h.Art 2014 exhibition opening. Sales! Hoorah!

Hereford Arts Week! Hoorah! And the opening of the Print Shed Exhibition in Madley.

  The photo below shows my little corner of poetry and print, and the 'celebrate' print sold twice (I did have two), as did the 'this way' print, several packets of poetry AND some greeting cards.

  I completely forgot to take any photos of the event as I was trying unsuccessfully to look nonchalant about my sales. Absolutely thrilled.
I spent the afternoon helping Jill to finish hanging and making the exhibition ready, so now I know how to hang an exhibition AND make brushetta simultaneously - always good to gather new skills.

The Print Shed, Madley, 20:20 Art Exhibition

A great exhibition at The Print Shed in Madley.

It's an art exchange, where members of print studios each make an edition of prints, 20cm x 20cm, and then there is a massive exchange between studios and artists! If you take part, you receive a lovely little box, filled with a wide selection of prints from a variety of people and places.
The walls of the The Print Shed are completely covered with prints.

It's impossible to give a clear idea of how much is on the walls,

 and there are lots of little boxes with more prints in to look through as well. It's an amazing experience, to see so much stuff!

Here is one of my favourites,

and this caught my eye as well,

I didn't take a photo of my own print, but it has a poem letterpressed on it, of course.
Here's Jill, relaxing after putting up this massive show. She's with Kate Dawson, who makes wonderful ceramics.

Worth a visit, for the huge range of styles and ideas, and Jill's warm welcome.
http://www.theprintshed.net/
http://www.ceramakate.co.uk/

poems, pictures, and kitchen table publishing

I have been preparing my letterpress haiku pictures for display at the Big Skill craft fair in Hay on Wye next weekend.You can see the pictures close up in a previous post, Printing, Pegasus and Poetry.

The poems are letterpress printed onto pages of old books. I hadn't really thought how to present them, but luckily my friend Jill was able to help. She's an artist and also a picture framer, and we had a very happy afternoon choosing mountboard of different colours, which she then cut for me. And she told me the how to do it and the what to buy.

Cellophane, sellotape, and a ruler are very important. And I am rather pleased with the results. The butterflies look wonderful.

And the Pegasus pictures so dramatic. I am very glad I painted the kitchen blue earlier this year - everything looks so good in front of it.

I do wonder if we will ever be able to eat in the kitchen again though.

 Jill has a wonderful print studio in Madley, with the most fabulous old printing press, which I am going to introduce to my trays of wooden letters after the craft fair. Here's a link to her website, www.theprintshed.net

And here's a poster for the fair. I'm really looking forward to it. And if the weather is like this weekend!

The Print Shed, Madley. Christmas Exhibition

Here's a really nice flyer, made for me, for the Print Shed Christmas Open Studio event in Madley.

I was so pleased to see the image of my hand sewn silk Christmas cards!

I am contributing a range of lovely gifts, as well as some home made truffles and of course freshly baked gingerbread men.

Santa & the Three Scrooges

I have been preparing seasonal finger puppet gift cards for Crickhowell Craft Fair, Caemawr Studio in Hay on Wye, and The Print Shed, Madley.

 

Here is Santa, happily taking the money, on his own colourful collage Christmas card.

He is joined by three Scrooges, each one with its own Christmas ghost.

Here's the ethereal ghost of Christmas Past. I found a tiny old edition of A Christmas Carol, and have put little pieces of the text onto each card.

Here's the jovial Ghost of Christmas Present,

and finally the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come who does, I admit, look a little like an enraged tea bag. I've had such fun devising these cards - I hope they find new homes over the festive season!
 

Crickhowell Craft Fair, 23rd November, Clarence Hall, Crickhowell.

Caemawr Studio Hay on Wye, open Thursday to Sunday until 21st December.

The Print Shed Madley open weekend, 29th November to 2nd December.

letterpress. ampersand. doomed lovers.

In the midst of making jolly festive things for Christmas Craft Fairs, I suddenly had a brainwave about a letterpress ampersand picture. Here it is, in its box frame, lounging against a sumptuous quilt.

 I have printed some of my ampersand collection onto very nice textured paper, and printed on the mount as well. I think it looks rather jolly from a distance, but when you look closely,

the ampersand joins famous lovers, all of whom are

as the printed title explains!

Excellent, now I can get on with knitting finger puppet Santas to put on collage gift cards - but the cards reference sponsorship and Coca Cola, so perhaps the doom isn't quite behind me!

Crickhowell Craft Fair, 23rd November, Clarence Hall, Crickhowell.

Christmas Fair, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, weekend of 30th November and weekend of 7th December.

Christmas Open Studio, Print Shed, Madley, 29th November to 2nd December.

h. Art at The Print Shed. A must-see exhibition.

I have had a really lovely day being a steward at The Print Shed, Madley, where there is a great exhibition as part of h.Art week, Herefordshire Arts Week.

In pride of place is the mighty 1834 Cope & Sherwin printing press, in regular use by members of the studio. I've printed linocuts with it. Brilliant.

This is a poor quality photo taken with my phone, but one of my favourite artists in the exhibition is Ursula Prosser, who makes wonderful linocuts, and captures the essence of what horses are.

One of the most popular artists is Lee Wright,
who makes reduction linocuts. This is of Carreg Cennen castle.

You really need to see them in person, but I hope my images give an idea.

                                                                             

Artist in Residence Richard Bavin has a studio up in the roof of the studio. Interesting to look at, as he has both finished work and work in progress.


I had a great day talking to people, making tea and dispensing cake, and selling art, including some of my own!

And in an unexpected half an hour lull, I got the first drafts of two haiku that have been at the back of my mind for ages.

h.Art is on until Saturday 15th September.
www.theprintshed.net

The Print Shed. h.Art exhibition. Fantastic!

Tonight was the opening of the exhibition at The Print Shed in Madley, as part of the h.Art event, happening throughout Herefordshire, between now and 15th September. 

It was a beautiful warm evening.

It's my first exhibition in a proper art gallery, so I was rather nervous, but it looked lovely!

I was so nervous driving to the exhibition that I had to listen to the second movement of 

Beethoven's 7th Symphony on a continuous loop, which calms me down yet keeps me going.

I made sales! And came home so so happy.

www.theprintshed.net

 

h Art exhibition. The Print Shed. Poetry, Art, and tea as well!

I am so excited to be part of the exhibition at The Print Shed in Madley, celebrating the annual h Art week. Lots of studios and galleries in Herefordshire are open, and it's a wonderful chance to see lots of art, and often talk to the artists as well.

I have never seen a piece I've made featured on an invite before!
The Print Shed is a lovely place,
www.theprintshed.net
and you can find information about the whole programme here,
h-art.herefordshire.gov.uk

Kitchen Table Publishing

I have been working at the kitchen table, preparing two sets of poems. The poems themselves are in my shed. I printed them in there, where they're now hanging up to dry. The wood, hammer, drill and nails for their presentation are all on the kitchen table, where we also eat.

Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be easier just to put poems in a BOOK, like everyone else, but then I really like the finished product.

 The Keys to Love.

The poems are on the labels behind the letterpress printed titles. It's an edition of six. 

Ready to take to Free Verse: The Poetry Book Fair in London on 7th September poetrybookfair.com and to exhibit as part of h.Art week, 7th to 15th September, at the Print Shed in Madley. www.theprintshed.net

Exciting times. It's worth having the kitchen table multi task for a while!