June/July Update
The last couple of months have passed so quickly, not sure if it’s the exhibition deadline starting to speed up or just life? We had a lovely week away in Cornwall, something we all needed and the weather was wonderful.
Ace Exhibition Update
There are only 6 weeks now until we start to hang my solo exhibition at Ace Arts – it has been such a long time in the planning due to Covid but I’m keeping everything crossed that it will go ahead as planned, opening on the 11th of September.
All the planning is coming together now, with lots of work being framed, prints underway and all the small details being considered. I am so very grateful to Nina and the staff at Ace for giving me this opportunity and cannot wait to see all the work hung in one place.
Lis and Dave at Pricelis Art have been busy with the framing, this has not been an easy job with supplies of glass, frames and mount being difficult to source due to Covid, Brexit and the Suez Canal!!!
Exhibition Lansdown Gallery Stroud CQWest
I recently exhibited two pieces as part of our Unfolding Stories 4 Exhibition at Stroud. I very much enjoyed stewarding with my lovely friend Anna. It was wonderful to once again be in a gallery enjoying this much planned exhibition.
Exhibition entry Society of Graphic Fine Art
I was incredibly proud to have my Kingfisher piece ‘Patience’ selected to be included in the SGFA‘s annual exhibition held this year at the Mall Gallery in London. Unfortunately this year I couldn’t get to see the exhibition but seeing the footage and catalogue of all the work it looked amazing.
New Giclee limited edition Prints
Coming soon – the latest 3 pieces are printed and nearly ready to go onto the website shop. I am hoping they will be available in August in plenty of time for the Exhibition.
Work in progress
The final two pieces are underway now, the Little Egret and Bittern. This week I am aiming to complete the Egret and have been enjoying looking through my threads to find the perfect colours for the backing. These old Sylko threads are always a favourite.
The bird is complete and stitched onto the backing, I am still wondering whether to use the little painted fish I have made – the photograph this is based on shows the egret having just caught his dinner.
Painted Skull Series
I will have mentioned before that I trained as a Diagnostic Radiographer after leaving school and worked in the NHS for around 20 years. I have always been fascinated with skulls and decided to paint a series of life size skulls of the birds featured in the exhibition. There were two reasons for doing these, firstly to show the huge variation in skull and beak size and shape and secondly as a representation of the potential loss of some of the birds represented who are facing dramatic declines in their numbers. I have thoroughly enjoyed painting these, its made a great change from stitching and I am looking forward to seeing them as a group at the exhibition.
Somerset Levels Reserve Maps
I want the exhibition to celebrate the work and impact of the nature reserves on the Somerset Levels. The birds whose numbers are increasing on the levels such as the Bittern, Hobby and Marsh Harrier are doing so because of this land being available and managed for them. I have machine and hand stitched these small maps and added small painted details onto Linen. The three areas I have featured are Shapwick/Ham Wall, Greylake and Westhay. These are now at the framers being stretched and mounted ready for framing.
An unusual Buy!
I LOVE a flea market and we are lucky enough to have the Bath and West just up the road from us, as restrictions allowed we went to the first event in search of an old Scythe. I had no way of including all the birds associated with the levels in the exhibition so tried to think of a way of including a list that could be hung in the gallery. My idea was to print the birds onto two fabric hangings from the Red and Amber conservation status list – More info here
Many of the declines in bird numbers are due to changes in farming practice and loss of habitat. I have chosen an old scythe to hang these pieces from as a symbol of these changes.
Below – a sample testing the idea of the printed list and red stitched footprints.
Last piece!
Last but not least is the Bittern, this piece I have rather foolishly left till last and will be a challenge due to very unusual feather patterns. I think I am looking forward to the challenge but certainly love the fact I am so nearly there now!
Solo Exhibition
‘Thriving & Declining on the Somerset Levels’
Ace Arts, Somerton, Somerset
September 11th -23th October
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