through their introduction to weaving. (Am guessing that those outside of the UK may be able to watch it after its aired on the BBC iplayer service?)

A series such as this looking at craftsmanship in a serious way is long overdue. I've really enjoyed the previous episodes and as a result have developed something of a need to go exploring green wood and blacksmithing!

Margo did come to interview me with her novices at the beginning of filming last October in Origin and apparently a snippet of me has made the programme. Am more than a little worried as I'm neither photogenic or comfortable on camera so I'll be watching that bit through my fingers!

Anyway, just make sure you bookmark it!

Can't wait!

Buy handmade Christmas presents this year.....

Have got several new pieces of work in this years Christmas exhibition at Craft in the Bay 'Seren Arian' ('Silver Star') here in Cardiff.

There is also a great range of work from the other Members of the Makers Guild in Wales alongside a select group of other invited designer-makers.

The show will be opened this Friday by Nick Capaldi, the Chief Exectutive of the Arts Council of Wales this Friday the 13th November at 6pm. The show then runs until the 3rd January 2010, opening every day from 10.30-5.30pm.

This show also coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Makers Guild in Wales, so it'll be a double celebration.

Makers Guild in Wales
Craft in the Bay
The Flourish
Lloyd George Avenue
Cardiff
CF10 4QH

Tel: 029 2048 4611

E-mail: admin@makersguildinwales.org.uk

Hope to see you there!

More overdue photo's.....

Ok, so I thought my overdue blog update regarding the Architextiles workshops in April/May was so late that it was verging on the embarrassing..... but I've just found these pictures that I forgot to share, erm, last year! I won the 2008 Wesley Barrell Award for Interior Textiles which was presented to me at Origin (2008)

Anyway, decided I really ought to share them not only because it was a fine Award to win but I'm also wearing my favourite red shoes!

Second week in residence at Ruthin Craft Centre during October.....

I spent my second week in residence at the Ruthin Craft Centre during the last week of October.... and the time went scarily quickly!

I spent the first day getting one of the small hand looms at the Centre threaded up for a public participation project. Visitors to my studio will be invited to choose a favourite colour from a selection of yarns and then weave a stripe before finally tying on a label with their name, date and a few words explaining why they chose that yarn. Over time we will build a long stripey piece of fabric which will serve as a colourful visual record of visitors to my studio.

I was delighted that idea was immediately well received by those that came into my studio.... my youngest weaver so far was just 4 years old but so competent I offered her an apprenticeship!

So if you find yourself visiting Ruthin please do call in to see me and weave a stripe! I'll next be there from the 28th Nov to the 1st Dec.

The yarns to choose from to weave a stripe:

The loom to try out weaving on, complete with the labels recording the weavers name, date and the reason behind the yarn colour choice:

I then spent some time rationalising the work I had done during September when last in residence. Picking out the preferred pieces, these were 'exhibited' so that my visitors could glean a better idea of the 'story' I'm working towards.



The key area of exploration for this week was repeat pattern using isometric graph paper. I seem to be very preoccupied by angles and oblique lines at the moment! The colour exploration is continuing, but this time on a much smaller scale and in a more controlled fashion. These sorts of patterns could of course be very quickly explored digitally, but I find I use colour in a far more sensitive and less predictable way when I actually mix paints and apply it with a paintbrush rather than a mouse click. Its great to have the luxury of time to do this kind of work.








And I also did a little triaxial weaving on a tapestry frame......


Finally I was also busy making lots of warps ready for a free 'round robin' weaving workshop I am running at the Craft Centre on the 28th November. Again on the theme of stripes, participants will have 3 minutes to weave a stripe on their loom before moving on to their neighbours loom. They will then be asked to reflect on the colour of the first stripe and to choose a complimentary colour for the next stripe which they'll have another 3mins to weave, before moving on to the next loom and so on. The purpose of the workshop is is to explore perceptions of colour as well as giving novice weavers to chance to try out a new craft. It's also a celebration of the spirit of collaborative working and sharing ideas.

The warps ready to be put onto the looms:

Creative Wales Ambassador Award at Ruthin Craft Centre

Earlier this year I was the recipient of a Creative Wales Ambassador Award from the Arts Council of Wales. This Award is supporting the development of several new bodies of work over the next two years. Ruthin Craft Centre in North Wales was my nominating 'host' organisation for the award and as part of developing my working relationship with them, I am spending approx one week per month 'in residence' at one of their studios.

I'm using this opportunity to get away from the day-to-day distractions of 'normal' life here in Cardiff to get on was some uninterrupted thinking, planning and designing and to formalise the structure of my planned projects.

I spent my week in residence during September working in a very uninhibited way primarily exploring colour proportions and relationships. Its was also interesting to reflect upon the fact that it became a great deal easier and more natural to think on a bigger scale in a large, white, empty studio space - quite a contrast to my dark, crowded studio here in Cardiff!

Anyway, here's a few pictures from that first week in September.....

.... I got through a lot of paint that week!

Online exhibition from Brown Grotta Arts '10th Wave III'

Brown Grotta Arts recently launched their first online exhibition entitled '10th Wave III' featuring 125 works from over 60 international artists. Amongst the exhibits are a couple of my Resonate sculptures.... Please do check out the exhibition and the accompanying publication