Art in Woodstock Festival

I spent a day in Woodstock on Thursday manning 'The Art Wall'. A great idea 'The Wall' was sponsored by several companies and constructed by a local building company. Children of all ages were given the choice of paints or felt pens and left to show their artistic talents on the wall.

The whole festival is run by a committee who organise the advertising, venues, handling of the art works and the invigilating duties of the artists. This year there were 60 artists in shops, galleries and hotels within Woodstock. I was exhibiting three of my paintings in the 'Real Wood Company' shop.

It is an ideal location as many visitors are in the town to visit Blenheim Palace, so the footfall is good as is the timing since it is half term and many people welcome it as a day out with their children. Perhaps next year some other members of SAF will apply although it is quite a distance to transport work. Maureen Toomey

Big Draw at the Artrix

Found myself on the way to the Artrix at Bromsgrove on Saturday with Steph and Jackie, we were about to become involved in the 'Big Draw'. Carol, a fellow SAF member met us there. After setting up our equipment such as paper, crayons, paints, scissors etc. we spent the next four hours helping children of all ages to express themselves with art. Steph and Jackie had put together teaching boards with Picasso portraits and then the children used these as examples to put their own collages together in the Picasso style. Carol experimented with paint and I did experimental drawing. It was an exhausting day but extremely satisfying.

Two of the Picasso Portraits

The artworks produced on the day will be on display at the Avoncroft Museum as part of their Big Draw between the 26th and 31st October. Maureen Toomey

The SAF Informal Get Together

The first Thursday of each month and Solihull Artists Forum hold an informal get together in the coffee bar at the Art Complex, (new members are always welcome) this month we did a look back on the Arts Trail although at times it was difficult because there was a large crowd in the café all waiting to see the 60s pop star Joe Brown in the theatre. In other words a little bit load.

As a member of the forum I spent Saturday and Sunday driving like mad round all the artist studios, it was great to see the work in the flesh so to speak. I have uploaded the photos of the day to my Flickr site so that anybody can download the images full size http://www.flickr.com/photos/johngarghan/sets/72157624950109147/

John Garghan

Woodbridge Gallery Exhibition

Yesterday Stephanie Adams and I attended the private view of the Artists International exhibition of paintings and ceramics at the Woodbridge Gallery, Moseley, Birmingham. The group was formed by artists who are from or have resided outside the UK and this geographical diversity shows in the works on display. Solihull Artists Forum member Usha Khosla had some of her new pots on show, coloured at the rim with a beautiful aquamarine glaze.

Some of the paintings by AI member Ann Gibbons

The exhibition, held on 2 floors, continues until Sunday 10th October. For more details Tel. 0121 449 5581 - Jackie Mackay

SAF Exhibition at Packwood

Yesterday I went to the National Trust house at Packwood for the first day of the exhibition, inspired by a sketching evening last summer (June 2009 blog) by 10 members of SAF. The room, on the 1st floor was small (in fact it used to be a bathroom) but the works sat well in the space because they were all framed in a similar light oak colour as stipulated by the National Trust.

My piece was of a Majolica drug jar to be found in the adjacent bedroom. The colour of the finished painting, especially the background, had to be lightened in order to co-ordinate with the frame. I have done commissions where I have had to fit in with surrounding decor but never before a frame! The exhibition continues until the 29th October - for opening times checkout the Packwood House website. Jackie Mackay

Out Yer Tree at Coombe Abbey

Just returned from a soggy day at Out Yer Tree Outdoor Art Exhibition, today (Saturday) was the artists walk and talk, 32 artists discussed their work with various visitors to the Coombe Abbey Country Park. There is an eclectric mix of contemporary work, all hidden either in the trees, the lake, woods or in the formal gardens. It is worth a trip to visit to the Country Park, once you have got over the shock of £3.00 to park the car.

These are a couple of photos of my work of distorted hybrid flowers unnatural in shape and size, whimsical yet futuristic. Placed alongside plants and flowers from our natural environment evoke a feeling of unease in the way we view them. The Exhibition runs until 17 September. Avril Elward

Blacked Out in London

I was invited to join a group of artists from different parts of the country to exhibit in a show in London. ARCH 897 an old railway arch at London Bridge. As I like exhibiting in unusual places I accepted and went to London for a visit. The gallery was to be a dark space, only the work was to be lit, the space I was allocated was a separate arch which meant the work had to be a fair size to make any impact. I was intrigued by the noise of trains rumbling above, and felt what ever I made should evoke movement, trains, and colour. So here it is ‘Time Wheels’.

Jackie and Maureen suffered a very soggy day in London to visit the show and took this video for me The materials I used for the revolving piece, which relied on the viewer pressing a button to start was a soil pipe cut, heated and bent so as the Perspex discs could be bolted to the pipe. A car head light was fitted underneath to light up the whole thing. The mechanism for the movement was very much a Heath Robinson affair and intentional. The second piece, I used a large plastic tube with disco lights fitted which shone onto a mixture of found objects , the shadows then projected onto the wall, which gave an interesting effect as the colours changed. The preview evening was a great success, with around 150 people attending. For more information about other artists in the show www.blackedoutexhibition.co.uk. Avril Elward

Jaguar Enthusiasts at Beaulieu

I was invited by the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club to exhibit my paintings at their Southern Day Rally at Beaulieu last weekend. As usual for their shows I was inside a large marquee alongside other trades people, model cars, books, photographs,clothing etc. Outside the marquee other vendors of food and drink,car spares, insurance and just about anything a car enthusiast wants to buy were placed around the show ring.

As 2010 is the 75th Anniversary of Jaguar Cars they had a car representing every model manufactured over the last three quarters of a century by the company with prizes given for condition and distance travelled to the show. Approximately 800 enthusiasts attended the show and although I didn't sell, a first at one of their events, I made useful contacts and apart from setting off at 7.00 am to drive 80 miles from Brighton where we were spending the weekend it was a fun day. Stuart Spencer

Exhibiting at the Silverstone Classic

Last weekend I exhibited at the Silverstone Classic Car Event through The Historic Car Art Gallery with sixteen other artists in a marquee. Last year the event concept changed from being purely classic motor racing based to include live music concerts and this continued this year with performances by Dr Feelgood and The Yardbirds on Friday Evening, and Rick Parfitt Jr on Saturday evening. There were over 100 classic car clubs displaying over 5,000 members cars inside the venue and over 700 rare classic race cars worth well over £100 million were driven by around 1000 owner/racers including Sterling Moss.

Sales were not that good, I didn't sell anything but picked up three commissions which will keep me off the street corners for the rest of this year. I was also invited to show at the Guards Club at Windsor on two weekends, one of the weekends I already have an exhibition booked but may be able to attend the other. Stuart Spencer

Completion of 'Calamity'

Hello, my name is Nigel Ireland, I'm a sculptor and jeweller and the newest associate member of the Solihull Artists Forum. By way of introduction I'd like to show my latest sculpture 'Calamity' and how it was produced.
It is a sculpture and a fountain which I have been planning for some time. Getting my hands on the constituent parts proved a little harder than I expected but feel my patience has paid off. To plan the construction I built a scale model of the pond and fountain so I could accurately plan the structure (Picture 1).


Picture 1, Scale Model
Picture 2, Drilling Cups (Bottom)

Picture 2, shown above, shows probably the most stressful part of the build, drilling the cups. Slow and steady really does win the race. With the cups drilled, I glued in the flanged pipes ready for assembly onto the tray.


Picture 3, Recreating The Model
Picture 4, Pipe Work (Bottom)

With a lot of balancing and adjusting I recreated my model and brazed the pipes into place (Picture 3). If you're a plumber please don't look too closely at picture 4 which shows the pipe work connecting the teapot and cups to the manifold. Once connected to the manifold (Yes it is a Tupperware container !), I applied sanitary silicone around the lid and shut it tightly. Having to wait for the sealant to dry was frustrating but I had saucers to fit to my tray to occupy my time. The saucers were fitted by brazing copper plates to bicycle spokes and gluing these to the underside of each saucer. By fixing spoke nipples to the tray I could then screw each spoke in position. When the sealant had dried and it was in place I attached the feed hose and crossed my fingers. With very little time tinkering with the water pressure I was really happy with the result. I'm pleasantly surprised with how striking the white ceramic is against the green in the garden and I'm quietly hoping the shallow pools in the cups will attract birds, the not fish-eating variety of course!


Picture 5, 'Calamity'

LSA Summer Exhibition

I went over to Leamington with Marcus for the LSA Private View of their Summer Show at Warwickshire College this Tuesday, 13th July. As I have only recently joined LSA this was the first time I had submitted work to the Summer Show - all members are guaranteed to have at least one piece shown, and several other members of SAF had their work up which was good to see.

We were impressed by the event in several ways – O.K., first things first, the wine was delicious which is not always the case at Private Views. Second, we were warmly and professionally welcomed as we arrived, firstly by Dominica Vaughn who is the gallery director for LSA’s Gallery150, and then by Dave Phillips who takes an interest in SAF and our struggles to get the recognition and council sponsorship we deserve – in his opinion. The work was well displayed in the college environment, with adequate space between pieces, allowing the work breathing space. It was well lit and the fact that the work was so varied made it interesting to look at – and included sculpture, ceramics, textiles, mixed media, pencil, oils and acrylics. Prices ranged from £50 to several thousand. An eclectic collection!

The attendance was high and the atmosphere lively – a good evening and a very professionally co-ordinated event. The exhibition ends on 24th July and is well worth a visit. Paula Hamilton

A Day in Touchwood Shop Space

Jackie, Avril and Maureen spent Tuesday 13th July in the shopspace in Touchwood showcasing their work. It was extremely busy especially after Veracity was delivered. To those who don't know Veracity she is a sculpture created by Mark Tilley, standing over six feet high with a very voluptuous stance. After her entrance a lot of remarks and interest were forthcoming, one likened her to his wife whereas others disliked her instantly. Whatever the remark her appearance brought people into the space where we were able to discuss the group and also our work.

Jackie had printed a leaflet about SAF which we handed to the visitors and hopefully this will encourage new members.

The end of the day we were met with a downpour which soaked us whilst loading the work into the cars, despite this we all decided the day had been worth it and time had passed very quickly. I think the coffee and doughnuts were also a great help despite Jackie and Avril protesting they were not good for us. Maureen Toomey

Summer Evening at Usha's

Ushas Studio showing works inpired by a visit to Petra

Last night Usha Khosla kindly invited SAF members to her studio as part of Warwickshire Arts Week. She had a fabulous display of work on show and talked us through the process from initial inspiration to the production of pieces (a lot being of coiled clay) and the application of slips, oxides and glazes with some works being fired many times. Afterwards in the garden we were treated with wonderful samosas, nibbles and drinks. We discussed the benefits, problems and development of Art trails of which Usha has many years experience giving us food for thought on our up coming Trail in September.

Usha's studio is open until Wednesday next week and is well worth a visit - the little jugs she makes specifically for the trail are delightful and from £7.50 unbelievable value. Go and buy one! Jackie Mackay

Studio Visit - Caroline and Michelle

Caroline discusses art and philosophy

Last night we were treated to a double bill. Carolyn was opening her studio and had asked Michelle to bring her work along too. Carolyn Pigden's work started when she looked at renaissance paintings and realised how beautiful were the figures within them no matter how grisly the subject. She wanted to paint beauty and was advised the most reliable medium for the job is oils. To find a definition for beauty she studied the philosopher Kant. To represent this definition was not enough as she considered the view of the painting. So she was led to Walter Benjamin’s Reflection Theory. No value is absolute, it needs a reference to be appreciated. Heaven needs Hell, beauty needs ugliness. So now she is developing but in a subtle way these mixed messages.

Returning - Michelle Allen

Michelle Allen set out on a quest to paint the invisible or nothing. Surely this must be the most challenging prospect in the minimalist genre. She very nearly got there too with her transparent floating letters, her colourless suspended glass tubes and her entrapped dust particles. All this was ably brought to life in a monochrome video set to haunting music. Back from this brink she now thinks about parting and absence as indicated by an empty pair of boots or a disconnected telephone. These she renders in oils or interlaced acrylic sheet. Both the artists had prepared their presentations thoroughly to provoke our thoughts and to promise work that we will look forward to. I must get back to my Kant. Mark Tilley

Stuart Paints and Meets Sir Geoff Hurst

Portrait held by John Chaplin chairman of Jaguar Social Club

Jaguar Social Club contacted me and asked if I would donate a painting for an auction for the NSPCC, when they told me former England striker Sir Geoff Hurst MBE was the after dinner speaker I offered to paint his portrait. He requested samples of my work which he OK’d; I sent a pencil sketch and received the green light to go ahead with the finished portrait.

An A4 copy of the portrait which Geoff kindly signed for me

More than 260 guests attended the black tie event at Browns Lane, Allesley which raised £4,250 for the NSPCC including £250 going to SPARKS a children's charity of which Sir Geoff is chairman. My portrait of Sir Geoff was sold for £650. It was great meeting the man last Friday (June 4th ) at the auction was and when he saw the size of my hands asked if I had considered a career in goalkeeping. Always thought I could have done something useful with my hands. Stuart Spencer

Valerie at The Mill

The exhibition space showing 2 of Val's small paintings

Last Friday Valerie Just had 3 of her paintings on show at The Mill in Little Shrewley, run by Sue Lewis-Blake. Each exhibition is launched at an open evening from 6pm to 8:30pm on the first Friday of the month. After this, the work can be viewed by appointment for up to three weeks. The space is not large but the walls suit most types of artwork and it is well lit.

The end wall is painted blue which enhanced those works which do not sit well against white. The large painting in the centre is by Judith Hickling whose theme for her work is based around knitting. Even though it was a glorious summer evening the event was not well attended - but that did mean I was able to have more than my fair share of cheese straws. Jackie Mackay

Kenilworth Festival Gala Day

I spent a disappointing day at the Kenilworth Festival Gala Day on Sunday. We borrowed a gazebo and several tables for the day but the wind made it difficult to keep the gazebo up and caused me to abandon my usual practice of displaying my glass on stands. A good sized event held in Abbey Fields by the local Lions Club, including field events in arenas and multiple stages. With the sun being out and free live music the crowds came out in droves. However they were mostly families and although they looked and admired I sold very few items but I believe I made one or two contacts who may approach me later.

From a stall holders perspective this was not a well organised event. Although there was an area for craft stalls they were placed haphazardly. You had to guess where the row was going based on the heaps of goods or half erected stands. The majority of stalls at the event were charity based with about 16 – 18 in the craft section and a few of these might have been better at a car boot sale. I shall not be attending this event in future years. Hilary Poole

North Worcestershire Open Exhibition

On Wednesday evening several SAF members went along to the private view of the North Worcester Open Exhibition held at Artrix, Bromsgrove. There was an eclectic mix of works including pieces from members Maureen Toomey, Lisa Marie Thompson, Jackie Mackay and Paula Hamilton. At the Artrix there is not a gallery as such but the work is displayed on white walls and along the corridors. The venue can be booked and provides a good footfall since the site is also used for live performance shows as well as a cinema. New member Rita Fletcher has her own exhibition there in September.

Primitive Matters

The event was well attended and the work which received the 'best in show' award was Primitive Matters by Karen Mclean. An interesting piece and part of a body of work regarding living standards in the Caribbean and the resourcefulness of the people living in shacks or primitive huts. I am still using the nutmegs I bought a couple of years ago from one of those huts - I remember them being much brighter in colour and being a shorty I'm glad they weren't on stilts. The exhibition is on until Sunday 13th June so pop along. Jackie Mackay

Enamelling Day at Rachel's Workshop

Last Friday I attended Rachel's Gogerly's very interesting and enjoyable enamelling day at Winyates Craft Centre. Myself and four other folk - all of different skills and experience (mine being none) were introduced to the background, process and techniques of enamelling onto Silver. We had a go at grinding the material and applying and firing the enamel onto prepared silver pieces and we all produced two finished items by the end of the day!

The setting in an old courtyard was very pleasant and we all spilled out onto the grass for our lunch and some chat. Rachel was great - providing all the necessary equipment and materials, and it was great to be in her workshop seeing where she makes her wonderful pieces and she was generous in providing plentiful breaks with a supply of hot drinks and biscuits and cakes, which gave opportunities to hear from Rachel and the other folk attending about work they have done or are intending to do and see examples. There is also scope to work on individual projects for those already familiar. A great day which I would recommend for jewellery makers and interested parties alike, wishing to discover a new skill or have a day learning something new and seeing how someone such as Rachel, who has achieved so much, goes about her work. Julie Robertson

Pooles Plight

I just know you have been waiting to find out if I made my deadlines before Easter. Did I manage to get pieces to the exhibition at Showborough as well as ready for Preston Bagot before going on holiday. Well I am sure you will be glad to know that I did, although the pressure was relieved somewhat by our holiday being cancelled.

However I was just calming down a bit when I got a request to provide items for an exhibition in the NHS trust hospitals starting the same week as Preston Bagot. To make sure I had enough to choose from I had to race over and retrieve some pieces from The Red House Glass Cone where I had had some pieces displayed for 12 months. What a relief when everything was safely delivered. Now I have just got to decide what I have to sell at the Kenilworth Festival on 16th May. Oh dear I think I need to make some more glass. Hilary Poole

Spring Exhibition at Preston Bagot

On Friday night SAF held the Private view of their Spring Exhibition at Preston Bagot. There was a good turn out and the weather could not have been better. Helen Carslake of the Art Barn at the Old Rectory hung the exhibition and supplied plenty of good food and drink which was eagerly consumed by the gathered throng. However it was noted that when I left at the end of the evening some folks were sauntering back from the Crabmill pub having had a liquid top-up.

The selected works showed the diversity of the group and a wide range of skills and the pieces all sat together well as a complete exhibition. The Barn is open for viewing until Sunday 25th April, 10am-6pm daily. Jackie Mackay

Usha at the Midland Potters Exhibition

Exhibit from Usha Khosla - Landscape Pot

This exhibition at The Gallery of Bevere, Worcester, celebrates thirty years of the Midland Potters Association. On show are the amazingly diverse forms made by twenty selected members and alumni of the association. The exhibits are a celebration of exciting forming techniques and surface decoration using the ceramic medium. The pieces range from purely sculptural to functional ceramics. Considering that there is such diverse work, the whole exhibition works very well together and it is a pleasure to walk around.

Exhibit from Mark Smith - Pebble Boat on Wheels

When you have enjoyed the looking at the works you can go upstairs for some coffee, cakes or light lunches. Even the cafe has pottery and paintings on display all around the rooms. The exhibition continues until 25th April 2010. Usha Khosla

Hilary's Smashing Time in the Garden

Had a bit of a disaster last weekend. I went in the studio and found that the Green Man hanging sculpture (shown above) had fallen from its temporary hanging space and more than 50% of it was in pieces on the table. It is made from Stella bottles and I only had two in my bottle box – I needed three to make a new cap for the top as well as lots more bits for the bottom. Fortunately when I went inside some one had just emptied another one. However It takes at least two kiln firings to make the cap and there was no space in the kiln because I was doing things for the Preston Bagot exhibition. I was running out of time. The sculpture and the Preston Bagot photos have to be delivered this weekend. Will I complete them in time? Watch this space - updates after Easter. Hilary Poole

Recognition for Rachel from Goldsmiths

Rachel Gogerly, a Designer Maker working in precious metals and enamel and founder SAF Member, received two prizes for her distinctive Silver and Enamel work at this year’s Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council National Awards earlier this month. She received Silver Awards in two categories; the Small workers Design-led section and the Enamellers Senior section, both being the top prize in their category.

The Awards Ceremony was held at Goldsmiths’ Hall in London, with certificates and prize money presented by Hector Miller, the Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company. Rachel’s work was then on display along with the other prize-winners at the Goldsmiths’ Hall for the press and public to view.

Award winning Rachel said ‘I am absolutely thrilled to have won these awards! It is always great to get recognition for all the time and effort you put into making a special piece’.


Pill Box, Silver and Enamel, 60mm diam. Silver Award, Enamellers Senior 2010

The Goldsmiths’ Council Awards come after Rachel’s success at the craft & design magazine Selected Awards last year, where she won the Silver Award in the Jewellery category following a public on-line vote, where members of the public voted for their favourite makers through an on-line gallery, which features a selection of the best craft makers based in the UK. To see Rachel’s page, visit www.craftmaker.co.uk/rachelgogerly

Rachel, who is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths’ and a Designer Maker of over twenty years, will also be showing her work at RHS Wisley Craft Marquee between 15-18th April. Full details of this and other shows where Rachel sells her work are available on her website, http://www.rachelgogerly.co.uk/ RG

Marks Kiln Firing

Opening the Kiln

Yesterday I fired my kiln. It cooled overnight and today Jackie and Hilary joined me to see what lay inside. My kiln is a knock down affair but I persevere with it. Those results which I achieved under the more controlled conditions of an electric kiln and with a technician to help me were just so boring. So I screw down the regulator on the gas bottle, look inside for an almost white heat, juggle with the air fuel ratio and plot temperature against time.

Inside the Kiln

For me there are two essential ingredients towards making a piece of Art, an element of unreality and an element of chance. My outfit will certainly guarantee me that element of chance.

We lifted out of the kiln one big hand which I hope will speak for itself. I don’t do pretty. I also hope I shall never try to make another hand in clay. It is an inept material if the fingers are stretched. I shall go back to metal work. I am also trying to develop the ceramic mural like I see in the British Museum. Today’s result is a bit hazy, must try again. My beads all stuck together because my new bead firing rack was not up to the temperature, shall have to make my own. Mark Tilley

Live Brief does Touchwood

On Sunday 3 SAF members, as a part of the Live Brief group, were once again in Touchwood shopping centre. The day, led by Eva Bennett, was used to discuss our forthcoming project relating to Solihull and to learn more about each other and our working methods. Part of this was colouring in wooden spoons as mini versions of ourselves.

Liza Minelli, Chris Evans and Billie Piper on night shift

AKA Maureen, Jackie and Kathryn

The work we finally produced in response to the space was centered around the window area (no one made an offer for the chair and the acupuncture man) and it was fun trying to sketch the shoppers hurrying past us. It was certainly a day which later led to more discussion. Jackie Mackay

Your Space at Touchwood

Through Aimee Green at Solihull Library Gallery, SAF were granted access to an empty shop space in Touchwood Shopping Centre on Saturday afternoon. Some of us took along small works to help fill the space and although it was a bit rough and ready we attracted a fair bit of interest from the public. At least we hope to have gained a few new members as a result.

I had a really enjoyable afternoon promoting the group except that I did develop 'hold the clutch knee' after taking 20 minutes to exit the John Lewis car park at 5 o'clock. Jackie Mackay